Beer and all it's evils.(Which includes having to get a late night Taxi.)

For the first time in a while I went out last night. Met my mate Lee in my favourite pub 'The Kings Arms' in Poland St, and a couple or three Stellas later we moved on to The Quebec for 'just a couple more.'

I don't know how many Coronas I had, they're like a bottle of pop to me gone in a couple of swigs, the obligatory slice of lime in the top thrown aside until the table looked like a fruit display. Time went quicker than the Coronas did, and before I knew it I was out on the pavement and calling a cab.

It's a long way from Marble Arch to Denham, helps if you fall asleep for most of the journey, for two reasons; one, the journey goes a bit quicker whilst my snoring assures me that the driver stays awake as well. And two, I don't have to answer any questions about what I do, am I married and how many kids I have. I've lost count of the amount of times I have been called 'disgusting', unnatural', 'against Allah' (that should give you a clue to the religous beliefs of most of the taxi drivers at that time of night) because when asked these sort of questions I give an honest answer.
One memorable conversation went like this:
Driver: You live in Denham?
Me: Yes.
Driver: You live with your mother?
Me: No?
Driver: Your wife?
Me: No, I live with my partner.
Driver: Do you have a girlfriend and children?
Me: No.
Driver: But you said you live with your partner.
Me: I do. My partners a man.

Silence. Then.

Driver: That is disgusting. You should not do that. it is wrong.
Me: Beg your pardon.
Driver: Living with a man is dirty and against Allah.
Me: I'm not a Muslim.
Driver: Even so, it is wrong. Very dirty what you people do. We do not have people like you in my country.
Me: Well we're not in your country, and over here it's legal for men to live together. And if you don't like it then tough.

Silence:

Driver: Very dirty.
Me: Shut the fuck up and drive.

This happened sometimes when I lived in Ealing, which wasn't too bad, I knew that at any part of the journey if they started talking like that I could just say pull over and get out without paying, knowing that another cab would be along in a minute. Living in Denham you can't do that. Majority of the journey is dual carriage way, the rest is countryside, and I don't want to be stranded at some early hour of the morning.

 I'm not going to lie about my life to make someone feel stronger in their beliefs, but I do know that one day it may cause me trouble.

So I sleep instead.



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