SETimes.comTo find Belgrade's last philosophers, hail a taxi
06/02/2006
If you flag down a cab in Belgrade, you won't just get a cheap ride, but a complete and detailed cardiogram of politics, economics and every other aspect of Serbian society. The city's taxi drivers dispense everything from practical information -- where to eat or have a good time -- to inside information about politicians and other public figures, adding their own special brand of amateur philosophising. But don't expect to be given all this without some effort on your part, writes SETimes correspondent Jelena Tusup. In Belgrade, a taxi ride isn't just a business transaction but a relationship based on mutual trust.
By Jelena Tusup for Southeast European Times in Belgrade – 06/02/06
If you want to know everything there is to know about hot issues in Serbia, try flagging down one of the over 7,000 taxis in Belgrade. You won't just get a cheap ride (approximately 2 euros for a ten minute ride), but a complex and detailed cardiogram of politics, economics and every other aspect of Serbian society.
Those who have experience with Belgrade cab drivers have always considered them friendly, wise and well-informed. What might seem like just another chit-chat may turn out to be a source of heretofore unsuspected, valuable information about any number of topics: where you can exchange money or eat well in the middle of the night, where you can find someone or something, how to behave with the police, where and when to look for entertainment, which route is the shortest (or longest).
You can also obtain news about politicians and other well-known figures -- who is most popular, what his wife is up to these days, whether or not he bets on football, whether he's changed his address, and other pertinent information. Of course, you can't trust everything you hear. Nevertheless, it bears keeping in mind that "everybody who's anybody" in Belgrade uses a cab. And if not the politicians themselves, it's their assistants, family members, friends and neighbours. Thanks to the still low price of taxi services, it's often possible to learn just about anything you want.
Besides their role as information conduits, drivers are also considered the most talented amateur philosophers, dispensing proverbs ("you'll never lose a ride you're destined for") and sage advice. They are excellent, if gloomy, analysts: the general situation is always "bad", or, as the more optimistic ones put it, "could be worse". The majority don't vote, having been disenchanted by their former favourites, and see politics as a filthy business.
In the post-Milosevic era, their main focus has shifted from politics to vital everyday themes -- the transition, wages, taxes, credits, interest rates, prices, municipal policies and so on. They often have answers to Serbia's most intractable problems. "The only solution for this country is for young people to 'pull the plug' on the government, rush them out of the building, and call all the 'unspoiled' ones from abroad to come back and volunteer to make this country work," says one older taxi driver.
Another has an even more extreme point of view: "All young people who are still here should leave this rotten country."
It's not uncommon for passengers to be regaled with picturesque stories concerning the "better times" of the communist era, which cab drivers tend to recall with dignity and sorrow. Back then, few of them were cab drivers. The majority had some other steady job, in production, sales or services. The work, they'll tell you, wasn't hard, and "everything was affordable -- vacations, cars, apartments, clothes from Italy." Their ranks include people with PhDs, top violinists formerly of the Belgrade Philharmonic, ex-professional mountain climbers. Their destinies have taken strange paths, and their conversation topics are infinite.
A word of caution is in order, however. Nobody automatically gains the right to a driver's knowhow, even though you're the one paying for the ride. Mutual trust has to be established. That's why many people soon choose "their own" taxi driver -- a regular who always drives them. If you become good acquaintances, everything is possible. But when you first enter a cab, don't be surprised or disappointed if you're met with silence. If you're a woman, it helps to smile and act inexperienced, but sincere. For a man, a joke or two to crash the ice is a good start. And a tip, too.
Over the last couple of years, some say, the cab drivers have become less chatty than before. Perhaps it’s a reflection of changes in Serbia, a move towards Western values, and the loss of that charming Balkan touch. In the Milosevic years, Serbs felt they had one common problem, which everyone discussed tirelessly. Nowadays, the sense of an overarching issue has disappeared, and with it the sense of commonality. People stand on their own.
On a more practical note, there are a few rules which visitors to Belgrade should always keep in mind. Never take one of the cabs waiting at an airport, rail or bus station -- they'll almost certainly rip you off. It's much better to call for a ride; that way you'll be sure it's a regular, and they'll give you a discount.
If you think you were charged too much, ask for a receipt and remember the cab's number. Then call his association. Bear in mind, however, that cab drivers are a tight community. Don't ever start a fight or appear to pose a threat to the driver. In less than minute, other drivers will come to his aid.
When calling a cab, you can always ask for a non-smoker or smoker, or a cab driver that speaks English. Finally, be sure to check whether the cab has a meter.