I met a TT racer from the 50s/Life

[Redliner]

This is long, so if you don't do long, best jog off to 'found on the net'.

I'm a cabby, and I picked an old fella from City Airport, routine run, and as usual the punter gets in the back and says zilch, I usually take this as an indicator they don't wanna talk so I mind my own; usually this suits me as I'm not the most verbose of people, but on this occasion I decided to ask if he had a long flight since he was yawning in the passenger seat.

He replied that it had been an easy flight since he'd only come from the Isle of Man.
I asked out of idle curiosity, from a local's point of view, how is the TT greeted. He told me that by and large, most life long residents greeted it with either resigned indifference, or enthusiasm as it brings plenty of money to the local economy, and for more than a few residents it was a point of pride to have such a long lived and renown event take place on the island, and it was only the people that retire there or come for the tax breaks that whinge the loudest, but most natives are normally quite ready to tell them to p**s off if they become too vocal.

I asked if he'd ever taken part, and he replied he had! So we got in to it, and I asked how it was, he told me it seemed incredibly fast at the time, but compared to the bikes of today, he was pottering along really, I laughed at this and asked if he'd always rode bikes, and he said he had.
We got talking about his biking history, and he said it was a cheap transport in the beginning when he'd started work, but then it turned to a passion, and being Manx he'd decided to enter, he said he'd come way down the list, but was pleased to say he took part.

The conversation turned, and he told me he'd joined the Navy, and that he'd spent sixteen years at sea.
He went on to tell me of his travels from England, to the U.S.A, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, and how part from the official freight, the crewmen would keep personal stock to trade; Guinness for the Kiwis, Money for trinkets from Oz to then trade them for twice what was paid with the people in the U.S.
He told me of how the best seafood was always to be found in one port in New Zealand, and the crew would regularly trade the Guinness and other odds and sods from home for a slap up meal, to then do the same in the next port where they'd get a huge roast with all the best beef and lamb.
He then went on to say he got assigned a desk post, and despite all his years at sea, this was when he really traveled; All over Asia, Europe, Russia, Middle East, and Africa on her majesty's service.

The conversation kept going even though about halfway through the journey I slowed because (as a rarity for me) I was enjoying his conversation and his accounts of his life, and by the time I dropped him off I felt like he'd imparted something of value ( as opposed to the usual house prices/immigration conversation).

As I was handing him his bags, I told him he'd certainly had an interesting life, he told me there were lives more interesting than his, but it was "Best to make the most of it before you turn to dust".

So here's to the old fella, his life and his maxim.

Just thought I'd share.



Does anyone else work night shift and find themselves turning in to a fu**ing bat?
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Learning...

[Redliner]

Thanks all for the karma.


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Learning...

[thegubner]

The cabbies where I work normally whine all day when there in the yard, ALL day!

Miserable sods.

Twas a good read have some karma.

[ken]

As above... ^^^^, guv taxi job going ok? well cool redliner...
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latest bike 03 R1 in zee red and black

[thegubner]

Yeah pretty good, see me job thread, its updated.


Sorry for the slight hi jack.