The "Talk about a Taxi Ride!" Story

It was an ordinary day. Needed a ride to Oistens. Oistens is a small fishing village on the south-eastern side of Barbados and every Friday they have their famous fish fry. And, we have free tickets for the meal. Locals as well as tourists gather at Oistens for a meal of flying fish, macaroni pie, plantains, green salad, rice and beans, and slaw. We actually saw the fish flying out over the ocean as we sat on different beaches on the island. But, how do we get there. We have no car rental. The clerk at the front desk at the Divi where Carol and I are staying, along with our friends Jerry and Just Sue, told us to head out the entrance and wait along the street for a taxi. The taxis are minivans which were made to hold maybe 8 or 9 people, but if you squeeze a little, will hold a dozen plus the driver and the conductor. The conductor sits by the sliding door and when the driver stops, no make that slows down, he slams open the door to discharge or take on customers. As soon as he is sure people will not get caught in the door, he slams it shut, takes your money and starts up a conversation. You may be able to hear it over the noise of the radio which is blasting out either rap or reggae music. With in 15 minutes we see a taxi. It slows down, we hop in and the door slams shut. "Where're you going?" the conductor asks. "Oistens!" And off we go. Another occasion we decided to go into Bridgetown, the capital of the island. Another short ride. It was a Sunday and Carol is seated between the driver, who never talks, and a customer who has his Bible open and is reading it for anyone who wants to listen. Arrive a short time later to the slamming of the door and the conductor yelling, Bridgetown. Funny, some of the experiences you will never forget, and can never forget! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - photos from the top are: wondering how we will all fit into this tiny space, Just Sue and Jerry with back row friends, and Carol on our Sunday taxi ride.