Former Taxi driver now Trucker/Author finds humour everywhere
Truck driver and author Don Taylor manages to retain his sense of humour, no matter how hard he works or how far he drives.
Taylor flagged the meme photo above for Taxi News: it’s someone’s depiction of what the nose cone of an airplane would need to look like if the pilot had previously worked as a Taxi driver. Taylor might know, as he launched his career as a professional driving Taxi in Thunder Bay before he transitioned to his dream job of Truck driving. His stories from both industries are fast-paced, vivid and memorable; he says he spent years around the campfire with family and friends, regaling them with Taxi and Trucking stories before they finally convinced him to put the stories in writing for a book.
“Stories from the Road,” Taylor’s memoir about driving long-haul trucks across North America maintains steady sales on Amazon as both a print book and audiobook.
This anecdote, published as part of RWN’s original review of the book in 2022, remains one of my favourite stories. EVERYONE who has ever received an unfair ticket loves this story:
“On another occasion, I was sent to a local bar for a fare. The gentleman got in the car, seeming to be fairly sober, and off we went.
I came to a stop sign with a huge snowbank blocking my view. I inched ahead to see around it. Nothing was coming, allowing me to make my turn. Almost immediately, I saw the flashing lights of an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) car in my mirrors. I pulled over, and the officer said I had failed to stop at the stop sign. I explained that I had stopped. I couldn’t see around the snowbank. Then I inched ahead to see if the road was clear.
He wasn’t impressed. I got a ticket. Well, there goes THAT day’s pay to cover a bogus ticket. All the time my passenger was silent, looking straight ahead. After the police car left, my passenger asked if I was considering fighting the ticket. I said I wasn’t planning to, as it would come down to his (police officer’s) word against mine. There was a snowball’s chance in hell that I’d win. He said that he would be happy to appear in court with me as a witness.
I thanked him, saying ‘with all due respect, I doubt that will help me much.’
He then identified himself as the Chief of Police for the City of Thunder Bay.
My mood improved considerably. I advised the court that I would be contesting the ticket, arriving at the appointed hour. The OPP officer was there. It was clear he had no clue what was about to happen. My case was called, and the officer presented his case. I was then called to present my defense.
When the judge asked if I had anything else, I said yes, I have a witness. When the chief of police walked forward, in full uniform, the look on the OPP officers face was worth a million dollars!
He knew then and there that the case was lost. The judge heard the Chief’s story confirming what I had said. He tossed the charges out of court. The judge then suggested that the OPP officer show a little common sense when presented with a believable excuse.”
–Rita Smith
