Saturday, January 28, 2012

Angry Cabby

Today in the taxi, one of the first things that I noticed was the Angry Birds sticker on the taxi meter. I assumed that the taxi driver is addicted to this video game just like millions of others around the globe. So, I turned and asked him how often he plays the game, but to my surprise, he scowled at me and didn't utter a word. Maybe he, himself, is an angry bird.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Happy Lotuses

Thais, in general, can be quite resourceful. I love how the cabby created a lotus pond out of ribbons around the image of the Buddha. Either that or the driver just opened his birthday gifts.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Enter the Dragon

Dragons can be spotted on the side of some Bangkok taxis as a company logo and inside the cabs as symbolic decorative elements. Considering that this is the Chinese year of the dragon, you'll most likely be seeing more of this fire-breathing creature around. Happy Dragon Year!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Changeless Cabbies

I'll never understand why a majority of Bangkok cabbies don't carry change with them. It seems like having petty cash on hand would be a requirement of the job. Normally, I don't think much about it, but today in the taxi I didn't have any smaller bills with me. Fortunately, the driver had a few extra twenty baht bills on the dashboard that he could use as change. Or so I thought. It turns out that the money was reserved as an offering to the gods. So, I ended up paying an additional forty baht for the ride. Apparently, this is how the driver collects his "offerings".

Friday, January 13, 2012

Too Bad for Brad

If Brad Pitt were Asian with a dark complexion, had jet black hair, looked about fifty-five years old, and drove a taxi in Bangkok, the cabby with this sticker in the rear passenger window would look exactly like him.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Taxi Beats

With a sizable jury-rigged sound system in the back of the taxi, I was anticipating cruising around the streets of Bangkok with the windows rolled down and the speakers thumping. But rather than putting on some rap with heavy bass, the cabby popped in the Carpenters Greatest Hits CD.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Number One

There are some English words and phrases that everyone in Thailand knows regardless of their level of English-speaking ability. One of those phrases is "number one". Today, when I noticed that the identification plate on the taxi's rear door included a one, I asked the cabby how he received such an auspicious number. He replied, "I am number one taxi driver in Thailand".