Oh Montreal.
I got into a cab at the airport only to be taken hostage by my driver.
He proceeded to drive me into town, slowly and the long way, in order to have more time to tell me his pet theory about the origins of language. He showed me a spiral bound note book with his laborious notes. Proof, he claimed, that all languages are indeed fragments of the original language that existed before the tower of the Babel.
He was really very pleasant, and entirely rational, but I have to say the whole thing was a little bit scary. Especially when he started telling me about the scientists who had assembled to listen to his theory and encourage him to publish.
I’ll just get out here, thank you very much. Yes, I know its a traffic island in the middle of nowhere. Better marooned than taken captive. That’s my own personal theory of self defense. As I matter of fact, perhaps, you’d like to hear my theory. It is extremely interesting, as I think you’ll find…
References
The image above is from the site for Ultimate Taxi here.
Tell people you are an anthropologist and most just want to talk about Egyptian pyramids. However, far from Montreal, I’ve met more than one cab driver with a notebook of ideas. And, I know a hotel bellman who will tell you in detail how to invest in gold futures, and explain the dow industrials for you…
After all, you stepped into his office (his cab, his lobby, etc). ..
Harold Innes
Creativity occurs at the margins.
Canada having always been at the margin of empires …
Taxi drivers having always been at the margin of capitalist societies …
Montreal being at the border where English and French Canada meet …
Montreal Taxi drivers are therefore the gurus of the modern world.
When are your writting the bestselling book on this topic?