Gothamist: The Taxicab Confessional

ashley

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 12:45:24 -0500

Believe it or not, a college student from a semi-rural university in Virginia can share her similar experiences with the elite Pakistani-cab driver services offered in the slow-paced city of Harrisonburg. Isn’t it bazaar how two completely different cities can produce such similar modes of transportation. Has anyone made a connection to why these hyphenated-Americans are so attracted to pursue the cab-driving career?

Big Nasty

Mon, 07 Feb 2005 14:13:35 -0500

MT! I had the same experience! Getting a cab with two friends, from the Bohemian Beer Garden in Astoria back to Park Slope, the cab driver starts going on about how he's 'no poofter, but i'll suck a guys dick every now and then'. I called him a fag but he denied that he was. YEAH RIGHT!

jen/arts

Sun, 06 Feb 2005 20:35:03 -0500

we actually interviewed one of the guys in last nights episode, mark o'toole of audio fiction. sets & the city interview with him here.

MT

Fri, 04 Feb 2005 14:42:08 -0500

My favorite taxi story is when my boyfreind and I were taking a cab downtown to go clubbing early one snowy Sunday morning and the cab driver proceeds to launch into a monologue about how he has four girlfriends and it's all he can do to service them all adequately but it's okay to be blown by a guy occassionally. Needless to say, we kept our mouths shut (no pun intended) for fear of having something we said mistaken for an invitation. I still get the heeby jeebies.

S.D.

Fri, 04 Feb 2005 14:30:16 -0500

A good friend of mine told me that when he's in a situation where the other person wants to talk but he doesn't, he's makes up an amusing biography about himself. Makes Cab rides more amusing when he doesn't want to chat.

Max

Fri, 04 Feb 2005 14:24:34 -0500

I always like talking to cab drivers. Granted, you have to find one who is not on the phone, does not instantly start blaming Jews for the ills of the world, speaks decent english, etc. Tends to be great though (outside the occational diatribe- see above). Obviously, and I am not trying to make sweeping generalizations here- just my experience, most of the guys are from Pakistan or Northwestern India (Shieks, Punjabis, etc) and it is great to get their take on all sorts of things; Mushariff, the Bhuttos ('all crimal elites' seem to be the normal response), Muslims, Hindus, terrorists, all sorts of stuff that todays media seems clueless about (outside of what comes out of the WH). So I encourage everyone to talk and learn a little from these new Americans. And you can learn how to curse in Urdu!