Taxi drivers dish on Ottawa election chatter
Ottawa's taxi drivers certainly know their roads, but they're also keeping a keen eye on the campaign trail with little more than two weeks to go until the May 2 federal election.
The city's cabbies said they've been getting an earful from voters lately, and offered some insights into citizens' political moods.
Nearly all of David Rahy's passengers are public servants, and many were less than excited about the prospect of another election, he said.
"They're sick of what's going on," said Rahy, who has been ferrying customers in his car for 25 years. "You know in general, election after election after election. I would say about 50 per cent of them say they're not going out to vote."
As for the other half of his passengers, they're a bit of a mixed bag.
"One was calling his colleagues to vote for the Liberals, and he belongs to CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees)," he said.
Rahy added that another customer belonging to Public Service Alliance of Canada was telling others to vote NDP.
At the corner of Queen and Kent Streets, Vico Kaspar said his customers seemed to prefer the Liberals over the Conservatives.
"They work for the government, and they're hurting a lot," he said. "Cutbacks, cutbacks, cutbacks."
The drivers themselves had their own opinions. Kaspar, who has been in the taxi business for 30 years, said he would support the Liberals because he likes party leader Michael Ignatieff.
"Give him the majority. Let's see what he's going to do," he said.
