BERLIN // A taxi driver told how he saw history in the making, when the man due to become Germany's next president heard the news in the back of his cab.
Russian-born Vadim Belon, 44, told the German newspaper Bild he only saw an older, grey-haired chap with a suitcase when he picked up Joachim Gauck at the capital's Tegel airport on Sunday.
After a while, the passenger's mobile phone rang.
"I turned down the music. As a taxi driver, you never hear exactly what people are saying on the phone. But I did hear how he said, 'OK, I agree. I'll do that'," Mr Belon said.
A moment later, Mr Gauck told him: "You're now driving the new Federal President. We have to change direction and drive straight to the Federal Chancellery."
Mr Gauck, 72, an East German Lutheran pastor and human-rights activist, was later on Sunday nominated to replace the scandal-hit Christian Wulff in the largely ceremonial job of president and will be elected March 18.
Mr Belon, whom Bild dubbed "Germany's most famous taxi driver", said Mr Gauck had tipped well for his Dh110 ride and had even signed his taxi driver permit.
