Like I say… British and Irish are chattiest taxi passengers in Europe

BRITISH people are the second chattiest taxi passengers in Europe, research has revealed.

Three quarters of British passengers (73 per cent) said they enjoyed talking to their taxi drivers during journeys. Only the Irish were found to be more conversational than UK passengers in a Europe-wide survey by Free Now, a taxi firm. The survey showed that Britons were more sociable than their counterparts in Italy, Spain and Germany.

Among UK respondents, 41 per cent said they enjoyed engaging in small talk with cabbies. A third of British passengers said they preferred talking about the news and the local city (34 per cent).

Grumbling about the traffic and conditions of the road was also popular with 32 per cent saying that was their preferred topic. Whereas 50 per cent of UK passengers said talking about their love life was their go-to subject, with a fifth (20 per cent) even seeking romantic advice from their cab driver.

Indeed, 43 per cent of UK respondents said they appreciate the non-judgemental ear of taxi drivers.

More than half of UK passengers (54 per cent) said they preferred a chatty driver over silence. Although Britons do enjoy engaging with their drivers, 54 per cent view taxi rides as a time for relaxation and introspection.

The survey found that although passengers often take an interest in the daily lives of their taxi drivers by asking them personal questions, drivers prefer to talk about sports, holidays, celebrity encounters and local insights.

According to research published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, engaging in conversations with strangers, including taxi drivers, can significantly enhance life satisfaction and overall well-being.