TAXI....

Have you ever wondered why it was so difficult to get a taxi in Provence? Stuck in a village restaurant at midnight having had a few too many to drink, the waiter first looks horrified at your request for a taxi, then spotting an opportunity offers to take you home himself - it will give him a chance to demonstrate the peculiar genetic ability of the Provencal to take hairpin bends without a hand on the wheel, and to earn a few extra euros.

The good old days of life threatening trips home nearly came to an end this week when the “rapport Attali” proposed to liberalise the taxi profession. The problem is Vaucluse taxi drivers have paid up to €100,000 for their licence, and because of the strictly limited number in circulation, they represent most driver’s retirement plans - sell the licence on and buy a nice beach hut.

Attali threatened all this by proposing to allow new drivers to circulate without a licence. The response from the taxi drivers was a strike. So for now at least, unless you’ve booked your cab one week in advance, the waiter still represents the best way to get home. Just watch he hasn’t had as much to drink as you.