During and after the horrific attacks in Paris, this Friday, countless Parisian taxi drivers helped people to safety, offered them shelter in their cabs and transported many wounded to hospital – not for a moment expecting anything in return. Later during the evening the city of Paris even requisitioned taxis to carry people home from hospitals.

The atmosphere of the night, of this weekend was best described last night in Helène Manceron’s ‘100% News’ – L’info du monde des taxis’, France’s best independent taxi web-magazine:

‘Je suis Paris’

The attacks in this Friday, November 13th bruised France and its capital. The facts resonate with fatality in the memory of the old when we celebrated the centenary without full consciousness two days earlier. The state of emergency put the flags at half mast, closed storefronts and emptied with dread the streets of Paris. While the wounded are cared for and families discover with pain, hour after hour, their victims, the valiant autumn sun remains powerless against the desolation of grief.

Today the President will address both Houses of Parliament assembled in congress at Versailles. Public institutions, cultural, sensitive buildings, transport, department stores and shopping centers will have increased security. Parisians will start to work and the vigilance of everyone will be necessary to ensure the protection of the community. How to overcome the barrier of impotence? Will we live the more closely woven together to resist? Will we believe in our own strength?

While this Friday night, the Paris subway entrances were closed one after the other in the areas affected by the terrorist attacks, many Parisians could not have had access to health care or shelter if the few taxis cruising in the streets had not converged on the area to offer their services out of pure solidarity. Humbly, in an emergency, without making noise, they bravely helped to revive and animate the street life of Paris and defend with determination the flame of liberty that illuminates the City of Light.

Hélène Manceron, Managing Editor,

‘100% News’ – L’info du monde des taxis’, Paris.

• “Many Parisians could not have had access to health care or shelter if the few taxis cruising in the streets had not converged on the area to offer their services out of pure solidarity.”