Two cabbies square off.

Carol and I were riding the bus yesterday, and witnessed quite a spectacle.

It was early Sunday morning, but the streets were busier than normal, maybe due to Easter holidays in Hong Kong and elsewhere. As the bus stopped at a light, Carol looked out the window and then nudged me, exclaiming "Fight!"

Since we were in the back of the bus, we were sitting quite high had a good view of the action. There were two cabs from the same company parked very close together at the curb, and a customer standing between them.

The drivers were not in their cabs though...they were busy starting a fight at the curb. I assume it was an argument relating to the lone fare standing between the cabs, who seemed confused. I bet both cabs wanted the fare, with one cutting the other off as they jostled to the curb to pick her up.

The tale of the tape looked fairly even from the onset. One contender was about 5'8", and about 30lbs overweight. The other was a tad shorter and 20 pounds lighter, but looked to be the more spry of the two. Both cabbies were around 35 years old, maybe 40. One contender had weight to his advantage, the other would rely on his superior fitness.

The venue was pretty raw. The ring was loosely defined by the two taxis at the curb, another industrial truck parked near by, a storefront, and a bus stop. The only spectators were those in our passing bus, and a half-dozen bemused civilians waiting for their own bus on the sidewalk. Those waiting watched with detached interest as if they see this sort of thing every day.

The heavier of the two seemed to be the aggressor, while the lighter one fell into a more defensive role. The fight wasn't very exciting, as both parties failed to land any significant blows. Neither driver seemed to have any training or experience in hand-to-hand combat, and the fight lacked a sense of organization and soon descended into a flailing affair. The aggressor initiated most attacks, but they lacked the force and focus needed to score decisive points.

The tussle took a turn when the aggressor flew at the defender with a flying heal kick aimed at his opponent's midsection. The defender parried the blow, and ended up holding the aggressor's shoe in his hand. He took advantage of this new weapon, and opted to initiate the often attempted, but rarely successful, Boutros Boutros-Ghali manoeuvre! He proceeded to beat the aggressor about the head with the heal of his own shoe, most likely eliciting nods and mummers of approval from the more knowledgeable fight fans in the crowd.

From there, both combatants continued flailing at each other as before, occasionally pushing or being pushed against their idling cabs. The aggressor had much pent-up anger, as his face was red, his brow furrowed, and his lips curled in a snarl. He looked at this point to be the odds-on favourite, due to his unbridled emotion.

The disputed fare, still standing between the two taxis, began yelling at the drivers, presumably something like "Hey! I'm late! Could you settle this later and get me to the airport on time? I used to have two options for taxis, and now I have none! Please?"

When our bus began to pull away from the scene, both fighters looked tired and I doubt they'd be able to keep going for very long. I don't think street fights usually end amicably though, so maybe they kept fighting until there was a clear winner. To the victor go the spoils, and in this case the spoils would be that single, originally contested taxi fare. I hope it was a long trip, and worth all the effort for the eventual winner!