In modern society, the border between typically female and male professions is gradually coming to naught, so the lady-taxi driver does not surprise anyone. Various reasons force the fair sex to sit behind the wheel of a car with "checkers" - someone is in dire need of money, and some are fascinated by the romantic flair of this profession.
The most ancient profession
The profession of a taxi driver is relatively young - in 1908, Elizabeth von Papp became the first taxi driver. The girl was forced to get behind the wheel by tragic circumstances - Elizabeth became a widow, while having small children in her arms. To provide them with a dignified existence, Frau Papp quickly mastered the profession of a taxi driver and began to confidently travel around the Berlin streets in search of clients.
In 1933, the first female taxi driver appeared in the USSR. Muscovite Tatyana Tikhonova became a legend among Moscow taxi drivers - the girl was not only well versed in car design and knowledge of the capital's streets, but also repeatedly won various motor rallies on her "workhorse".
Today, a woman in a taxi is not uncommon. Emancipation has done its job - in every taxi company there will definitely be at least 2-3 taxi drivers. In some regions (especially with a large proportion of the Muslim population) there are special female taxi services, where only women work. Clients are served by cars of red or pink color, in the salon you will certainly find fashionable glossy magazines, and even the radio plays music pleasing to the female ear instead of the common chanson.
It is noteworthy that the earnings of a car lady are almost comparable to the income of a male colleague. And if the taxi driver also has an innate hard work and sociability, she can easily earn more than her husband - most clients generously thank the driver they like.
In addition to a good income, another undoubted advantage of working in a taxi for women is flexible working hours. A taxi driver can independently plan her working day - in any case, she will not be left without money. For this reason, in a taxi, you can meet young mothers who have decided to earn extra money on maternity leave, or women who combine their main job with a private cab driver.
Women in taxis often inspire screenwriters and directors. Vivid examples are the Russian TV series Taxi Driver, the US-made film New York Taxi, and the Turkish TV series Taxi Woman. [Box # 1]
Safety for taxi drivers
In addition to the obvious advantages, there are several pitfalls in the taxi driver profession. So, women are more at risk while working than male taxi drivers - there are frequent cases of attacks by customers, and often motorists are faced with flagrant rudeness on the roads. Therefore, the lady behind the wheel should definitely master simple self-defense techniques, have protective equipment with her and be able to use them correctly.
Another catch in the profession of a taxi driver lies in the poor technical knowledge of the fair sex. If a man can change a punctured wheel in a matter of seconds, the lady will need much more time. However, there is always a way out - a woman can call the roadside assistance service
Many women's taxi companies have their own training program. The purpose of this course is to prepare a future taxi driver for possible emergencies, as well as teach a lady to eliminate them on her own.
In order not to become a victim of attacks by chauvinists or misogynists, a future taxi driver must perfectly know the rules of the road and the terrain. There should be no problems with the latter - navigators with detailed maps are now available, and everything else depends only on the woman's abilities.
