hundred to Cinquecento Square. fifty in via Marsala. These are the people who stand in line waiting for a taxi once they arrive at termini station. In via Marsala not even the shadow of the white cars, the street is abandoned. Who queues with carts, who with large backpacks, who with pets. On average, a taxi driver arrives every 5 minutes. Waiting time around 18and of half an hour, to become longer and longer over time. in twenty almost needed one hour to get to your turn.
Someone gives up and comes back. cayetano He is 27 years old and has arrived from Naples: «The wait is great. The last one arrives tomorrow – he jokes -. He reminds me of Capri, there is the same queue ». rosita, 45, has just arrived from Milan with her daughters: “We are in Rome…” she comments sarcastically and with a slight Milanese accent. Look: the taxi rank is empty. rizzo pine70 years old, stands in line with his wife matilda: «We have been here for more than half an hour and I think we will have to wait the same. At the risk of being vulgar, we had arrived on time from Lecce and have already been here for almost an hour. and taxis they cost Also also».
fabio36-year-old asks curiously: “But is there one strike? No? So why are there so few? he answers the question carloa 70-year-old taxi driver who has just arrived here to pick up a couple of clients: “The reason is the traffic. Are 8,500 taxis in Rome, even too many. But driving around this city has become a nightmare. It is unlivable”. To cover the demand for taxis that far exceeds the offer, there are also those who like Joseph Almost eighty years offers himself as a taxi driver abusive. “Like Uber? Something like that… -she answers smiling-. I make a good price and say it first. No scams.”
Entering the station and passing a large advertisement for the famous shuttle, you arrive at the main exit in Piazza dei Cinquecento. Here a few days ago also the singer frankie hi nrg He had attacked the absence of taxis with a video posted on his social networks, commenting: “I’m just saying that this was the queue of (non-existent) taxis last night at Termini.” The large square is completely empty for minutes, then four white cars pull up together, and there is a sigh of relief in the line. But it’s a false hope, then for minutes nothing follows. Rush hour begins at 7:20 p.m. Now there are more than a hundred people in line.
A Brazilian couple with their son in a pram manages to take the ride after half an hour. Behind them, three boys are luckier: «We wait “alone” for 15-20 minutes». But as the minutes passed the row increases and here too, as the queue grows, an abusive taxi driver appears and offers cheaper routes. At 8 o’clock, those in the middle line have already waited half an hour and will have to wait the same while the sun sets between esquiline AND Quirinal and the station is populated by the various characters that characterize all the nights from Termini station.
