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-   -   Mumbai Taxi's - Part of our landscape! (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/4947-mumbai-taxis-part-our-landscape.html)

They get on your nerves, almost kill you 10 times a day if you are on a bike, block bus stops, park anywhere they want and basically create havocfor the Mumbai motorist.



But, these black and yellow Premier Padmini's, or simply Fiat's as they are commonly called, have become synonymous with Mumbai. A Mumbai taxi is like a snowflake - no two are ever the same!

Yes you can get a Maybach custom made to suit your requirements, but then so do these Taxiwallah's. The exteriors are ornately decorated with all kinds of symbols and stickers. The interior of each taxi will be different. Some have shelves made from wood to accomodate their "Pionear" stereo. Some have remote switches that operate a FM receiver placed in their glove box. Some have a 2ft. tubelight in them while others have all sorts of coloured and flashing lights with smelly curtains on the rear windscreen.



The seats are never the same either. Some have more legroom in the rear while others leave you with your head between your knees (I have actually sat on a seat where, if you lean back, you can feel the CNG cylinder in the boot!). The more adventurous cabby has a floor shift and front bucket seats.

All of them have a free flow exhaust though, and all the drivers think they are Narain karthikeyan's uncle. They will take 90 degree turns on their bald or retreaded tyres without braking. Not their fault as most of them don't have brakes anyway.



Yes Taxi's today are the single largest cause for the large scale chaos that we call rush hour, but that is the price for keeping a city mobile. It's only when a person from Mumbai travels to other cities in India do we realise how lucky we are to be able to step out of your house or office and hop in a cab, any time of the day or night.

Nice post RT. Regarding the chaos, yes there is a lot of chaos because of the cabbies. But just imagine if the auto guys were allowed in the city.

Nice post there RT. Very well written and nice pics as well.. or rather cpics:

Well thats something i would not even like to see in my worst nightmare. The taxi drivers have some discipline wheras the Ricks fly across like Flying Saucers. If Taxi Drivers are narains uncle then after watching the Bahrain GP i can say that Rik drivers are Pedro De La Rosas.. lol:

Lol Vtec.
Hey Rt good write up.
But seriously, taxi drivers really need to be taught how to drive.
Its like they woke up one day, borrowed a cab and started driving and are still figuring how to drive.

Very nice write-up rt.. Really kool.. Here we dont have any problems with cabs.. But the city buses and the ricks, really killer man..
Seeing a city bus on a rerview will give any motorist goose pimples.. He'l $#!t his load because of the honkin of these buswalas when they are right behind u..

Lambo you mean borrowed or stole :uncontrol

Rtech, would you still be complaining if our taxi stands looked like this?



If these were our taxis, Dippy would have been a taxi driver. And, he'd have used Mercs and BMWs just to get to the taxi stand every morning. Hehe

Shan2nu

Makes me wonder what if this really happened. Then will have to set up more hospitals. Or rather the taxi drivers need a super license to drive that

Hey Vtec,
I wanted to say stole but i dont want to be banned.
Most of the young drivers who are learning have borrowed the car.
And if the taxi stands were like the ones in shan2nus post, i would be one real real proud taxi driver and in true taxi style i would replace the bumpers with tye PAL FIAT ones so no one could come close without getting their bumper ripped.... just joking

But they wont fit in the first place :p and if the do then they will ruin the aerodynamics of the car.

If those were the Taxis then i am sure no member from team-bhp would refrain from being one taxi driver..

Whoa Shan! With a taxi like that, who need's passengers. What you need to do is add a little PS magic and get those F40's in the traditional yellow/black cabbie paint! Now that would be cool.

and expensive as well :confused:

And shan2nu,
If you PS the image dont forget to add the roof carrier.
The interiors will have lights all around, the seats would be torn and the sides covered with spit

I dont mind . That would be the best job ever :D

Is someone up there listening ?? Pleaseee

Dippy

hahhaa nice write up Rtech and amazing pics shan.was wondering what it would be like if something like that did happen ....