Greetings and Happy Midweek!
I thought we’d explore the world of transport this week - looking at taxis to be specific. There are so many angles we could take on this, but let’s start this week with a look at a few ways taxis serve people, based on local needs and culture. I’m placing this in the 3rd “HARBOR” Dimension of our Global SKILLs 3D Dynamics. Where-ever and whatever kind of taxi is being used, it is serving as a type of cultural, and sometimes cross-cultural, harbor - both for the driver and the traveler. Let’s see how…
In 3D Dynamics, the Harbor is a space where people meet, set goals and work together so everyone benefits. A taxi is a harbor because the driver(s) provide the (hopefully safe!) ride and necessary local knowledge and the traveler(s) provide the destination and the fare. This exchange happens every day around the world in countless variations.
Taxis can be cars or motorcycles or boats or perhaps - a horse. They can serve one client at a time, or as many as can be stuffed in - in which case as each one is dropped off at their respective destination, others are picked up along the way. Taxis can have meters which set the price - no arguing. Or the fare can be entirely negotiable. Or they can have meters which work sometimes but are also broken sometimes. If that’s the case and the fare is outrageous - you can negotiate anyway! The important thing is there’s a communal effort to get from point A to point B, working together.
All the taxi types and situations mentioned above are ones I actually have had the pleasure (or sometimes the chagrin) of experiencing in my travels over the years. Culturally, we can learn so much during the course of just one ride and maybe even make friends with the driver or fellow passengers, as we see life unfolding in different ways - from the windows of the taxi!
I imagine you each have a taxi moment you’ve experienced as well…share about it with a friend or here, and ask them what theirs is.
And check out the Global SKILLs LINKs below for more on taxis…
Thanks for being part of this Connect community.
Until next week,
Betsy
Global SKILLs LINKs
~ a mainly western but nevertheless fascinating compilation of all things taxi: https://www.taxi-library.org/legacy-culture.htm
~ let’s get global: https://travelaway.me/world-taxis/
Notes
Related Connects:
5/8/20 - out my window; 3/31/21 - teachable; 2/9/22 - footprints; 3/1/23 - crossroads
(you can find these by using this link: https://www.globalskillspartners.com/blog-1 )
[*] Through my business Global SKILLs and several partner subsidiaries I offer unique cross-cultural consulting and training including:
3 Dimensional Dynamics Model: 1st dimension = HOME ; 2nd dimension = HOST ;
3rd dimension = HARBOR (which we explored this week)
PROACTive Framework:
PRO = PROfile, PROcess, PROgram
ACT = Applications, Collaborations and Transformations
~ contact me for more information on this model and these strategies and how you might use them in your current programming: betsy.barbour@gmail.com
2024 ~ Celebrating 40+ years of working in
intercultural communications and global community building
“It takes a community to build a community”
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Please do not reproduce or share without my permission (betsy.barbour@gmail.com)