President Bola Tinubu has shared an unforgettable experience from his days as a young taxi driver in the United States. This revelation came to light through a biography written by journalist Mike Awoyinfa and published in a national daily. Titled 'Tinubu: My life as a gypsy cab driver in the US,' the biography sheds light on Tinubu's humble beginnings and recounts an incident involving a naval officer who slapped him for unintentionally overcharging.
According to the biography, Tinubu worked as an unlicensed taxi driver in Chicago, ferrying passengers from the airport to their destinations. This job was a means for him to sustain himself financially before pursuing further education. Reflecting on those days, Tinubu stated, "We obtained an unregistered used car, commonly referred to as a Gypsy, which we operated as a taxi service. Our operations were primarily limited to the airport as unlicensed cab drivers were forbidden from picking up passengers elsewhere, such as hotels."
He continued, "We engaged in this endeavor for a while to accumulate some funds. While Bolaji went to Tennessee, I made my way to Chicago. Originally, I was supposed to start school in April, but I postponed it until September in order to save more money. Once I arrived in Chicago, I immediately enrolled at Richard Daley College, which proved to be a fascinating experience. I managed to cover my apartment and tuition fees at Chicago State University, while also taking on additional odd jobs like being a doorman and security guard."
Expanding on the incident that left a lasting impression, Tinubu recounted an encounter with a naval officer he once transported. Due to his lack of familiarity with the area and the absence of GPS technology at the time, he inadvertently overcharged the naval officer, whose destination was nearby. Tinubu shared, "As a cab driver, one experience I will never forget was when I unintentionally overcharged a naval officer returning to the country. I didn't have prior knowledge of the correct fare. There were no GPS systems back then to help with navigation. Consequently, the officer responded by slapping me across the face, insisting that I should have known the appropriate fare for the specific location he had mentioned. After the slap, he handed me the correct fare."
