Paris authorities commandeered roughly six hundred civilian Renault taxis in September 1914 to rush French reserve troops straight to the front lines during the First Battle of the Marne.

A closer look

Paris authorities commandeered roughly six hundred civilian Renault taxis in September 1914 to rush French reserve troops straight to the front lines during the First Battle of the Marne. Moving thousands of soldiers overnight, this improvised fleet drove with their headlights off to avoid detection, creating one of the earliest motorized military logistics operations in history. The drivers were actually paid by the meter for their patriotic service, racking up a massive bill that the French treasury dutifully settled after the battle. It is incredibly comforting to know that even amidst a massive global conflict determining the fate of Europe, a Parisian cab driver still refused to turn off the meter, proving that the hustle of a disgruntled gig worker transcends both time and the horrors of trench warfare