Without a doubt, Atlanta has the nicest taxicab drivers I’ve encountered in all my travels, domestic or international.
Imagine if any cabbie in New York offered even two of these nice touches, most of which I had on all three of my rides:
–Opening the passenger door
–A clean, spacious back seat without a partition
–Several of today’s newspapers
–Classical music playing quietly
–Pleasant and unintrusive small talk
–Asked permission to open the windows
–Noticed the passenger making a phone call and temporarily turned off the radio
Really, everyone is nice in Atlanta, even the normally disgruntled airport staff, who don’t have that oh-lord-why dazed emptiness in their eyes, and who actually say things like “pardon me” and “good afternoon” and “thank you.” I’m used to the aggressive rhythms of Manhattan but I can sure see the appeal in this.
I didn’t get to see much of Atlanta today, but I most certainly felt welcome.