You are not worthy of this cab ride
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You are not worthy of this cab ride Saturday April 19
One of the best things about my company is that approximately once every six months, most people in the company who have been there for any length of time (there is a qualification, yes) convene and talk about management-assigned topics. Essentially, the senior management says, "we have identified these points as things that need to be explored in our future, now talk amongst yourselves," thereby allowing most people in the company to have a say in the future direction. That's cool.
Even better, this meeting usually takes place on a Friday, whereafter we usually have a great dinner and drinks. Last night was no exception. I found myself in a karaoke room at 1:30am with a few brave souls, slightly tipsy, rocking out to my colleague's excellent rendition of "Me and Bobby McGee". No, really, she's a professional singer. I'm not being sarcastic. It is really good.
As anyone who has been in Japan longer for one Saturday night should know, 1:30am is well past the time the trains stop running, so anyone who stays out that late must be in for an all-nighter until 5:00am, or must take a taxi home. In the middle of the night, from Ginza, where our office is, it's about 3,500 yen to get home. That's about, at the current rate, $35. Split down the middle with a colleague, it's not so bad.
So, 3 of us were standing in a slight drizzle at 1:40am, searching for a cab. There are plenty of cabs in Ginza.
Finding one that will pick you up may be another issue.
We were on a back street, and there was a cab slowly approaching us. I attempted to flag it down; I could see the driver's face. He was focused straight ahead, hands slightly tense on the wheel, to the extent that it was unnatural and clear that he was avoiding us. The light at the intersection turned red, so he stopped. I walked towards the vehicle and looked at him again. Still nothing. I then got in front of the cab itself, and flailed my arms with a smile on my face. By this point, I had given up on getting in this cab, but I just wanted to make my point.
He rolled down the window and spoke.
"What are you doing? Get out from in front of the cab... it's dangerous!"
"We'd like a ride. Your cab indicates that you're accepting passengers," I shot back.
"I'm going home--" he said.
All cabs in Japan have an LED in the front window that indicates their current status, and it is very easy to see the difference between "out of service" and "empty".
"Your sign says 'empty', if you're going home, why doesn't it say 'out of service'?" I asked.
"I'm going to Chiba, I'm going home," he said, assuming that we did not live near Chiba, so we would have to accept his answer.
During this whole time, I continued to stand in front of his cab. He cocked the wheels and attempted to inch past me, but I moved, and my knees were on his bumper. This aggrevated him further, but like my father, don't mess with me when I am right. As a licensed cab operator in the city of Tokyo, you have an obligation to pick up anyone who wants a ride. Period.
Back to the Chiba excuse, it turns out that one of the 3 of us does in fact live in Chiba.
"She's going to Chiba," I said, pointing to the Japanese co-worker who was with us. I figured he would take her, as she is Japanese. I was wrong?
"I'm going home! Get out of the way!"
I couldn't let this clear discrimination stand.
"What? You don't like foreigners?! Is that it? If you're out of service, put that on your sign. This woman is going to Chiba, and you're going to take her there."
By this point he had inched the wheels to the extent where if I didn't re-position myself, he could "get away". I'd already decided I wouldn't want to reward this jackass with my money anyhow, so I moved back and he went off on his way.
We caught the next cab. He was a nice guy, and I made sure to tell him the full story. He sounded sympathetic, and I truly believe he was. He tried to explain it away: "you probably live in the city, and he wants someone who lives far away so he can get a higher fare," he offered with empathy.
Like many other things in Japan, there are rules that everyone follows, with little exception. At the same time, there are rules that no one follows, with little exception.
I decided yet again after last night that as long as I can possibly avoid it, I will never ride in another taxi in Japan again. Sadly, this isn't the first time I've promised that to myself.
