Taxi Drivers - Ambulances - Women
Uber offered a really great opportunity to meet interesting people otherwise I'd probably never meet. I recall a few years ago while we were in the USA with my family we used Uber for several rides and every time our driver was a very interesting personality. With each one of them we had very interesting conversations.
Today I had a similar experience in Hungary. The my driver had a totally regular taxi she also had an ambulance jacket on her seat.
As a COVID pre-caution I was sitting at the back and wearing a mask (even though it is currently not required in Hungary) and asked her about her story.
I know there aren't that many women who drive a taxi, but I was really surprised to hear that only a few years ago were women allowed to drive Ambulance cars or even be in Ambulances.
And I know that they are not just drivers, I think they are also trained paramedics and do everything there is to do during an emergency call.
She told me that she has been driving Ambulances for more than a year now which is the joy and driving Taxis that makes the money. She told me all kind of other interesting things about her life that were fascinating, but I won't repeat them here. The point is that every time I take a taxi through the grapevine of my mothers Taxi-driver connection, the driver is an interesting person.
Once it as a race-car driver. Another time a bass-guitar player.
Anyway, back to the ambulances. I search a little bit and found a few articles, for example this one: No princesses at the ambulances (Hungarian) It has a few slightly sexist remarks, but I learned from it that Gábor Csató, the CEO of the National Ambulance Service (Hungarian) in 2017 introduced in the possibly for women to serve on the ambulances and to become drivers of ambulance cars.
Another link to the Ambulance foundation (Hungarian)
Women are still a small minority among the ambulance personel in Hungary, but their numbers are growing.
On the other hand we know that the nurses in hospitals are primarily women.
I wonder how is this in other countries? Are women barred from working on ambulances or driving ambulances? What is the ratio of women and men on ambulances.
Notes
Ezras Nashim an all-female Orthodox Jewish volunteer EMT ambulance service.