The Call of the Helpful Cabbie

The Cabbie... always willing to impart helpful advice to runners

Should you ever have found yourself in the unfortunate situation of running around Harpurhey in Manchester, as I did this morning, you may also have heard the call of the Cabbie.

The Cabbie has the reputation of being one of the noisiest and most gregarious drivers on the urban roads. Generally a plump breed, with characteristic red cheeks and nose, they are easily recognised by most people. However, it is the call of the Cabbie that will be familiar to many runners. It is this call I experienced today. A helpful breed, with a desire to pass their wealth of worldy knowledge on to others, their call is loud, yet advisory. They will slow their speed and lower their window in order to deliver their well-versed words to their recipient, with maximum impact and a cheeky wink: 'Go on Love... Get them [sic] knees up'.

Careful study of the Cabbie has shown that the best way to deal with this demonstration of male bravado is to simply continue running, turn your head slightly towards them and give a brief, but friendly smile; the Cabbie, satisfied with the attention gained from his verbal exhibitionism, will simply continue on his way.

Also worth keeping an eye out for, is the more frequently spotted Cabbie-in-Training. The young of this breed are great at mimacry; examples include the Wolf-Whistle, the 'Hey Sexy!' shout and of course, the more commonly heard 'Get your knees up'. Specialists in the field of the Cabbie have noted that this common call is certainly being passed down through the generations; consequently their song will continue to be heard by runners for many years to come.

Distance: 1.5 miles
Feeling: great! I only ran 1.5 miles!
Weather: snowy, slushy, icy and raining!