5 Ways to Turn Cabbies Into Tour Guides

Alyssa Hollingsworth | April 22, 2016

4. Ask Questions

I have a travel wizard friend who can transform a cabby into a guide in thirty seconds flat. Her primary skill: Asking questions.

This isn’t something that comes naturally to me, since I am (as I mentioned before) a pretty extreme introvert. But it is an undeniable way to get a cabby talking.

If you know something about the place you’re visiting or current events therein, you can ask for the cabby’s perspective on the story.

When we were in England during a transit protest, we asked our cabbies how they felt about wages, and in return learned a lot about the inner workings of London. When we were around nearing Princess Charlotte’s birth, we got the low-down on one cabby’s monarchy opinions.

Alyssa Hollingsworth / Own Work

Often you’ll find this unique perspective is different from your stereotypes or expectations, and at the very least it’ll be interesting to discuss over lunch.

If you know nothing, ask anything. Ask about the flags you pass. Ask about weird signs or museums. Ask about local ghost stories or Christmas traditions.

Cabbies are experts of the city. They have plenty to share.

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