It was only a matter of time, but yesterday I got in a taxi which featured a large sign on the dashboard, "I am an English speaking driver." Sure enough, I spoke English and he spoke back.

The car itself was actually in the lower half of the cabbie pecking order (Jetta, hidious paint scheme, just not a sexy car), however, it didn't have the cage around the driver (which can make a good car into a crappy car).

I remain of the opinion that language ability is less important than comfort and style insofar as cabs are concerned because Beijing is pretty easy to navigate. However, I have received many inquiries from FTers over the years, for whom, smooth communication is an important consideration.

Here is his info:

Mark Ma
13691068311
mamanbo at sina dot com