Meet Hazem, the cab driver who makes sure passengers appreciate the city's history
Hazem Alasmar gives his passengers the rundown on historical facts in London
Cabbie Confidential is a CBC London series that asks the men and women who know our city streets the best to "tell all" about what they see on the roads, who they meet and some of their hopes for this city.
Not every cab ride is the same, especially when you score a trip with Hazem Alasmar.
Alasmar has been driving a cab in London for five years and while he takes his passengers from point A to point B, he tries to include a bit of a lecture on city sites in between.
The CBC's Sofia Rodriguez hopped into his cab to find out his story. Here's part of that conversation:
Why is it so important for you to highlight London's history?
History is one of the proofs of an existing nation. As Canadians, we have a good history, so why aren't we proud of it? History is everything. We have nice architecture and we have a great river.
It's a nice story to tell the new generations. London is a beautiful city and has a history and he who has no history, has nothing to talk about.
So, we're driving to Banting House, why is it important to you?
[What Sir Frederick Banting did] touched my heart and for me he is a big example. He helped everybody on the planet and we should be proud of him because so many lives benefited from his knowledge.
How did you end up driving this cab?
Actually, I am an engineer, but I lost my job because the business closed down. I was waiting for about half a year for a job in my field and that's when a friend encouraged me to try out taxi [driving] temporarily to make a living, so I stuck in this business and it's a very lovely business, but it's hard work.
- Favourite street to drive on: Fanshawe Park Road and most of the west-end.
- Least favourite street to drive on: Oxford street is a tough street during rush hour.
- What's the one thing London drivers do that annoys you most? London drivers are a little careless. They don't concentrate and don't respect the signs.
What's the worst customer experience you've had while driving this cab?
I'm always talking about the positive and a high percentage of people have high respect for the service we do. There's a low percentage of people who probably don't respect themselves, so they don't respect others.
Some people lie to us, they don't pay their fares and they threaten us physically. This happened with me and thank God I'm still alive for my family.
What do you say to people who do that?
Taxi business is like any other business. We are professionals, we are licensed, we try to give the best to everybody, we are very well educated and we're [making] a living for our families to be good. It should be respected.
What's your favourite thing about driving this cab?
I enjoy talking to people and sharing stories. I like learning from them and learning more things about the city. This job can help form friendships. When I see customers [I've driven before] I'm so excited.
