If you're travelling alone, there's no nicer feeling than arriving home at your local airport to be greeted with a huge hug from someone who loves you.

Happy Landings Taxi's offer a simple service to make travelling alone happier - as well as driving you from the airport, they run up and greet you with a sweeping hug when they meet you at the airport.

You look like a loved individual, and you feel welcome in the city you're visiting. You get a warm glow for the rest of the day, all for a slightly inflated taxi fare.

Notes: Obviously, you'd have to send your photograph ahead, so that you're recognised. You can choose a male or female driver. Female drivers are trained to deliver a swift kick in the knackers to anybody asking for 'extras', because that's really not the point. Male drivers trained to give a withering look for the same.
-- Fishrat, Jan 13 2004

"Aloha, here's a lei", yadda, yadda, yadda, no?
-- phoenix, Jan 13 2004


How creepy, actually, to be picked up and swung around by a complete stranger. It would feel like a kidnapping. The bewildered look on my face would give away the fact that my hugger was hired. I gave you a bun anyways. Someone will like it. +
-- k_sra, Jan 13 2004


Could they wait for you in the arrivals area with a plaque bearing your name written inside a giant red fluffy heart shape?
-- dobtabulous, Jan 13 2004


what <k_sra> said. would be very amusing to hire one for an unspecting friend or colleague.
-- neilp, Jan 13 2004


I think I got spam about this. No, wait, that was the Happy Ending Taxi Service
-- theircompetitor, Jan 13 2004


Who are you trying to impress? (re: the idea, not [thiercomp...]) - for only providing the least important part of //huge hug from someone who loves you//, + for [neilp]'s idea.
-- Worldgineer, Jan 13 2004


//Aloha, here's a lei//

I ordered this service for friends who were on a trip to Honolulu. Thinking it was a trap to get them to buy something, they deliberately avoided their Hawaiian greeter.
-- Amos Kito, Jan 13 2004


could this be combined with a kissogram style service I wonder ? perhaps greeters dressed as armed police in heathrow?
-- neilp, Jan 13 2004


[World], you're completely right of course. But still, a hug is better than no hug, in my book. [k_sra] I think I'd quite enjoy the freakiness of it all. Am I normal?
-- Fishrat, Jan 13 2004


Little kids could make an extra buck by jumping up and down exitedly and yelling "Hello, <your name here>, I'm here" or asking if you brought a gift for them.
-- kbecker, Jan 13 2004


[Fishrat], you are Above Normal. Or just Ab-Normal for short.
-- k_sra, Jan 13 2004


I got this service once in Italy. A whole group of them, happy as birds to see me, chattering away in Romanian or something. A pleasant yet mad group, I thought after they mysteriously vanished, as I patted my pockets, wondering where I’d put my wallet.
-- ldischler, Jan 16 2004



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