While since I've read one of these (maybe because I've started to body swerve them), but this is an interesting enough read.
But, typically, everything's very happy clappy, and no-one on the rank has ever fallen out, or whatever
Darlington taxi driver Peter Mudd retires after 50 years
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/ ... -50-years/
Image: The Northern Echo
A Darlington taxi driver has dropped off his final fare after 50 years on the road and an estimated quarter of a million pickups.
Peter Mudd, a well-known face in the town, is hanging up his keys for good after 50 years of ferrying customers around Darlington.
Now 71, and with his 72nd birthday just weeks away, the veteran cabbie says “the time has come” to retire, although he admits the decision has not been easy.
He said: “It’s scary to retire after all this time, but I’ve done enough now.
“Now’s the time for me to go. I think you know yourself when you’ve had enough.”
Originally from Keighley in West Yorkshire, Peter moved to Darlington as a teenager and has lived and worked in the town ever since.
His career began by chance at the age of 22, during a period of financial difficulty.
He said: “I was having a rough time, my job wasn’t going so well, and I was tight for money.
“I saw taxi driving and thought I’d do that until I found something better. I’ve been doing it ever since.”
Over five decades, he has witnessed major changes in both the trade and the town itself.
He said: “There’s a lot more rules now than there used to be, but the cars are a lot better.
“When I first started, your first job in the morning was to push the cars to get them started. If it was raining, your feet would get soaked through. Thankfully, you don’t have that now.”
His very first day on the job proved to be memorable, and for all the wrong reasons.
He said: “They put me in an old Austin Cambridge to see what I was like and how I'd get on.
“It was shaking that much, the police pulled us over and said you can’t drive that. The floor had gone through as well. That was my first experience of driving a taxi.”
Despite the challenges, Peter said the job has given him a lifetime of stories and encounters with people from all walks of life.
Image: The Northern Echo
He said: “You meet all sorts of people in this line of work. Of course, there’s some you don’t want to talk about, but there are a lot of really good people.
“One man I picked up had been a prisoner of war in Italy. He escaped twice and got caught, then the third time he made it out. He told me everything, what a man he was.”
He added that the camaraderie among the other taxi drivers has been one of the main highlights of his career.
Peter said: “You go down the rank and it’s the crack, laughing and joking, that is the best part. That’s what I’ll miss the most.
“It’s such a close community. If someone needs help, everyone mucks in. There’s not one of them down the taxi rank I don’t like.”
On Friday evening (March 27), members of the taxi community met in the ranks in Darlington at 5.30pm to surprise Peter with a token of appreciation for his 50 years of service and celebrate his last shift.
Image: The Northern Echo
Peter said: "I wasn't expecting any of this. It feels weird finishing after all these years - I've worked since I was 14 years old and have never been out of work.
"The kids I take to school got me a present today, and my last shift will be driving back home."
Colleague Anthony Loy said Peter is a "friend to everyone".
He said: “One thing I'd say about Peter is he's a friend to everybody. We will miss him and he's done the job proud.
"He's been a father figure in the community for the last 50 years and he is a true gentleman."
Looking ahead, Peter plans to take things more slowly after years of long hours on the road.
He said: “I just want to take it easy from now on and not have to do much driving anymore.”
