22 Mind-Blowing Facts About Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

5. He Was Taken Aback By A Boston Taxi Driver Who Used Sherlock-Like Cunning To Work Out Who He Was

On a trip to Chicago, Conan Doyle took a taxi and the the driver turned to him and addressed him by name. Taken aback, Conan Doyle responded: "How did you know who I was?" The taxi driver replied:

"If you'll excuse my saying so the lapels of your coat look as if they had been grabbed by New York reporters, your hair looks as if it had been cut in Philadelphia, your hat looks as if you had to stand your ground in Chicago, and your right shoe has evidence of buffalo mud under the instep, and, and..."

At this point Conan Doyle interrupted, believing the man to be a real-life Sherlock Holmes, and eagerly asked: "And what?" To which the driver, smirking, said:

"Well, I saw 'Conan Doyle' in big white letters on your trunk."