The Universal Taxi Driver — Walkie-Talkie Dolls

All the world over taxi drivers tell it like it is and supply their hapless captive audiences with their particular brand of truth. All those politicians who have been “ talking to people up and down the country” have probably just talked to the taxi driver on the way to the airport.

But you can get a quick fix of pure local if you strike it lucky - and I did. I had the same taxi driver for three long drives over rutted roads, through incredibly frenetic traffic and up steep hills. He is not only a very good driver who can multi-task (who said men can’t?), he is also an entrepreneur and an astute social commentator.

The traffic here is horrendous but unfailingly polite and the thing is, you rarely see dented vehicles or even near misses. Nobody shouts, no one leaps out of their car and punches anyone else and nowadays they don’t even toot as the mayor has apparently banned it - punishable with a fine!

Nevertheless, traffic accidents are the most common form of accident here with 68% involving motorcycles which make up 80% of the vehicle fleet. So still not exactly a safe option.

They also drive these ridiculous little cars and vans like little loaves of bread propelled by sewing machines and call them taxis - but despite looking so flimsy and makeshift, they seem to be able to handle the most appalling roads, gradients and loads. We continually remark that all the kiwis grizzling about potholes should see some of them here- they are not potholes, they are craters.

But my fantastic taxi driver competently negotiates this drama, all the while giving me the total lowdown on the social welfare system (mostly not there), how Nepal survived the Covid lockdowns (actually during the lockdown a lot of Civic projects were built- highways and airports and buildings). What lockdown?

He also filled me in on Nepali politics, how to combat the youthful brain drain, marriage in Nepal, the cricket, the cricket, the cricket and a whole heap more- all in really good English.

But this is no ordinary taxi driver you understand - he is a totally self-made man and is proud of it.

When he came down from his village, he supported himself and his family by selling vegetables from a cart. He would get up very early, buy them from the market, carrying 100kg on his back and then on-sell door-to-door. It was a brutal very poor life.

One day, without any warning, the authorities came, smashed up his cart and told him there was to be no more door-to-door hawking in the city. This was part of what appears to be a rather ill-considered “beautification” programme that ended up further marginalising an already large and already marginalised section of the population. He was 50 rupees in the red at the time and now had no way of supporting his family,

What to do? So he borrowed everywhere to raise the total cost to buy a taxi and then began working all day and all night. Somehow over time, he managed to pay the debt off and even begin to save. It turned out to be a way to change his future.

He now owns a house, his kids are at university and he still works all day and all night. I was privileged to have some of his precious time.

P.S. I saw SIX monks get into that taxi in the picture.