Ernest
The taxidriver
Ernest emigrated toNew York from
Greece50 years ago, andhasbeen
driving cabs for a living since 1978.
“Nobody really likes their job,”
he says. “But this job gives you
independence and you get used to
it. I tell you,most of thepassengers
arenuts, but youcanworkout
your differenceswith them. Friday
and Saturday nights, they’reout of
control, but it’s okay.”
He’sbeenworkingout of the55
Stan garage for thepast decade.
“These guys areonour side.Wehave
anexcellent officehere. The TLC
suspendedmy licence andcouldn’t
tellmewhy. I talked to these guys and
–boom, boom– it tookme just a few
hours to get back towork.”
Themainchallengeof being a
cabdriver? “The TLC,” says Ernest.
“It’s very chaotic, and the rules and
regulations canbebrutal.”
Graham
Hodges
Thehackhistorian
AcademicGrahamHodges got his
hack licenceback in 1971, whenhe
was a student at theCityCollegeof
New York. “Itwas easy to get a licence
then,”he says. “I went to a garage
onFriday, andbyMonday I hadmy
licence– they evenpaid for it. Onmy
first shift, I woundupwithUS$70 in
mypocket,whichwasmoremoney
than I’dever earned.”
After five years, though, hecalled
it quits. “The longhours and sitting in
a car seatwithbad springswas very
difficult formephysically, andout
on the street it’s very competitive
–everyman for himself. Itwas long
enough to get to know the job,
though, and an important experience
forme.”
Several years later, hewas looking
for adissertation topic aspart of his
PhD incolonial history atNew York
Universitywhenhe realisedhe felt an
affinitywith thecity’s 19thcentury
cartmen, drivers of the two-wheeled
carts that preceded taxis. In 1986,
thedissertationbecameHodges’
first book, but hecouldn’t shake the
feeling therewasmoreof a story to
tell. “I kept dreaming aboutmodern-
day cabdrivers. I always knew it could
be abook.”
Twenty years later, he got a
publishingdeal, andwrote
Taxi!
ASocialHistoryof theNewYorkCity
Cabdriver
– andhis reputation as a
taxi historianwas cemented.
Thesedays, heworks as aprofessor
of history atNew York’sColgate
University and is regularlyquoted in
themedia as an authorityon thecity’s
cabs – a rolehe’sproud toplay.
“Taxi drivers areoneof themost
powerful images ofNew YorkCity,”he
says. “Right up therewith theEmpire
StateBuilding.”
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