In2013demand formedallionssaw themselling
forup toUS$1.3million–and therewere rumours
thatRussianoligarchswerebuyingupbig–butby
2015 thepricehaddropped to$600,000, thanks to
various factors, including the influxofapp-basedcar
services likeUber.Regardless, at theseprices, they
areoutof reach formostdrivers,whowill,byand
large, rent theircabs fromgarages.
Of the51,398 licenseddrivers inNewYork,43per
centof them live inQueens–andmanyof themget
theirstart inGojia’sbasementclassroom.
“We teach themhow to readamap,how to
interactwithpassengers,basicgeographyand
major landmarks, andall the rulesand regulations,”
saysGojia. “Ouraim is tohave themasgoodas the
London taxidrivers [who, famously,have topass
TheKnowledge]but that’san impossible task in
threedaysor twoweeks,which ishow longmost
studentsstay.”
Afterpassing the test, thenext step is tofinda
garage.Of the thirty-oddgarages in thecity, 55Stan
onVernonBoulevard inQueens– justdown the road
fromGojia’sclassroom–hasbeenvoted thebest two
years runningby thecity’sTaxiDriversAssociation
and theTaxi&LimousineCommission (TLC). Ithas
beenaroundsince 1956,when itwas foundedby
taxidriverEliasWissak, and isnow runbyhisson,
Stanley, andhisgrandson,Richard.
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