Maybe you’ve seen Trainspotting the movie, maybe you haven’t, but for those who did, imagine instead, a Taxispotting. I wasn’t able to walk this time, I was having a back pain and I had to get back to the dorm. My friend, R., called a taxi. When you usually call  a taxi, you don’t have much choice, you’re stuck to the driver who comes to pick you up. Yes, I could have cancelled it, but I wasn’t in my best physical condition to take advantage of free choice. So I got in, and when I raised my eyes, there he was, this funny character shaved round his head with just a stamp of hair on top, carrying a thick golden necklace, dressed with a whiter than white shirt and the striking elements: rings on almost all fingers.

First thing he asked me: “what happened to you?”

“A back pain, please take me to this address…”

He then saw my laptop and said: “Are you good with computers?”

I said: “Not at all.”

Him: “Cuz I also have a laptop” (apparently the music came from that source) and suddenly, he took his hands from the wheel and picked up his laptop standing on the right chair. It was too much already. He continued by explaining that he just bought it and he had some problems and didn’t know what to do, whatever…and I don’t know how he got to telling me that “You are the last client on this day cuz I’m leaving home, I’m staying just few kilometers away from here, I don’t intend to waste any more gas here, but I don’t complain, I earn my living decently, I have a decent life, I don’t want to save money, I did only the elementary school, I’m healthy, I eat only fish, ( while he was saying all these he had this silly smile upon his face, like under the influence of some drugs, and was turning back to me all the time to make sure I’m listening to all his life in 5 minutes ride), I am not like others who have all these graduations and for what?” In that minute, we passed by a hospital, when he continued “…so that I end up here like most educated people who eat pork and lamb? “. Imagine Spud in the scene when he goes for a job interview and heroin takes control over him and he makes this long stupid face when being asked:

„Mr. Murphy, what attracts you to the leisure industry?”

Spud: “In a word: pleasure. It’s like, my pleasure in other people’s leisure.”

When we arrived at the dorm he ended the conversation with: “I hope you’ll have a great Sunday, cuz’ I will for sure. Just before leaving home, I will go to the circus near the mall, you know, I heard there are many wild animals, and I haven’t been at a circus since I was a kid. I am so excited about it…” Ok mate, thank you, enjoy the circus, cuz I had enough circus for today.

Finally, just to refresh your memories, here’s the Trainspotting monologue: „Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suit on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourselves. Choose your future. Choose life… But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin’ else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you’ve got heroin?”