Edinburgh Festival: Side view: A taxi driver speaks

Frank Dick, driver of licensed taxi 615 . . .

Seventeen years I've been a cabbie and the one thing I've learnt is to avoid the centre of town during the Festival. The only times it's as busy is during rugby matches and the Christmas shopping: but the Festival lasts longer. I drive from 10am to 10pm during the Festival, longer at weekends. I don't see any shows as I'm too busy earning money. I can't wait for it to finish so I can go on holiday. This year I've had less business than usual. I think more tourists are coming in big coach parties. You get a different type of customer in August - all actors, or if they're not actors they'd like to be. Ninety-nine per cent are well behaved and the one per cent that isn't only ask to be taken to the wrong place and then get angry afterwards. All those actors and the only one I've ever recognised is Jean Boht off Bread.