It is amazing how completely random situations get us to think about basic things in life. Whenever I´m commuting, I like to remain silent – I usually use that time to give my mind some rest and let it wander. I don´t know how it is where you live, but here in Rosario, Argentina –my hometown– taxi drivers love to talk. They do. About anything. Which kinds of makes it hard for my wish of silence. Momma raised me right, so I always engage back in the conversation and every now and then end up having a good time. But I´ll be honest and admit I prefer my silence.
Two days ago, one of these random situations took place. I got into a cab while digging in my purse to check that I had my wallet with me, so I told the driver where we were going without really looking up. And then a voice said “Sure thing, let´s go”. A female voice. Every now and then I see female taxi drivers around here. And I love the way they own it. They are sitting on a seat that has historically belonged to men – and still does. I admire how strong these ladies are to put up with the pressure of people telling them to that is not their place. So this time around, it was me who started the conversation. I asked her about her job, her everyday life, how she dealt with people.
She told me all about it – she said she had started driving the cab a couple of years ago, when her husband had an accident. And that at first it was tough, and she felt scared. She felt she did not belong there, and some passengers would not even get into her car because there was a woman behind the wheel. I personally find it amazing that there are people that still believe that women are worse drivers than men – believe me, we hear that every day around here. And trust me, that statement is by no means true. I consider myself one fine driver, and my husband and I have a private joke that he fell in love with me when he saw me park my car (what.a.statement, huh? I am that good parking 😉 – but that is a story for another time.
Anyway, shall we go back to our lady driver?
I had to ask her –after all, she seemed extremely confident now– “How did you overcome that fear?”. She said she realized that she did not have to be or behave like a man. She was a woman, and she could bring so much to the table. Sadly, we arrived to our destination and I was quite in a hurry, so I never got to ask her what she was referring to. But it did keep me thinking about that – about how men and women have different personalities and talents, and how richer work experiences are when each individual brings his or her stuff.
Later that day, I got into a different cab. This time around, a gentleman said a very brief “Where are you going?” and went back to his business. Two blocks after that, we got to a Stop sign, and I noticed there was another taxi circulating slowly on the other street. That cab was empty, and had no rush. My driver got very nervous and started honking annoyingly. He then yelled “Why don´t you go wash the dishes, you old lady!”. I had not realized the other driver was a woman – it was not my previous driver, but she very well could have been. She just smiled, said goodbye to my driver while waving her hand, and continued her way without losing her mind. I suspect “patience” was one of the things on her table.
Clara García
Director of Language Services, holds a degree in Social Communication. She has extensive experience in managing teams of linguists and educators, and a solid background in audiovisual translation. She joined the Dotsub team driven by her passion for cross-cultural communication, and inspired by her fellow Dotsubbers’ vision.