When you take a taxi in the United States, if you sit up in the front seat, the driver will be pleased and talk with you all the way; if you sit in the back seat, though, the driver may be unhappy and reluctant to speak, he is unlikely to say much.
At first, I thought this was owing to differences in the characters of the drivers. Later, after I'd had some more experiences with taxis, I discovered that it was a more general phenomenon. Only when I arrived in San Francisco, did I find out the reason.
Sonia lives in San Francisco. One day, Sonia and I went out together. Sonia drove the car while her husband, Ji An, sat by her side; I sat behind Ji An. After a while, Ji An got out of the car and suggested that I sit where he had been sitting. The destination wasn't that far away, so I told him I'd just as soon stay where I was. But Ji An insisted. So I had to move, wondering what all the fuss was about.
"Do you know why Ji An asked you to sit here?" Sonia asked me. I shook my head. "If you sit in the front, it means you and I are friends; if you sit in the back, it's as if I'm just your driver and our relationship is one of employer to employee.
“With those words, I understood at once. No wonder then that taxi drivers were so pleased when I sat in the front. At face value, the only issue was where one sat. As a matter of fact, though, where one sat also reflected the degree of one's respect for the driver.
Although it is true that the relationship between driver and passenger is a business relationship - or in other words, a money relationship - people still place an emphasis on the respect and friendship beyond the monetary transaction.
One day in New York. Sonia and I once took a taxi to go out. In the car, we both sat in the back seat. Speaking in Chinese, Sonia introduced New York's social background to me. As we were talking animatedly, the driver suddenly interrupted us, "There is a law here stipulating that if you do not speak English in this taxi, you will be fined $ 200." I was very surprised.
Sonia immediately asked him, "How come I haven't ever heard of that law before? I'm going to check this law in court." The driver laughed, "I'm only kidding. I just feel frustrated that I can't understand what you're saying.
“As we got out of the taxi, Sonia said, "Our sitting behind made him feel like he was employed by us; on top of that, he couldn't understand what we were saying. So naturally, he wasn't very happy. I wouldn't put it past him to try to trick us. But I'd rather believe he was really was just kidding. Anyway, he wasn't too pleased with both of us sitting in the back."
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