I have experienced many nightmarish rides in a taxi in London and that is why I was very apprehensive when I had to take my father-in-law for an emergency medical checkup when he complained of chest pains. My wife had taken the car to pick-up the kids from school so I had no other choice but to call for a taxi.
The taxi arrived and the driver seemed to be quite concerned about my father-in-law’s condition. But he misunderstood when I said that I needed to get him to the hospital for an emergency medical checkup. In fact, the situation wasn’t that serious because my father-in-law does have chest pains from time to time but my wife and I do not take any chances. It is 45 minute drive from our place to the hospital and the driver was determined to reach the destination in just fifteen.
He raced and zigzagged in heavy traffic and was so engrossed in his efforts to break the sound barrier that all my efforts to ask him to slow down fell on deaf ears. He braked abruptly from time to time and the resulting jolts had an adverse effect on my father-in-law’s condition. Finally we arrived at the hospital with my father-in-law in worse condition than he had been because of the rough ride. The driver even offered to wait but I politely declined. The overzealous driver left thinking that he had saved a life but I did not wish to break his misconception.