Taxi services in Lima are one of the interesting parts in Lima. Some people hate it because of the security problem. Crimes can happen in a taxi, especially to those foreigners who barely know the city and barely speak Spanish. For example, one of my closest friends lost her computer in a taxi. Luckily, nothing happened to her but other stories that I heard or read are even worse than people can imagine.
For some personal reasons (mostly my fear factor “big
grin”), I do not drive and prefer to use public transportations that Lima can
offer. Taxi is the most reasonable option for me when I have to go to some
places faster and at the same time, when I am clueless of where I want to go.
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| (I did not own the picture, I took it from http://perilousperu.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/perutaxi.jpg ) |
Most of time, I do feel afraid of some crime possibilities
that can occur. But, sometimes, I do not have any choices so I just embrace
myself, think positively, be cautious at the same time and lista, I’ll be in a taxi.
I would say that being in a taxi in Lima can really be an
interesting moment because of the interaction that I usually have with the
driver. Most of the drivers that I met were friendly and curious at the same
time.
I remember that one time I met a driver who represents a
father figure.
Once I had to attend an event at night in La Molina. After
bargaining the price, I finally could find a taxi driver who would take me
there for a quite reasonable price. The driver was a middle aged man who has a
daughter and a grandchild. I noticed that from the picture that he placed on
the dashboard.
Simple pick lines to open the conversation were about the
questions about my nationality. After a while, just like a father, he gave me
advices about safety, that I should not travel alone at night; that I should be
careful where to stop taxi; those things that a concerned father always has for
his daughter.
Then, the conversation even became so personal when he
talked about his own daughter who happened to give him a cute little grandchild
without being legally married to the father. With a sad tone, he told me that
the father did not really care about his daughter and grandchild. His daughter
has to raise her alone. Financially, she cannot support her daughter alone. So,
it is the grandfather who helps her and his grandchild.
“Tu vas a casarse un dia, busca un hombre que sea responsible”
(You are going to get married one day, find a responsible man!). His other
advice gently touched my heart and created a sensation just like a real feeling
when my father tells me some wisdoms based on experiences.
I could hear the change of the sad tone into a happier
one when he told me about how funny her granddaughter was. He even let me saw
the picture of his precious one; a very beautiful little girl. For me, he is indeed a very lucky grandfather.
Some other times, the drivers can even really be so
curious and being opened with any kind of issues, including religion. Because I
wear hijab, most of the drivers have asked
me questions about why I am wearing that, my religion and some rumors that he
heard about Islam and even a serious theme about how women are treated in Islam.
One driver asked me whether I could wear a mini skirt and
when I said no, he asked me why. After explaining why, he seemed not to
understand well and said if I were his daughter, he would have let me worn anything,
including a mini skirt.
One driver told me that he heard about when a Moslem man is
dead in a holy war, he would be rewarded by a number of virgins. Jokingly, he
said that if that had been true, he would have converted into a Moslem.
One driver whom I met told me that he was in Iraq for a
couple of years and expressed that he did not like how women were treated there
and asked me whether in Indonesia women were treated the same.
One driver even got so preachy and started talking about
his belief against Islam.
I remember all of those experiences with a smile on my
face. In my opinion, the moments that I have shared with the taxi drivers have been
colorful and at the same time are enriching. I am now used to explain why I wear
hijab and my views on several issues, especially about how women are treated in
Islam. In a way, I could understand their prejudices that come from what they
have heard or what they have watched and learn to respond in the most correct
way.
If you ask me whether I always have been lucky with the
taxis and the drivers, my answer is "no, not always". I had been in wrong taxis
where the drivers cheated me by charging higher prices. But, no me importa, most of the drivers whom
I met have been the people who I always remember joyfully. For me, they are
reasons to enjoy Peru, con mi estilo :)
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