A day in the life of a limousine driver

I’ve been driving limousines for more than 20 years. First, I began driving only on weekends, but when I lost my day job I became a full-time driver. 

Most of the time my driving revolves around the major airports, but my favorite assignments are the ones when I drive couples to see Broadway shows like “Kinky Boots,” “Phantom of Opera,” the Christmas Show at the Radio City Hall — or Off-Broadway shows which, to tell you the truth, are my favorites. I can discuss the plot of the play, the characters and the quality of the performance as I drive my passengers back to their homes. 

These are the best-paying jobs for a driver since they include driving to the city, waiting through the show and the after-theater dinner and finally driving home. Driving is paid by the hour. 

But nothing matches driving a stretch limousine for a wedding party on a bright Sunday in June. The day begins at the bride’s house; pretty bridesmaids hop into the car on their way to the church. Then comes the fun part: the cocktail hour and the reception and finally the ride to the airport or to a hotel (and of course, every limousine driver hopes that the groom will be so happy that he will offer a large tip, which will be received as the cherry on top of the cake).

Sometimes you get lucky and drive a celebrity. I did drive Angelica Huston once. What a fine lady she was. The way she spoke to me, in her down-to-earth and genuine manner, made me forget that she was a big star. I began to chat with her as though she was a close friend. 

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Recently my wife and I  moved full-time to Lakeville. What a great town to live in. People actually greet you and smile as you walk by. I signed up as a driver with the Lakeville Livery, and I’ve been driving for a few months now. If I may say so, Lakeville Livery is a great company with great service, with drivers who are punctual and courteous. 

But unlike my limousine jobs in New York, here the clientele is mostly students who attend the local boarding schools. I really enjoy driving these students. They are very smart and fun to talk to.

Recently, I drove a young girl who told me her favorite subject is math. 

“I was horrible in math,” I said.

“What part of math don’t you understand?” she asked, sounding like a mature math teacher.

“The fractions,” I said.

“Fractions? That’s the easiest part of math,” she said and went on explaining to me all about the pizza pie and how if she had a slice, that would be one-eighth of a pie and if I had a slice that would be two-eighths of a pie.

“I got it,” I said, screaming so loud that I think the young girl thought I’d lost my mind.

You see? Driving limousines can be fun and educational at times. But lately I’ve been thinking about the future and how technology will have a tremendous effect on transportation. 

Soon, anyone with a phone and an app will be picked up by a car with no driver in it. These driverless cars will take you to your destination in a safe and timely fashion, and entertain you with music and the news, and as they drive through scenic roads, they will provide information about the passing landmarks and historical sites — and maybe even crack a joke. 

I know it might take this technology a long time to be perfected, but I know it is coming. And when that happens, I don’t know if any of my passengers will miss having a real human being driving them home. But for sure, I will miss that young girl who helped me demystify fractions and gave me a whole new way to look at pizza pie.

 

Varoujan Froundjian drives limousines for Lakeville Livery in Salisbury where, yes, real human drivers will provide a pleasant ride to your next destination. Give them a call to schedule your next ride at 860-435-8000.

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