In my line of work as a cab driver, Ive encountered all kinds of passengers. There are commuters who are just silent throughout the travel, and others who talk non-stop. Some are already preoccupied with work, others are mindlessly passing out time with various quirks that drive me mad.

At Universal Taxi, we are trained to respond to various situations smartly and quickly. And that quick thinking is often stretched to its limits when handling a passenger in a full-blown panic attack.

The most important thing to remember when you have a passenger who’s having a panic attack is that whatever is happening before your eyes might be a life-and-death situation. Never disregard or deal with it nonchalantly. If your passenger is panicking, he may steadily become anxious and pass out.

Help your passenger by:

• Staying calm yourself.

You cant combat a panicked situation with a volatile reaction. Unless youre professionally trained, avoid using the infamous Dont Panic! line to your passenger. In fact, never use that phrase altogether. Go for assuring words such as Its going to be okay or You have nothing to worry about to calm him down. Also, park the taxi in the nearest safe area and speak with him in short, simple sentences.

• Offering medicine (if he has one).

Dont make assumptions here because, again, this can quickly turn into a deadly situation. Rather than frantically going through the passengers things, ask him if he has a medicine for such a situation. You may also him ask if you can call someone  a family member or a friend  who is experienced with his attacks to help you guide him back to normalcy. Often people who are prone to panic attacks know what they need to do during an episode, so all you have to do is ask.

• Asking the passenger to focus on one thing only.

If you deem that slow breathing is the way to go, help him do it by breathing with him or by slowly monitoring his progress. Alternatively, you can ask your passenger to repeat one mundane task (ex. raising his arms over his head or opening and closing one of his hands) until the lull of the task lessens his agitation.

• Assessing the situation quickly.

If your passenger is just starting to panic, with gentle words and even breathing, you can help him rein over the anxiousness. However, if its going into a full-blown panic attack, a quick call to 911 is a smart move to make. If youre near a Chicago hospital, you may also rush him there for him to receive immediate medical attention. Also, calling your taxi company helps. At Universal Taxi, were trained to respond to this situation.

The simplest things can prompt a panic attack. And most of the time, you have no idea what these triggers are. You just need to have the presence of mind to help your customer. Even during your worst day as a cabbie, dont make your passenger feel as if you dont have his back during a panic attack.