The horror of taking a taxi in Paris

- Spotted: Big hummer with famous fashion designer in passengers seat -

Transportation in the big city is definitely important, having a car in Paris is considered a luxury as well as a pain in the ***. I guess an explanation is in order here:  when you take your car out, you will bump into a traffic jam and just when you arrive at your destination you will realize that even after an 1 hour search, you will not be finding a parking stop. The only spots that are available are the one’s that say 'livraison' - I think they should better call it the  'don't park your car here, you will be town away within 15 minutes' - zone. So as much for a car in Paris - NO thank you - been there done that. Most Parisians don't own a car ( I don't blame them) and if they do, it is very possible it is as big as a shoebox. I guess there always is the scooter, but since I am a skirt and big hair kinda gal, a pink vespa is not my cup of tea.

My point is that public transportation in Paris is kind of a big deal. You basically rely on the metro and the bus, taxi's don't count because when you are looking for one, you will most definitely not find one and if you do, the taxi-driver will ask where you are going and if that isn't the area where he planned on going, well, you are basically screwed.

SO, just when I have clocked out my Wednesday night visit to the bar until 11.30 PM, because that's when I am sure that I will still be able to take the metro home. I realized that the metro had decided to call it a night at 11.25 PM and bail on me. Platform pumps don't really help in these kind of situations.

Walking down rue de rivoli, keeping an eye on every taxi that passes by, even doing the 'I show my leg, please stop' trick à la Sarah Jessica Parker, I realized that home was still very far away. The only thing left for me to do was to find the nearest taxi-stop and wait in line just like my co-Parisians and the occasional tourist.

The cue is endless and the stakes are high as I stand there with blisters on my feet and an urgent need to crawl into bed, wishing I was living in New York where I could most surely find a  free taxi on the corner of any given street at any given hour.

And just when I thought the wait was going to feel like forever, I see a big hummer passing by...with Karl Lagerfeld in the passengers seat...his surprise passing by just made the wait a little bit more bearable. Thanks Uncle Karl, you just have made my evening!