YOU TALKIN’ TO ME?
Raj Grewal is a driver with Penticton Taxi. He has been driving cabs since 1996, first in Winnipeg, before taking several years off and returning two years ago in Penticton.
He spoke with Herald managing editor James Miller about his job and the anticipation of his busiest night of the year. HERALD: What brought you to Penticton? GREWAL: The weather. I got tired of shoveling snow in Winnipeg and the cold. There’s quite a difference.
HERALD: Do you miss anything about Winnipeg? GREWAL: No, I’ve only been back once. HERALD: Is it easier driving a cab in a smaller city compared to Winnipeg?
GREWAL: It’s the same . . . the same job, the same type of people you run into. With a smaller city there is less traffic and it doesn’t take as long to get somewhere.
HERALD: Is it true New Year’s Eve is your busiest night of the year?
GREWAL: For sure. People are out partying. We’ll have all 10 drivers on that night and two dispatchers and people need to book early.
HERALD: Have you ever driven anyone famous?
GREWAL: Not really. In Winnipeg we used to get military personnel because of the air base. I had a couple who were contestants on The Amazing Race Canada when they were here and I drove them from the airport to somewhere around Naramata.
HERALD: What do you enjoy about being a cab driver?
GREWAL: You get to meet new people every day and I enjoy dealing with them. You definitely need to be a people person in this job.
HERALD: What can I do as a customer to make your job easier?
GREWAL: Just be patient and take into consideration the weather, the conditions of the streets. In the winter when it’s slippery it’s going to be harder to get from one point to another. HERALD: Is your biggest clientele seniors? GREWAL: During the daytime, yes, but at nighttime it’s the younger crowd out at the bars and the hotels.
HERALD: Has the invention of the GPS made your job easier?
GREWAL: For sure. It makes it easier to find streets at night and it gives you a basic idea of where to go. Before the GPS, we relied on road maps.
HERALD: Do you have a funny story that you’re able to share with Penticton Herald readers?
GREWAL: When I was in Winnipeg a guy had me drive around looking for a place to buy beer because you couldn’t buy beer on Sundays in those days. We finally went to a Chinese restaurant and the meter was still ticking, it was over $50. When I let him out, he dropped his case of beer on the sidewalk and there was a soggy box of smashed beer bottles. HERALD: How about a happy story? GREWAL: This summer I picked up a bride and her wedding party in Trout Creek and drove them to the Summerland resort where they were catching a boat to Naramata for the service.
HERALD: What do customers like to talk to you about?
GREWAL: Anything really. The weather, sports. Politics isn’t really a big thing.
HERALD: What do tourists like about Penticton and where do they like to go?
GREWAL: Mostly The Channel and the wineries are very popular. They also like to just do sight-seeing.
HERALD: What’s the biggest misconception people have about cab drivers?
GREWAL: People think we take the long way. What I personally do is when somebody gets into the cab and there’s a couple of different ways to get to that address, I ask them which way do they want me to go. For example, if you’re at 422 Lakeshore and you want to go to the airport, you can come up Winnipeg and over to the Channel Parkway or I can go and hit Power Street and then to the airport. I let the customer decide, or they can let me go the way I think is quickest.
HERALD: What other services does your company offer?
GREWAL: We do car deliveries, where we send two drivers out, one drives you home in a taxi and the other will drive your car home. They are becoming more popular. We will also do boosts for $15.
HERALD: Have you ever seen the movie Taxi Driver starring Robert DeNiro? GREWAL: Yes, it was all right. HERALD: Who was your favourite character on the TV show Taxi?
GREWAL: (Pauses). The little guy, Danny DeVito.