YEREVAN. - It’s already two years Yerevan taxi driver Ruben Harutyunyan, 50, welcomes the New Year in his car and congratulates his relatives by phone. And this is due to his job.

Harutyunyan told Armenian News – NEWS.am correspondent that taxi drivers work very strenuously during the last two weeks of December, and on December 1 “they don’t even have time to breathe.” 

In the driver's words, on December 31 taxi drivers don’t manage to finish their work on time and thus don’t celebrate the New Year at home with their families since they have many orders, but mainly due to the traffic jam on the roads.

“I’m an engineer by profession, but it’s difficult to find a job in Armenia, so I have had no other choice but drive taxi for already 5 years. During the first hour of the New Year we have a break to go home and celebrate the New Year. But it’s already two years I haven’t been able to celebrate it at home due to the traffic jam on the city roads.  By the time I complete the order and arrive home, it’s already midnight. My wife jokes, saying this year she will leave champagne and glasses in the car so that I can open [the bottle], phone them and drink to their health,” Harutyunyan says laughing.

The driver welcomed 2014 in a car with a Mickey Mouse. “I was returning home finally coming out of the traffic jam. On Amiryan street a Mickey Mouse stopped the car; I decided to stop and take him if he would be on my way; where would the wretched find a cat at that time? He got into the car and asked to take him to Halabyan street.  I said: “No problem, dear Mickey. It’s on my way.”  Then Mickey turned out to be a girl of about 20 was. She was entertaining children on New Year’s Eve for certain remuneration. We had almost reached Orbeli street when we heard the sounds of fireworks. I said: “Dear Mickey, it’s New Year, congrats.” We shook hands, then we both phoned our families,” the taxi driver tells.  

Harutyunyan finally arrived home at about 12:30 am, spent time with his family for half an hour, hardly managed to congratulate them and was to again leave home. But driver Ruben doesn’t complain of his job. “I’m glad there is at least such a job. At least I earn my living; I could also not have this job. It’s O.K. that I sometimes welcome the New Year in the car. At the same time, there are few people who celebrate the New Year like I do… ” the 50-year-old driver says, smiling.