There is a new ‘smile-maker’ on the streets of Mineola. It is not sidewalk entertainment or musical panhandlers – but a proper English taxi.

That term is not used lightly. Taxi-driving in the UK has been known for years as one of the most highly-regulated and challenging industries on the island. Probably the most well-known aspect of English cabs is the exhaustive testing which is associated with driving for hire in London. 

The often-quoted detail of the industry concerns the memorization of the thousands of highways, streets and alleyways which make up the city of London. 

Mineola is not London; however, as of last week the two cities share a common visual feature: one of those black, box-like English taxis.

At the wheel of that taxi – seen staged most mornings at the train depot awaiting passengers – is owner-operator Mark Anderson. 

“I get a lot of smiles,” confessed Anderson, “there is something about the shape of the taxi which just makes folks smile, and that’s fortunate for me.” Anderson logged his first paying fare, a lift to the train station, last Wednesday. 

“There is a trust factor associated with the classic English cab,” Anderson explained.  The most identifiable design feature is the shape of the ‘TX’ model car. Anderson’s car was manufactured by the London Taxi Cab Company. That specific car is a built-to-task TXII model. 

Investigation of the interior reveals a very large passenger compartment separated from the driver by a well-fitted Plexiglas bulkhead. The passenger area is large enough to accommodate a wheelchair being wheeled directly into the cab.

There is more to the automobile than a large backseat. Touches include a built-in, expandable ramp which can be extended from the floor of the cabin to a curb. Also of note is a lighted rear-door handle. When the ‘for hire‘ lamp is lighted atop the vehicle, the rear door handle is also illuminated for incoming passengers. It is one of those details which make a build special.  

A small Ford diesel engine powers an automatic transmission in Anderson’s cab. “It is not built for speed,” he noted, “but it is dependable.” 

Several years ago the London Cab Company opened a stateside manufacturing facility and began producing left-hand drive cars. The initiative eventually failed, but it left a limited number of London cabs (around 250) in North America.

Anderson came upon one of them held by a gentleman in Lafayette, La. He had not operated the cab but held it as a hobbyist. The vehicle had been converted from an original TXII model to a TXIV  by a mechanic in Waxhaw, N.C. – just south of Charlotte near the South Carolina border. 

One might expect that it was the influence of Anderson’s English wife, Catherine, who arrived at the idea of starting a cab company in Mineola. It was not. However, Anderson admitted that when he arrived at the idea, she ensured that, “If I was going to do it, that I would have to do it properly.”

There was an option to buy a silver cab of the same model, but that was nixed by Catherine in favor of the iconic solid-black version. 

Like many things in Anderson’s life, the idea just seemed to come to him. 

“I just try to be the hands of the Lord,” Anderson explained. It has been a common feature in his life for a long time. 

A Midwesterner, Anderson’s life has been strongly influenced by his faith. A successful IT-engineer, Anderson redirected his life in the service of humanitarian needs years ago. 

Anderson related how it was a visit as a young adult to a friend in a local hospital that first began to change his life. Observing the hospital staff connected him with the concept of service to his fellow man. Henceforth he volunteered on a regular basis in the ward.

“When the Lord puts you in a situation…you just have to commit to following his lead,” Anderson described.

That guidance has led Anderson to employment with the Wycliffe Bible Translators, affiliation with the Christian Health Service Corps and eventually Mercy Ships.  

From 1998 to 2006 he and his future wife served in Mercy Ships. The two met in the training session at Garden Valley before beginning their initial service – he in the MV Anastasis and she in the MV Caribbean Mercy. 

It was also a faith-filled realization which led them to adopt two young sons. As Anderson related, “As it says in Isaiah 43:5, Fear not for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east.” Those two sons have become professionals in their own right, one with the U.S. Army and the other as a transportation specialist in roadway safety.  

The time with Mercy Ships led to establishing a domicile in Van, and, in 2019, he and Catherine established their residence in Mineola. 

In addition to his involvement with the First Christian Church, Anderson spent time listening for spiritual guidance, and in the mornings, walking to the train station in Mineola to video the trains.

It was on one of those morning walks to the depot when he was inspired to pursue a taxi service. Anderson considered it yet another inspired message and he committed to follow God’s lead.

There was a lot of work to be done before logging that first fare. Finding the proper cab and having it shipped to Mineola were chief among them. The issues kept coming: from legal permitting to having the correctly-sized fuses installed to creating a fare chart.   

It all came together last week. Anderson’s second fare last Wednesday was carrying a woman and her daughter from the depot to Alba. The woman’s sister had recently passed.  

Anderson’s mindset about interacting with his passengers is to follow their lead. Something about his perspective on service will certainly be a comfort and perhaps a ministry to those in need. 

Mineola may have just added a remarkable little feature to an already caring community.