THE SECRET GLASGOW TAXI DRIVER
TALES FROM THE RANK: WHAT REALLY GOES ON INSIDE THOSE BLACK CABS
“SO this is Christmas. And what have you done. Another year over. And a new one just begun.”
Well the New Year hasn’t quite begun yet however Mr Lennon’s festive lyrics lead me in beautifully to run through The Secret Glasgow Taxi Driver review of 2022 ... here’s what we’ve covered together on these pages this year:
January ... we started the year with fans attending postponed football matches, covered Batgirl being filmed in the city, and told of a day when every person in the back of my cab had a unique story to tell.
February – the second month of the year brought all the fun and games of Transfer Deadline Day, weegies moaning about “traffic being murder” and we even reached the 100th column milestone. Yipee!
March saw us discuss charitable support at home and abroad, specifically Ukraine, my hero fellow driver John Lundie, Low Emissions Zones ( and groans!) and taxi views and rants as shared on social media.
April showered us with stories about a new meaning of the phrase Stay Safe, a traumatic airport taxi trip, card payments in cabs and a one- week review of the topics dominating punters’ minds.
In May, we featured a cracking Communion Day story where parents blackmailed the weans to help extend their festivities, while the Glasgow Taxi Outing Fund Golf Day and Scotland v Ukraine were covered too
June was all about Troon, as it so often is, as the 75th trip finally took place, which we both previewed and reviewed including a focus on another salt of the earth fellow driver who really did go the extra mile.
In July, we proclaimed driver Pat who came to a fellow motorist’s rescue, praised the young of Glasgow being out out having proper summer fun and even talked about a heatwave, remember them?
School exam results were top of the agenda in August, as was the latest chapter in the Low Emissions Zone saga. A busy September saw us cover what Glasgow transport might look like in 2030, the passing of the Queen, the impact of branded taxis and the city’s bid to be Eurovision host.
In October we took you for a Great Scottish Run, thanked Graham Norton despite not winning the Eurovision hosting, asked if Great Western Road is the city’s greatest and looked back to COP26.
November reflected on Halloween, explained how taxi issues exist in all UK cities, bemoaned the winter World Cup, congratulated Billy Connolly and paid tribute to the late Doddie Weir. And so to December, where we are now, during which time we have already pointed you to use our ranks to stay safe this festive season, while also encouraging you not to leave your Henry hoovers in the back of our cabs!
Quite the 12 months I’m sure you’ll agree. Thanks to the Glasgow Times for the platform. And thanks to you all for reading and, of course, please do have a very very happy Christmas when it comes. Stay safe!