Taxi Driver

Artist: My brother Gary

One of my favorite jobs ever, was driving a taxicab. Not always the easiest of jobs, but it did provide two things. Freedom through flexibility, and it was a one hundred percent cash business. If you don't understand the importance of being paid only in cash with no record of how much cash, then you don't pay taxes. I drove the taxi for a total of three years. One for Yellow, and two for Flash Cab. Among the fun things I experienced driving the cab was having a gun held to my head. Thankfully they took the wad of cash and not my life. Then there was the drunk who puked in the back seat. If you think about it, that was amazing. In three years of driving a taxicab only one drunk threw up in my cab. I once pooped in my pants while driving the cab. That was not so much fun. (Read about it here) I had my share of famous passengers, but I was a good driver. I never acknowledged that I knew they were famous. I simply got them to where they were going. The best thing about driving a taxi is that you got to know the city and the rhythm of the city. I always knew what was happening, where things were, and who lived in what neighborhood. I feel sad for the taxi business these days. It's not a pure cash business anymore. I don't think folks who pay with a credit card tip as much. And then there is Uber and Lyft. People roaming around in the family car, with no training, no licensing, no background check (I had to get fingerprinted), no inspection of that car, and no proof of insurance. On the high end they're taking business out from under taxis. On the low end they're taking business from mass transit. No, I don't think I could drive a taxi now. My back aches too much, my eyes get tired real fast, and they now have those damn cameras giving out tickets for speeding and running stoplights.