Screaming for silence

Abu Dhabi's taxis offer many features beyond simply being a cheap and reliable form of transport across the city. Among them is the uncanny ability of most of the drivers to act as a kind of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack on wheels, able to provide passengers with the most arcane and intricate statistics about the recent test, one-day and 20/20 games between their respective national teams. But for those who consider the world to be far too intrusive a place, Abu Dhabi's taxis also offer something rare and valuable: the option to be transported in glorious silence.
Yet all that could be about to end. As The National reported yesterday, interactive touch-screen advertising is being phased in for the taxi fleet in the capital and, eventually, throughout the UAE.
This will be time- and location-aware, so that as your journey goes near a fast food outlet at, say, 9am, the screen will show that restaurant's breakfast menu. Go near a mall and sales at stores inside could be advertised. This concept has been in place in China since 2005 and is gradually being introduced in markets around the world.
The question for those who want to be left in peace is a simple one: will the interactive features include an off button?

Sometimes the benefit of catching a cab is the ability to be transported in glorious silence.