The Value of Chatting With Your Taxi Driver

The author finds a common thread in conversations with taxi drivers worldwide, a practice also highlighted by Konstantin Arnold in his NZZ am Sonntag column, "Mit dem Taxi durch die Welt: Eine Nacht durch Istanbul." Arnold discovers the world through discussions with taxi drivers, valuing their insights as more grounded in reality than online sources.

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He likes to dialogue with them because they give him information closer to reality than what he finds online.

During an exchange in Istanbul, a taxi driver humorously noted that the author didn't seem like a "true European" because he didn't fantasize about the world's collapse with nostalgic flair. This observation resonates with the author, who notes a collective tendency in Europe to believe the best is in the past.

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He doesn't seem like a true European because he doesn't fantasize about the world's collapse in a nostalgic atmosphere.

However, the author's own experiences with drivers across the globe reveal a contrasting outlook. These drivers, unlike many on the "Old Continent," generally possess a more optimistic view of the future. This perspective challenges the prevailing European sentiment, suggesting that a more hopeful outlook might be found in unexpected conversations.

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We clearly have a collective tendency to believe that the best is behind us.