The "Faces Of Strangers: #43" Story

Taxi and Tour Driver Lloyd "Skipper" Stubbs

 It was an ordinary day.  Had just gone through Immigration and Customs, retrieved our suitcases and were standing outside the Providenciales International Airport in the Turks and Caicos Islands looking for a taxi to take us to the Ocean Club Resort.  Wasn't long before someone helped shuffle us into line.  Traveling with me are my wife Carol and traveling and longtime friends Jerry and Just Sue.  Within five minutes Lloyd "Skipper" Stubbs had loaded our luggage along with the luggage of four other visitors into his large taxi for transfer to our resorts.  Lloyd is a personable monster of a man who is more than ready and willing to answer all our questions and give us a narration on his favorite place, Provo.  The other four travelers where heading to different locations from us, but "Skipper" first headed toward Ocean Club to give, I suppose, the others their money's worth and a tour of the island before stopping at their resorts. "Skipper"got his name years ago, since he is a Jr. and his mother didn't want two Lloyd Stubbs so she called him "Skipper."  

"Skipper" giving us information on the island we are visiting.

He has been in the tourism trade for more than 37 years, starting out as a helper at a resort and now finally a cab driver.  Questions on everything from the weather to the local government came from the riders in the taxi.  All were answered in a comical style which grew on you with each answer he gave.  I asked him a few questions of navigating the roads of the island since you drive on the left and must yield to the car on the right in the many Round-a-bouts that are on the island.  Traffic flows quite well on the island and I can't remember a single stoplight from our two previous trips.  "Skipper" also gives tours of the island and as we exited the taxi, he handed us a few business cards in case we cared to use his services in the future.  We left him with a "Thank You" and a handshake as he closed his rear door and headed back to the driver's seat to take his remaining riders to their resorts.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.