London Cab Driver Gets Ready For Pride With The City’s First Rainbow Taxi Wrap

If you’ve been to London — and even if you haven’t — you’re probably familiar with the city’s traditional black cabs. When you need a taxi, most Londoners will tell you that black cabs are the best way to get where you want to go, without getting jerked around.

According to GayTimesUK, one London cab driver is sprucing up his ride, rainbow-style, just in time for LGBT pride. The driver’s name is Ian Beetlestone, and he approached Transport for London about the possibility of participating in the city’s annual Pride in London Parade. (TfL is the licensing authority for cabs in London.)

TfL loved Beetlestone’s idea, and so did Ubiquitous, the firm that oversees advertising on London’s taxis. Together, they agreed to pony up the pounds to transform Beetlestone’s cab into the sassy-but-stately rainbow-toned taxi you see above. (Warning: iffy thumpa-thumpa music included.)

The cab officially went into service today, in advance of this Sunday’s International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

Meanwhile, on this side of the pond, bigots in Texas and Oklahoma are still working overtime to ensure that Uber and Lyft drivers can kick LGBT passengers to the curb whenever and wherever they like. Vive la difference! Or something.