Where are you going?

Where are you going?

            Smoke, sweat, and hidden food tucked snuggly between the seats are the smells associated with the inside of Miami’s yellow taxis. Regardless of their rusty exterior and dingy interior, yellow taxis are necessary for the inexpensive transportation of Miami’s locals. But on the other hand, tourists looking for the “Miami” vacation have available to them nicer taxis, large black Lincoln SUVs, to explore the town and perhaps visit the beach. Experiences are not limited to the appearance of the taxi, but also include the atmosphere established by the driver. Through the speech and ability to create conversation of Cuban taxi drivers, Miami works on microscopic levels to idealize the experience of visiting Miami for tourists.

            “Where are you going?” is about as far as these two types of drivers will be similar. When a college student takes a yellow taxi to the grove, the driver does not ask their intentions for going to the grove. The intentions of the costumer does not vary drastically from person to person; but at the same time families traveling to South Beach are all going there for the same reasons. Sitting in a yellow taxi, it is unlikely the driver will even ask your name, where you are from, what you do for a living, or even how many pets you own. Statistics show that the yellow taxi driver is likely from Cuba and, as a result, has poor English. Even with the refined language of an SUV Cuban taxi driver, would the yellow taxi driver even care about the customers biography? The service of a ride to the grove is in no way impeded by silence in the car. The costumer is going to get there either way.

            Yellow taxis achieve what they are designed to do, transport a local from point A to point B. But other taxis, with their leather interior, working air conditioner, and fresh spring smell, provide an experience that tourists coming to Miami were looking for. Even down to the smallest detail, Miami is becoming more and more a slave to this image established, not by the locals, but by tourists.