Repelled by the tattoo man

Robert Harper

drove into a culdesac to pick up a customer, and a drunk tattoed man flags me down. I assume he is the fare. I pick him up and turn the taxi around and I see a young woman waiting by the side of the road. She flags me down, and I rolled down the window. She sees the man I have picked up and waves me away. There is an argument as to who has called the taxi.

I ask her if she has an order number and she gives the number on my order chit, so obviously she has ordered the taxi and the drunk tattoed man in the front seat has not.

She offers to call another taxi but the drunk tattoed man asked where she is going and she says to the shopping centre, and he replies he is going there too and they can share the lift.

She asks who will pay for the ride and the drunk tattooed man says he will. I drive them to the shopping centre and the young woman jumps out and disappears. THe drunk tattooed man searches his pockets and can't find any money. He tells me he has one pocket for "fun money". He empties it out but all that is in it is reciepts for booze from Alko. He also has a pocket for "debt money" and in it he finds 2 fifty euro notes, and pays off the ride and gives me a tip.

I ask if I can take his photo and he says yes. As he leaves the taxi I notice he has a swastika tattooed on the back of his head.

You may be repelled by the tattos and yet at the same time attracted by the generosity .

- Taken at 5:02 PM on April 04, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu


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