Back seat confessions

"You'd be surprised how much people tell you. It's as if they have to get it all of their chest."

A new study into what people chat to cabbies about, shows fast-living Britons are turning to taxi drivers to let off steam about everyday gripes.

And, according to Mrs O'Toole, who runs her own taxi business with husband Brian, being driver is just one of the many hats worn by modern cabbies.

"We're priests, doctors, social workers, marriage councillors, agony aunts you name it," she said.

"The other day I was chatting with a girl and we got on to the subject of marriage. It turned out that she was engaged but expected to get divorced 15 years down the line.

"I'm straight talking so I told her not to bother. What's the point? I've been married for 31 years and you can't give up when you go through a bad patch.

"I could talk for England, most cabbies can. I only wish that we got paid for giving it the advice we'd make a fortune."

Relationship counselling is her speciality and it's no-holds-barred in the back of her cab.

She said: "The other day a young woman jumped in my cab after her boyfriend had just hit her. She was upset but said she still loved him. I told her to leave or live her life like a punchbag because he's bound to do it again."

Mrs O'Toole is a shoulder to cry on for her customers and has experience in talking about the most sensitive subjects.

She said: "There was a young fellow who knew one of his female friends was being cheated on. I told him to stay out of it and let someone else be the bearer of bad news.

"A more distressing situation involved a woman who had just seen a man in the street who raped her years ago and was out of prison. She was shaken and just needed to tell someone about it."

Romance is just one of her talking points. Where to go on holiday, parenting advice and bad days at work are among the other hot topics of conversation.

She said: "Someone recently asked me where to buy the best bedding plants. But I was stumped there because I kill every plant I touch.

"Potty training crops up a lot and being a mum of two strapping boys, I've got some top tips."

It spite of her understanding approach, Mrs O'Toole has no plans on changing careers to become a counsellor.

She said: "I really couldn't. I would end up getting too involved."

Steve Vardy, 47, a cabbie for United Radio Cars in Transfer Bridges Industrial Estate, loves lending a listening ear.

Mr Vardy, from Highworth, said: "I've been in the business for 20 years now, so nothing surprises me. Complete strangers will pour their hearts out because I don't know them from Adam."

Over the years he has counselled wives who have found out about their husband's affair and even alcoholics.

He said: "People confide in you and I try to give an honest, unbiased opinion. Sometimes it takes a stranger to tell someone they have a problem.

"I remember a very respectable woman ringing and asking me to pick up a bottle of sherry. One bottle became two, three, then four. You have to be sensitive but people tend to appreciate the advice."

Although the survey, commissioned by The Royal Bank of Scotland, listed politics and current affairs high on the list of discussion topics, Swindon cabbies generally seem to agree that these are no-go areas.

Peter Trigg, 54, from Stratton, is relatively new to the business. He became a cabbie three years ago after various jobs, including a policeman and private investigator. Romance is the most common topic of conversation to crop up in the back of his cab.

He said: "It all comes out if you're willing to listen.

"People talk about relationship break-ups and divorce all the time. If they end up in tears, I try to tell them there's more to life. They usually get out feeling a bit better."

Besides offering comforting words, Mr Trigg also provides practical help.

He said: "The elderly sometimes call for a cab when they need a light bulb changing. A taxi driver is basically Jack of all trades."

His most charitable errand involved taking a passenger to every sports shop in Swindon in search of an England rugby shirt.

Mr Trigg said: "It was the World Cup final and he promised to donate £200 to Children In Need if we found a shirt for him to wear for the match. We eventually found one and I got a generous fare."

Cabbie John King, 49, says the "quality chat" comes from visitors to the town.

"The pick-ups from the train station tend to be the best and most interesting," he said.

"If it the first time they have come to Swindon I'll tell them a bit about the place and the links with the railway past."

During night jobs, couples invariably prove a source of heated debates and countless broken hearts.

Mr King said: "All the time I get girls hopping in after having a raging argument with their boyfriend. She will be cursing him, calling him everything under the sun.

"Then suddenly she's making up on her mobile phone and being all smoochy. By the time I reach their house, they want taking back to their boyfriend. At least I get two fares out of it!"

On one occasion a female passenger leaned on him for more than just a friendly chat.

He said: "A woman kept looking at me and said: 'I know you.' She was with a man but he asked me to stop and left with the parting shot: 'You can keep her.'

"The woman then asked if I fancied a coffee. I'm happily married so of course refused."

Dave Masters, the co-manager of private-hire cab firm Millennium, reckons cabbies are fortunate. "We get to form some good relationships with the regular customers," he said.

"It's a good job and I suppose you are like a vicar or a doctor in some ways, giving your advice on things.

"I think sometimes people want to hear a stranger's views on things even if they haven't got a clue what they're talking about.

"Confidentiality is the key in this game, however. You have got to keep your mouth shut.

"Quite often you pick up a couple from a bar and then the following day you see the guy walking down the street linking arms with another girl you have to be careful."