Taxi drivers in Paris: moving real-life accounts

The profession of a taxi driver represents, for most of us, a mystery or a certain enigma. The Parisian taxi drivers tend to be larger than life characters taking on the role of modern day story-tellers based on the anecdotes they pick up on a daily basis. But what about their own stories? What are the craziest anecdotes of taxi drivers in Paris? Well in a few moments you are going to hear a couple of them.

Paris taxi driver’s real-life stories

The accounts from taxi drivers are often surprising and grab people’s attention for good reason. That is why we decided to write a couple of them down into blog form here. The profession of taxi driver in Paris is known for being one where you are in contact with a constantly changing and affluent clientele. The taxi driver can therefore become a fly on the wall to scenes from the lives of the jet set. This is something we all like to hear about and so first up we have this story recounted by Mickaël who has been working as a Parisian taxi driver since 2010 and who recently had a unforgettable journey.

Parisian taxi ride to remember

It was 6:30pm, my vehicle was double parked opposite the national opera of Paris when a young blond woman, slender and rather seductive, made the hand gesture that she wanted to take the taxi. I hope you already realise or at least wont be shocked when I say the principle goal for a taxi driver is to obtain the longest journey possible in order to maximise one’s revenue. So that is why this particular journey was one of the most unforgettable of my life because as soon as she got in the car the young lady asked if it was possible to drive to La Baule, a seaside resort in southern Brittany! 450Km… the holy grail of taxi journeys and one so rare and often dreamt of for a taxi driver from Paris. In total we were on the road for around five hours. The young woman, clearly very well off, only had eyes for her mobile phone, apparently she was going to join her friends who were already partying there. Unlike most passengers she didn’t once seem to look at the taxi meter which displays the price that increases with each kilometre. It was the most scandalous trip I’ve seen since starting my job as taxi driver in Paris. Its days like these that stay with us, and believe me thinking that there is always the possibility of something similar happening again is good for the moral.

Taxi driver in Paris: a profession not without its risks

Unfortunately driving a taxi in Paris does not always come with happy surprises but also sometimes nasty ones too. As the accounts from taxi drivers prove driving a taxi especially at night can come with its risks and dangers as this next story goes to show. Not suitable for the faint hearted!

A taxi journey that unfortunately can’t be forgotten

“It was 4:32am, I will remember this exact time all my life. As a taxi driver who works the night shift in Paris I know well what rules and regulations to follow when confronted by certain clients who appear to pose a threat or danger. But on this day none of the rules counted. Working at night we know and expect to be faced with the most violent and drunken behaviour but that hadn’t prepared me for what was about to occur. I was parked and waiting in an area where there are a good number of nightclubs. A man of about thirty, muscular and imposing, asked if I could drive to the Orly train station, of course I said yes and the young man got inside my vehicle. From then I can no longer be sure of exactly how it happened. At some point during the journey the man drew a blade, a type of Stanley knife, and delicately pressed it against my forehead while asking me to change the direction and demanding that the cost of the taxi journey be waved. In this type of situation I can assure you that you don’t try to negotiate and you do exactly what you are asked. When it was all over I was not harmed physically but it took me week off work to get over the mental trauma.”

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