January, 2008
A dear friend of mine who lives in Paris was telling me about an incredible service called moto-taxi that she takes whenever she arrives at the Charles de Gaulle airport or needs to get across town in a hurry in busy traffic.
So here I am in Paris, arriving from a snowstorm in Boston, on a busy winter morning and anticipating the drive from the airport would be a nightmare, I decided to call the company and organize a motorbike journey into town.
What a blast! Claude, who didn’t speak much English but was a very cool guy, met me with this Harley Davidson type of machine. It had room for bags in the back and was very comfortable and spacious in the seating area. He then gave me a ¾ length Darth Vader coat, a pair of huge gloves and the necessary helmet, and in the middle of rush hour we zipped through traffic at speeds I can’t imagine were legal. I arrived at my appointment by the Luxemburg Gardens in thirty minutes. This was a 1.5 hour journey in rush hour by car and we made it in just thirty minutes. What a buzz!
I was so excited by the whole event that I booked it again for a complicated ride across town to Gare du Nord in the evening rush hour. Remember, this is Christmas shopping week and traffic isn’t moving much anyway. And here I was again, taking in the sights of Paris, all the beautiful shops alight with decorations along the Seine as we sped along the Left Bank before cutting across town en route to the station. Twelve minutes.
It was just about the most fun experience I’ve had as I sat back and watched someone trying to figure out the nightmare of navigating Parisian rush hour while I took in the wonders of the bustling holiday season, Parisian style.
With the magic of St. Sulpice all lit up, Paris never seemed more beautiful, more cozy, and traffic never seemed more crazy. Somehow it was as if I was on a magic carpet ride transported through this most beautiful and perfect city that I only had one day to see before heading back to Boston.
If you are traveling on your own, you can Google Paris moto-taxi to get information on the various companies offering this service. My guy Claude is at (33)650822020. Be prepared to speak French, but honestly, if Claude understands me, he will for sure have no problem with anyone else. It is the coolest thing to do, even on a cold wintry night. You barely feel the weather; you simply sit on the back and smile as you zoom through the streets of Paris at breakneck speed. Vive la difference!
See you out there somewhere.
Peter Jones
President and Co-Founder, ACIS
