Open Writing

Women are often perceived as vulnerable. Such is not always the case, they can be hard and vicious, and anyone unfortunate enough to be around when such a woman is on the warpath may be in for a difficult time. One could just accept it, turn the other cheek so to speak, or one can do something about it and survive with one's own human dignity undiminished.

Imagine, if you will, a cab driver, at everyone's beck and call, the butt of drunks, cheats, louts, and others who add little to the sum total of human happiness, nor to that of our cab driver. Now imagine that near the beginning of his day, one of his fares is a woman possessed of that quality known as "side". She is well-heeled, well made up and smart, and probably has a degree in business studies, plus a well-paid job to go with it. Doubtless she has underlings whom she rules with a rod of iron or treats like dirt. She probably thinks this earns her "respect", although behind her back the minions give voice to a wish to plunge their knives in her back. It is a certainty that she toadies to people whose positions at her place of work are above hers.

She is about to encounter our cabbie, placed in a subservient position, with an ageing car, as the greedy proprietor of the cab firm takes so much rent and fare commission that he cannot afford a newer vehicle. He knows his apparent position in life, but he cannot feel that he is worthless. He has dignity like all human beings. As soon as our member of the red-coated brigade sees this shabby, elderly character, she thinks, "He'll do!"

Her reason for booking a cab in the first place, rather than drive her car to the station as she would normally do, is that today the bus drivers are striking. She proceeds to bend the unfortunate cabby's ear with her chagrin at this state of affairs, and in general to carry on as if the bus drivers had a vendetta against her personally, rather than the usual reasons such as falling behind in the cost of living stakes, concern about job losses, dissatisfaction with compromised safety and the like. The driver is concerned only to finish his journey and get paid and go to his next assignment. He makes the customary sympathetic clucking noises, obviously without a great deal of sincerity, and tries to concentrate on his driving.

On arriving at the station, she asks him in a voice that has lost none of its exasperated edge how much the fare is. The driver informs her (correctly) that it is four pounds and fifty pence. In the tones of one upbraiding a recalcitrant schoolboy, (rather than someone old enough to be her father, and therefore possibly deserving a little deference) she tells him that his firm's fares are the highest in the area. She of course would know that the driver can do little else than tell her the firm's rate, but anyone will do to vent her spleen upon, particularly those she perceives as belonging to the forelock-touching tribe.

The cabbie has registered the hurtful intent, and reviews the possibilities open to him. He does not wish to defend his greedy proprietor, nor to explain that this greed is the reason for the high fare. If he were to radio his controller and tell him the mileage, the controller would confirm the fare as correct, but something about the churlishness of his passenger makes him wish to react in a way she would not expect. So he says, "O.K., it is two pounds fifty." This sets her somewhat aback, but she quickly recovers, and says, "Which is it, then?" "It is really four pounds fifty, but if you feel bad about it, I'll take two pounds fifty.''

Our heroine snaps, "Alright, with an attitude like that you can take two pounds fifty,'' and she paid him, slammed the door and stamped off. No doubt he thought she had dealt with this uppity underling in a fitting manner.

As the day went by, and her black mood did not lift, it dawned on her that, far from teaching the elderly cabbie a lesson, he had managed to suggest that she was too poor (unlikely) or too mean (more likely) to pay the proper fare like any civilized person. Some victories can be extremely hollow. We do not know what became of her, or whether she ever changed her attitude.

Back to our cabbie. Who can put a price on dignity when it is beyond that of jewels? For two pounds, he had retained his, and held a mirror to the ungracious passenger. He had also not broken his rule, passed down to him from his great grandfather, that one should never insult a lady, as firstly he had not directly insulted her, and secondly, there seemed some doubt whether she qualified for that particular term.