Teià – El Masnou – Cabrils

My Personal Experience on the Parc Güell Route

It was a busy June morning. I had already dropped off several clients, and after leaving the last passenger at their destination, I turned the taxi back into traffic and received a new call. This time it was about a bus that had broken down, and apparently, the replacement bus was going to take a long time to arrive.

When I arrived at the location, I saw two more taxis in front of me picking up teenagers getting off the bus to take them to Parc Güell. I thought it would be an interesting story to tell, as it’s not every day you go on a class trip in several taxis.

The police were managing the traffic to ensure the taxis could merge without any issues, and the bus driver was on the side talking on his mobile phone. He looked quite upset about the situation; he probably wasn’t hearing what he wanted to.

Finally, it was my turn, and eight young people got into my Mercedes Benz Vito. They were laughing, finding the situation amusing, and barely paid any attention to me during the trip. They were talking about their own things and mostly laughing. Upon arriving at Parc Güell, the same scene we had seen before unfolded: several taxis dropping off the young people as close as possible to ensure their safety.

I often make trips to Isla Fantasía, where I usually take families and groups of young people, so I’m very accustomed to loud conversations and laughter in the taxi. It’s nice to see people so happy, so I try not to interrupt and just do my job, which is to get them to their destination as quickly and safely as possible.

When it was my turn, they got out, said goodbye, and quickly joined the rest of their classmates and teachers, who were doing a headcount to ensure all twenty students had arrived.

I stood there for a moment, observing the scene, until my phone rang again, reminding me that I had to get back to work. A woman who had suffered a stroke urgently needed to be taken to the hospital. Her husband, a long-time client of ours who I have great affection for, called me. I suggested he call an ambulance, but he insisted I come quickly and not argue.

In that situation, I started the vehicle and contacted my colleagues to see if any of them were closer to the lady than I was, but everyone was quite far from the area, and one even had his vehicle reserved for a tourist route. So, given the situation, I had to focus and think about how to get there as quickly as possible.

In that situation, I started the vehicle and contacted my colleagues to see if any of them were closer

When I arrived, obviously, no one was waiting on the street. I assumed they were still inside, so I took my phone and called back to let them know I was downstairs. Mr. Josep, who I’ve known for many years, as I mentioned, asked me to come up and help him bring his wife down, who was in a wheelchair. So, I went to the door, they quickly let me in, I pressed the elevator button to go up to the fourth floor, and rang the doorbell several times until Mr. Josep opened. I could see the great concern on his face, understandably.

I entered the apartment with prior permission and went to the living room. There was Mr. Josep, pacing around looking for both his wallet and his wife’s bag. Right next to the sofa was Mrs. Carme, serious, not saying a word, but breathing normally, which reassured me. As I headed toward the door with Mrs. Carme, I noticed the keys, wallet, and bag on a small piece of furniture.

“They’re here, Josep!” He quickly came over, grabbed everything, stuffed it into his pants pockets, and slung the bag over one shoulder.

They took the elevator while I ran down the stairs. I don’t have extensive medical knowledge, but I’m very aware that every second counts during a stroke. So, I helped them out of the building and we headed to the taxi parked nearby. We helped Mrs. Carme into the car, folded the wheelchair, and put it in the trunk. Mr. Josep, worried, held his wife’s hand and repeatedly assured her everything would be fine. It was the first time something like this had happened to him. The hospital wasn’t far from their home.

We arrived, and I quickly went to inform the staff of the situation. Several orderlies came out to help Mrs. Carme into a wheelchair. Mr. Josep followed closely behind.

I sat in the taxi, received a call from a colleague asking if I had arrived at the hospital. I explained the crazy day I was having, started the car, and continued with the remaining services for the day, which were much calmer.

A few days later, I called Josep. He was glad to hear my voice. I didn’t even need to ask; he quickly explained that his wife was doing much better, though the scare hadn’t left him yet.

It’s an experience that makes me happy because many things happened on the same day, and everything was resolved satisfactorily, which is what counts in the end. We love being able to take people to their destinations in our taxis.