Mora, Sweden - check your assumptions

                                                        The best, and only, taxi in town.

One thing I am always reminded of when I travel is to check my assumptions. You don't even have to leave your own country to experience the benefits of doing this.

Today I've been in Mora in Sweden delivering a Cultural Awareness seminar. After the 4 hour train journey northwards, I arrived to a deserted, cold and rainy station. There were no people around, let alone taxis to take me onwards on my journey. A phone number was written on the station wall to a local taxi firm. I dialed them on my mobile. They seemed surprised to hear from me. They said they would 'see if they could send me a taxi.' I hung up.

Ten minutes later, I rang again to check if they'd found me a taxi. Not yet.'Why not?', I asked. 'Well'. they said, 'we only have one taxi in Mora during the days because nobody ever gets off the train at that time'. 'Oh', I said. 'I'll wait'.

I waited 20 minutes in the icy rain for the taxi to fetch me. And I remembered what I should have done. I should have checked my assumptions. I just presumed there would be a taxi rank outside the station to whisk me away.

I was wrong.

Neil S