Taking taxis is a big part of the Jamaican experience and boy, aren't they hot spots for drama! Taxi Tales chronicles the adventures of two young journalists travelling on public transportation.

Ren: Some drivers love turn off a di route and not even cry excuse, yuh si. Mi no like it, enuh. Sher, yuh remember di taxi we took from Half-Way tree, one night, with the female driver?

Sher: Yes, Ren. Mi remember how she tek on couple man when she was about to leave the taxi park, and she did sound rough and tough like she was not a pushover. Mi did proud of her.

Ren: There were four of us in the taxi. Me, Sher, a young man weh nuh stop smile from we start talk, but neva say a word in English, and a man who look like him in him 40s, and talk like him radical and no like foolishness.

Sher: Yea man, we had a good conversation that night and di driver did a participate too, all was well. When we reach the KFC a Old Hope Road, wi see di driver, 'Taxi Mummy', just swing into the KFC parking lot and stop and say, "beg unnu a minute deh, mi a go buy some KFC fi di kids. Dem nuh eat from mawnin', and mi cyaan mek dem go bed hungry." We never had a choice cause we did already inna di parking lot so we say, "alright."

Ren: Baps! We inna di parking lot a wait, 10, 20, 30 minutes and Taxi Mummy still cyaan come back. We done roun' six conversations, and still no Taxi Mummy. Me peep inna KFC and see her a di back a di line. Radical get mad and say, "Mek wi come out! She too outta orda man, dats why me no like ooman driva."

Sher: Ren and I agreed because wi feel say wi did fi tek a stand because of all di taxi drama we go tru. We and Radical storm outta di taxi, leaving Smiley in di car. When him say him not coming, we cuss him and call him "sell out" ,and storm off fi catch another cab. Radical say, "a dat she mus get, she lose all a wi and nuh get no money."

Ren: Anyway, we reach a bus stop now and a wait, 5, 10, 15 minutes - no taxi. Radical see waan criss car and start fan it down, di driva slow down, look pon Radical from head to toe then drive off. Maasa! Radical start cuss we and a say a because we never put out we han. So Sher start say tell him say yes we did. Radical kiss him teet, tun him back and a grumble.

Sher: Meanwhile Radical deh deh a look car fi hop go home, me and Ren stand up one side a pray fi Taxi Mummy nuh pass we pon di roadside cause dat wouldn't look good. And lo and behold, we see Taxi Mummy a drive a come towards we after bout 30 minutes at the bus stop. She had Smiley and a box of KFC pon har front seat. She stop a wi foot and mi, Ren and Radical step in. We shame! And Smiley did a laugh cause wi did cuss him bad.

Ren: "Why oonu go weh?," she asked with a heavy 'town' accent. "Mi tell oonu me jus a get sum'n fi di pickney dem eat. Jah know star." She never sound upset, but me did too shame fi talk and me gladly 'hol di KFC inna me lap when she asked. All of a sudden Radical come dung off him high horse. Him did a wile up Taxi Mummy still enuh, but not like when him did a cuss Smiley. "Yuh cyaan do dem tings deh my girl, people have dem yard fi go and a work yuh a work," he said.

Sher: Taxi Mummy reiterated that di pickney dem hungry and she just wanted to give them sum'n to eat. I was happy she wasn't mad because she cudda pass wi and nuh pick wi up back. So she ended up getting our fares after all. Bwoy, I guess it's a hard-knock life for working mothers.