Taxi Cab Drivers: They Do It For 'Entertainment'

Every day I look for odd topics which is a plain topic that I could make interesting. A lot of the time I come across a lot of these fascinating topic through customers at work. I work at Walgreen's so I tend to spend my eight to 10 hour shifts with people. Some I quickly introduce myself to and others are the regulars that I have developed a relationship with over the two years that I have been employed there. I would say that working there for that time paid off; and not money wise, but by hearing stories about the people that shop there. I have learned so much about their lives. And they have been most gracious in answering my bizarre questions.

So tonight at work it was just a usual night: accident down the street (old woman crossed at the wrong time and was hit by a young girl), the sound of ambulances driving by, police, and the business of the cars and people on 10th street. Let's just say that the place I work is most definitely not in the best place in town. It's about a 20 minute drive from my country home. Anyway, several customer's came and went, but one particular customer caught my attention. His name is Ed and he has been a Taxi Driver in the area for years. He always stops in for a pack of Marlboro Lights.

Most people assume that the job of a Taxi driver is uncomplicated and only consists of driving. But, I found out otherwise. One day Ed had come in and I saw him pull up in his cab. So we got talking about his job and what he does. So every time he came in after that it was just a brief chit-chat but for some reason tonight was different. This evening, for some reason, I brought up the question: Do you like your job? Surprisingly, I was shocked by his answer. Ed explained to me that the only reason why he does what he does if for entertainment. I just looked at him and asked what he meant by that. Then, he explained that he has been through several incidents that he found quite amusing. I, for one, would have found them terrifying.

For instance, one incident that had happened was a time when Ed was driving and a guy tried to mug him by grabbing his neck and attempting to pull him to the back of the seat. Ed grinned at me and then said, "But it was okay because I knocked him out cold with a flashlight I had. The guy ended up in prison for life."


Of course this made me even more curious about the life of a cab driver and I asked if their was anything else. Ed explained that he had been hit in the face with a purse, shot at, and stabbed. You were stabbed? And shot at? What happened? He showed me the scar from the stab wound on his hand; The knife had went right through the center of it. A defense wound, professionals would call it. I say he's a bad ass. Ed was shot at twice, but was only hit once. The time the guy missed was because he was shooting from about 30 feet away and his aim "sucked". All of this, Ed told me, was because all of those people wanted money. Apparently two of them are in prison for life.

And, Ed goes on driving away, quickly entertained by all of the interesting people. Oh, not to mention the lady that tried to force herself on the poor guy for payment. Also, can't forget about the big bruise on Ed's hand. Recent from beating a guy to unconscousness because he was trying to batter Ed to death for his cab money. After all this, I being terrified and would most likely quit after the first incident, Ed continues enjoying every second of it. Like I said before, this guy is a bad ass. A certified bad ass. Thank you to all taxi drivers who put up with/are entertained by the American population. And thanks to those who keep our taxi drivers entertained.

So, whenever getting into a taxi, whether it be for a long drive out in the country or a short ride from block to block in New York, I am sure that taxi driver has some sort of story to tell, and at least it will prove to be an interesting trip the whole way there. Taxi drivers put up with a lot of stuff and they probably won't mind telling about it, so ask.

Chinese Foot Binding: A Remnant of the Past.

What exactly is Chinese foot binding?

Well, most people assume that foot binding is when a young Chinese girl's foot is bound by bandages to stop the foot from growing. This is partly true, except there are a lot more grotesque details involved.

First off, multiple accounts attempting to explain the origin of foot binding exist, the most common one from the desire to emulate an empress who had club-like feet, which became viewed as a desirable fashion.

Women of the time also believe that small feet like the empress meant that it was the only way she could marry a man because men looked for women with small feet Men never actually saw the foot beneath the shoes and it was said, through many diaries of the time, that this was sexually appealing to them to not know what women's feet looked like. Men would first choose a wife by seeing if she had 'clown feet' or small moon-shaped feet. The perfect feet were about three to three and a half inches in length which was referred to as the 'golden lotus'.

Also, foot-bound wife meant that she could not walk long distances. So, she had no choice but to stay around the house, therefore being completely devoted to her husband.

Chinese foot binding was practiced for 1,000 years beginning around the 10th Century and finally ending in the 20th Century.

Actually, some elderly Chinese women can still be found with bound feet from when it was done to them as young girls.


What is the actual process of Chinese foot binding?

The process of foot binding was quite excruciating. It was usually performed on a young girl between the ages of three and 10 before the bones in the foot were fully developed. Also, binding usually started during the Winter months so the pain would not be as bad because the feet were already numb from the cold.

First, the girl's foot was soaked in a mixture that consisted of herbs and animal blood. This concoction would soften the foot to aid in binding. The toenails had to be cut back as far as possible in order to prevent the nails from growing into the foot which would cause infection. The girl's feet are then massaged to prepare the child for what was to follow.

Cotton bandages that are 10 feet long and two inches wide are then soaked in the same herb and animal blood mixture. The toes on each foot would then be pressed down to the bottom of the foot until each toe was broken. The cotton bandage would hold the toes there until the process was to be repeated the following day for richer families, and a few times a week for poorer families.

The bandage was wrapped in a figure eight movement pulling the toes closer to the heal in turn breaking the arch of the foot. Overtime, this would cause a two inch groove in the foot as shown in the photo:



Once the binding was completed, the bandage was sewn together so that the girl would not try to loosen it. The herbs and animal blood on the bandage would dry up causing the bandages to shrink which pulled the toes closer to the sole. Also, the girl was not allowed to rest and had to walk long distances after the binding in order to further use her body weight to break the foot.

Each time the foot has to be rebound, the foot is soaked in a 'special potion' that causes any dead or dying flesh to fall off. Then, the binding is performed as before.

Special shoes were required for the small-footed girls. They were called 'lotus shoes' (which can be seen on the elderly woman in the first photograph) because of the way the foot was shaped. The feet of the girls, once the process was completed, were shaped like a lotus flower.

What about the long-term effects of Chinese foot binding?

Foot binding causes gangrene on the feet from the in-grown toenails. Also, from women having to walk to lightly in their old age, they tend to fall more often causing a broken hip or possibly another bone. Many elderly women today regret the fact that they had their feet bound. One women was quoted wishing that she had not had 'lotus feet' throughout her life so she could dance.

Fortunately, Chinese foot binding was banned in 1912 and all Women were ordered to unwrap their feet. Failure to do so resulted in heavy fines and in some cases, death. When the Communists came into power in 1949, they too ordered a nation wide ban on foot binding. This was especially devastating to women with bound feet because most of them were forced to perform hard physical labor in the 1950’s.

Chinese foot binding was considered the most beautiful part of a women's body for 1,000 years. The saying, 'beauty is pain', would in fact, be correct in the history of the Chinese culture.