President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has shared a story from his past, recalling an incident when he worked as a taxi driver in the United States. The revelation was made in a biography titled “Tinubu: My life as gypsy cab driver in the US,” authored by journalist Mike Awoyinfa.
Tinubu explained that he took on the job of a taxi driver in Chicago to raise funds while deferring his admission to school for five months. As an unlicensed cab driver, he operated mainly at the airport, picking up passengers and driving them to their destinations.
During one encounter, Tinubu unintentionally overcharged a naval officer who was his passenger. In response, the officer slapped him for the error, expressing his displeasure with the excess fare. Tinubu clarified that the mistake was not intentional, as he was unfamiliar with the correct pricing for the specific destination.
He recalled the incident, stating, “Apparently, I didn’t know the direction. There was no GPS in those days to locate directions. So, he gave me the direction to his house in a Virginia suburb. I gave him the price, and the man responded with a slap to my face. He said I should know the correct price to charge to the location he mentioned. He slapped me and gave me the money.”
Tinubu’s biography sheds light on his early experiences and the challenges he faced while working as a taxi driver in the US before pursuing his education.
