My Personal Experience on the Barcelona Route
One of the most important aspects of being a taxi driver is the closeness and communication we must have with our passengers. While they are in our taxi using our service, we like to show concern for them so that the journey is as pleasant as possible for each of our customers.
Today, something happened that I would love to share: I took a family from Libya who were visiting Barcelona for the first time. It was clear that they were very happy with the trip, especially the three children traveling with the couple.
As can happen to all of us when visiting another country, despite our planning and efforts to do things right, they had booked the wrong hotel and ended up in one farther away than they had anticipated.
Immediately, I could see the concern on both the father’s and the mother’s faces, as they had not planned to stay so far from the city and needed a new place to stay, but they didn’t know where to start. Those of you who know Barcelona know that it is a very large city, with lots of people and many options. When you are offered so many possibilities, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and not know which is the best choice.
The children, unaware of the problem that had just arisen, continued happily looking out the taxi window at the tall buildings and streets crowded with cars.
I couldn’t just leave the family alone in Barcelona and change my sign to “Free” knowing that they didn’t know where to start their search for new accommodation, so once I had parked the taxi, I took out my phone and opened the translator.
I started writing in Spanish what I wanted to say to them, and the translator translated it so they could understand me. The first thing I wanted to convey was calm and that I would help them as much as possible until they found new accommodation.
Honestly, I don’t know if the translator was translating everything correctly, but I want to trust that it was, as the family seemed to understand me correctly.
I began to browse the various accommodation websites I knew, and soon I found some options that suited the couple, which encouraged me to call directly and speak in Spanish to facilitate and eliminate any language barriers.
I began to browse the various accommodation websites I knew, and soon I found some options
I felt happy to help the family, and we quickly headed to the new address provided to pick up the keys. There was quite a bit of traffic, as is usual in Barcelona, but that didn’t worry me. I knew we would soon arrive at our destination, and the family from Libya could start their vacation in Barcelona and enjoy it without worries.
Once we reached our destination, I accompanied them to pick up the keys. The payment had already been made, so there was no problem there. The family went to see the apartment and came out very grateful for the help I had offered.
Before continuing with their journey, since they were new to the city, I recommended some interesting places to visit with their children and a few restaurants that, in my opinion, they would surely like.
As I mentioned at the beginning, it is very important to be close to our passengers. Many times, they are people who do not know our country and need a bit of help, recommendations, and empathy to continue with a satisfying trip and a pleasant memory of the hospitality they received.
Definitely, the translator was key. I wish them a happy stay!