Surprise, surprise. It turns out the number of American taxi drivers in New York City may be larger than you think. In records obtained from the Taxi & Limousine Commission, The Sun finds that the United States is the 5th most common country of origin for cab drivers. The most common country of origin is Bangladesh, followed by Pakistan, India, and Haiti. All told, there are about 2,300 American drivers, more than 1,300 of which reported they were native New Yorkers. That said, you're more than two times as likely to hail a Bangladeshi driver as there are more than 5,200 of them.
The Sun also points out that the reasons for driving a cab may be different for Americans and immigrants. They found the Americans drive cabs for the freedom it provides for other projects, while foreigners find it appealing because it requires minimal language skills and an "entrepreneurial drive". It should be noted that some people with hack licenses renew yearly despite not driving. There are 43,402 people with hack licenses and only 13,000 cabs.
But in the end, isn't getting to your destination in one piece the only thing that matters?
Photo of taxi driver stretching by Rukii on flickr
