Taxi Driver

[longearedfriend]

Anyone ever been one ? or know someone who has and has some stories ?

I am thinking of getting a taxi license...

I won't be able to buy a taxi car for now, so I'll have to rent one at first, just checked one place was 500$ for 5 days.

I don't live in a particularly dangerous corner of the world so I have that going for me

I personally have only taken the taxi once in my life, and it was split with a friend, too expensive for me

 

[sutra1]

What city are thinking about driving in? I did for six months in N.Y.C., unless you have a medallion it sucks to be a driver. No, I mean it, it's miserable................

 

[h^2 O]

the ninth circle of Hell dude. Fuck that.

You could try driving an executive sedan...you just drive a new Cadillac or Lincoln around and run people from their house to the airport, vice versa. No chance of getting murdered with that one. Plus you get tips. And get to beat the shit out of the car. I did it for a year or so...what I did was when I had just finished a trip I'd pull up to somewhere people were waiting for a taxi and get 10-20 bucks driving them to a hotel or something all on the companies dime. I used to go to a certain gas station the company used and get smokes, food, and put gas in jugs for my own personal car, all under the companies dime.
You can smoke weed too, just use febreeze and air out before you pick someone up.

 

[dansbuds]

I have been driving & or dispatching for the last 20 years .... i wouldn't wish this profession on my worst enemy !!! It wasn't bad the first 10 years , but with the gas prices , greedy companys & owners . its just gotten rediculous . I'm not even going to get into how friggin dangerous its gotten in the last 10 years ... i will say that i've been 50 foot from 4 different shootings & its a life changing experiance .

let me put it this way ... the wife after watching me come home stressed out to the point of tears so many times cuz i just worked a 12 hr + shift & i have 20$ or less in my pocket, decided it was time i stayed home & upgraded my garden to be able to make a living on it . she couldn't continue to see me get that stressed anymorew & said do what you have to do .... as long as she doesn't see it or smell it , she's fine with it . so now she works all day & i stay home clean the house cook etc.... ( house hubby ) & tend to my garden .
I can tell you infaticly .... I WILL NEVER GET IN A F-IN CAB AGAIN !!!!!! not even as a passenger

I can also thank this business for making me the miserable prick that i am today ... i f-in hate people ..... it makes me cringe to have to go to places like the grocery store & deal with the general public . I could very easily become a hermit & live in the mountains away from society . public service my ass !!! people will screw you or steal ya blind every fuckin chance they get .

sorry dude but you asked for it !!! DON"T DO IT !!!! stay as far away from the cab business as you can !!!! deliver boxes or packages ...... not people .... you'll thank me later .

 

[longearedfriend]

thanks guys!

I really appreciate the feedback and I have to say I will give it a try anyways

have to get a medical, then pass licenses

I live in a small eastern canadian city, we don't have guns here (much). I know there are crazy people out there (like there are calm and kind ones)

I feel like it's gonna be a challenge

I have to jump through hoops, with all the exams and shit

then I will have to deal with assholes of course
we'll see, I want to conquer this taxi job

i'll probably make more money then i'm making now

I went to the DMV, and I was super excited and was nice with the teller lady, asked her how her days was going...
she was nice back and excited for me, she said im gonna be driving a taxi by christmas

 

[h^2 O]

oh CANADA dude???!!!

Try NYC man. That's some shit.

Just do it then man, you'll like never get robbed in Canada

 

[dansbuds]

Good luck dude .... i warned ya

 

[NOKUY]

s4l used to drive one

 

[longearedfriend]

sutra; what do you mean unless you have a medallion ?

yeah this is canada, I feel for you driving in nyc.... no one should have to drive in that city...

i'm gonna be updating and let you know how my taxi career is doing

 

[sutra1]

I never got robbed, nor felt like it was imminent. Just drunks who puke in the backseat, fare's who think your trying to cheat them, long, long hours of monotony. I used to get dizzy when I got out after driving for 7-10 hours. The blood had pooled in my legs. Other drivers used to piss in bottles so they wouldn't have to get off the road. Try being a bike messenger far better money and more freedom.

 

[COOKIE MONSTER]

Anyone ever been one ? or know someone who has and has some stories ?

I am thinking of getting a taxi license...

I won't be able to buy a taxi car for now, so I'll have to rent one at first, just checked one place was 500$ for 5 days.

I don't live in a particularly dangerous corner of the world so I have that going for me

I personally have only taken the taxi once in my life, and it was split with a friend, too expensive for me

Dont go to London

Their taxi driver exam is called " the knowledge ", apparently it takes the average person 3 years to pass the exam!!... or so the discovery channel told me

 

[Stoner4Life]

I have been driving & or dispatching for the last 20 years .... i wouldn't wish this profession on my worst enemy !!! It wasn't bad the first 10 years , but with the gas prices , greedy companys & owners . its just gotten rediculous .

I've driven taxi for years as a radio dispatch driver like longears is going to do. dansbuds, why don't you explain to him how a dispatcher can make or break a driver and how they play favorites w/certain drivers on a regular basis.

where I drove wasn't particularly dangerous but over time situations arise that require quick thinking and/or the police, only once did I bother the cops w/a crack smoking freak in my car that wouldn't quit when I asked. Dispatch would arrange a point for me to meet the cop car.


Add in 50-70 bucks of gas for an 8 hours shift.......


in today's economy there just isn't much $$$ in taxi work unless you're in real good with the dispatcher. My dispatcher never had to ask me to pick him up a coffee, I knew his favorite shop & would grab one for him on my way into the office, if he ordered lunch & asked me to pick it up for him I'd never accept the money he'd offer. On New Years Eve we earned an 80% commission and it was customary for all drivers to 'tip out' the dispatcher this one day/eve of the year, most tightwad drivers would give Mike $30-40, I'd give him $100-120 as he was the wind beneath my wings. I had a dispatcher that worked on Sundays only but he really took care of me with all the best fares, one year I bought him a sweet titanium Fossil watch for X-Mas.


you'll show up on time, work as hard as the next guy and yet you might earn 1/2 of what some drivers take in, it'll make you mad and crazy to see/feel that happening to you.


good luck on your decision though and be careful, driving full time opens you up to a lot of potential hazards or accidents.

 

[longearedfriend]

i'm gonna be doing part-time

very saddening stories S4L, I am not really surprised...

thanks for sharing the stories and the tips

we will see how it goes

 

[Mrs.Babba]

good luck longeared..sounds like tough work

 

[longearedfriend]

thank you

I am looking forward to trying it out

 

[dansbuds]

in today's economy there just isn't much $$$ in taxi work unless you're in real good with the dispatcher. My dispatcher never had to ask me to pick him up a coffee, I knew his favorite shop & would grab one for him on my way into the office, if he ordered lunch & asked me to pick it up for him I'd never accept the money he'd offer. On New Years Eve we earned an 80% commission and it was customary for all drivers to 'tip out' the dispatcher this one day/eve of the year, most tightwad drivers would give Mike $30-40, I'd give him $100-120 as he was the wind beneath my wings. I had a dispatcher that worked on Sundays only but he really took care of me with all the best fares, one year I bought him a sweet titanium Fossil watch for X-Mas.


you'll show up on time, work as hard as the next guy and yet you might earn 1/2 of what some drivers take in, it'll make you mad and crazy to see/feel that happening to you.

yup stoner , as i said i've been in this game for along time . I know the dukes & favoritism routines very well . BTDT
but i still say its not worth it anymore . Its not the same business it was 10 or even 5 years ago .

i could go on for days with my experiances in the business , but just know this , your gonna start @ the bottom unless your the dispatchers best freind , your gonna get the shittiest calls , your gonna go into the nieghborhoods nobody else wants to go in , its a test , they will push you to see what your capable of & bitch if you need any help at all . but if you prove yourself & take the bullshit , you'll probably be OK . remember 1 thing .... don't bite the hand that feeds you , a dispatcher can make you or break you .... be his freind whether you like the guy or not . 1 more clue for ya ..... a 20 dollar bill or a fat bud ( 90 % of cabbies are stoners ) goes a long way , just make sure no one see you give it to him . not yet anyways .

I'm glad i'm out & plan on staying that way . if anything i'd dispatch a couple days a week but no more driving a hack for this guy

good luck longeared ... your gonna need it .

 

[longearedfriend]

thanks

I will update when things progress

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

sutra; what do you mean unless you have a medallion ?

yeah this is canada, I feel for you driving in nyc.... no one should have to drive in that city...

i'm gonna be updating and let you know how my taxi career is doing

A medallion is the license that allows you to collect cab rates. If you don't have a medallion you're driving for someone that does.

Just read an article in the NYT saying a NYC cab medallion has beat gold in value over the last 30 years. Sounds like a pretty good investment but they ain't cheap at ~$750,000 each.


Best wishes. Sometimes meeting people is the best part of a job. Just depends on the circumstances.

 

[flubnutz]

 

[In~Plain~Site]

Great movie