Yiannis Siarpas studied business administration, but office life didn’t suit him. Drawn instead to the energy of nightlife and the social side of bartending, he found his calling behind the bar. The early loss of his father, however, marked a turning point—prompting a complete shift in direction. That’s how he ended up behind the wheel of a taxi, turning the streets of Athens into his open-air office.
This episode is part of the podcast series Taxi: Stories from the Back Seat.
Narrator: Yiannis Siarpas
Interview: Christos Georgoudakis
Podcast Production: Christos Georgoudakis
Sound Design & Editing: Spyros Lymperopoulos
Istorima is the largest oral history project in Greece. Over 1,000 young researchers seek out storytellers across the country, listening to and preserving memories: stories of love, of place, of change—moments that shaped lives and identities. These are the untold stories that history books leave behind. The initiative was created by journalist Sofia Papaioannou.