After suffering robberies and being shot at work, Paraná taxi driver ends 59 years of career on the day his driver's license expires: 'I deserve it'

Taxi driver known as "Boa Gente" retires after almost 60 years in the profession in Londrina Antônio Teixeira Maciel is 85 years old, with 59 of them spent behind the wheel of the taxis he drove. Known in Londrina, in Northern Paraná, by the nickname "Boa Gente", he decided together with his family that the time has come to end his work as a driver. Nowadays, he is retired by the Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social (INSS).

But he decided that he would keep working until he felt ready to park the taxi for good. ✅ Follow g1 Londrina e região on WhatsApp With almost six decades of career, Antônio has a history marked by achievements, friends, and three children raised with the income from the trips he made through the city. He takes pride in saying that he has car insurance for 31 years and has never used it.

However, there are also chapters where he faced insecurity on the streets: Antônio was a victim of robberies, was shot, and was also stabbed. When he was shot, he was making a trip for two men. Upon approaching the neighborhood that was the passengers' supposed destination, he was hit by two shots and had his car stolen.

The vehicle was abandoned shortly after. "When I arrived at the hospital [...] the doctor located the bullet, it grazed my spine. The doctor said 'Antônio, you have to drink champagne with your family.

[...] when I found my wife in the hallway, I even cried", he remembers. Antônio, the 'Boa Gente', has been driving a taxi for 59 years. Rogério Pinheiro/RPC Read also: See photos: Doctor arrested in Paraná suspected of setting up an 'apartment' in a hospital and threatening staff Tampered chassis: Federal highway police officer arrested in Paraná after being caught driving a car with a stolen record Check the list: 268 cities in Paraná receive yellow alert for heavy rains Despite his advanced age, he modernized his services using ride-hailing apps and also adapted to new payment methods. As he guarantees, "no one has ever left without paying".

The decision to stop driving comes in a calm and conscious manner, as he told RPC, an affiliate of TV Globo in Paraná. On June 29, his National Driver's License (CNH) will expire, and this time, it will not be renewed.

"I deserve not to stop only when an unforeseen event occurs or I get sick", said Antônio. VIDEOS: Most watched on g1 Paraná Read more news on g1 Paraná.