A Quick Question About Cab Drivers

[Space05us]

Do people not normaly talk with them? Every night that I take a cab home I ask the cabbie how his night is going, and every night I ask that question I feel like a preacher in confessional.

Which isnt bad per say, as it makes me feel a lot better about being not a cab driver.

[joncha]

You just need to work on your interpersonal skills.

[Dis]

it depends on the cab drivers. Many cab drivers don't speak english. There is not sense talking with them .

Haven't you ever watched taxicab confessions late night on HBO?

[Bkeela]

I feel mean not speaking to taxi drivers, but I find small talk painful.

[Dis]

I find most talk painful, but especially small talk. I give a how are you doing. I expect a good or fine (or something sarcastic). And that's it.

[Vince278]

I generally keep to myself. Don't speak unless spoken to. (Quite the opposite of my Apolyton personality )

[planet]

I talk with them

[axi]

Cab drivers are the biggest liars in the city. They have an endless repertoire of bul**** stories to tell you.

[Space05us]

Originally posted by joncha
You just need to work on your interpersonal skills.

No. Read the OP again.

it depends on the cab drivers. Many cab drivers don't speak english. There is not sense talking with them

Maybe in Las Vegas. Here in Albuquerque every time I take a cab the cabbie is a white man who speaks perfect American.


Ive found that talking with cab drivers seems to make them more willing to take less money. Last night the cab driver didnt even let me tip him. A few nights before that the cabbie cut my fare in half.

They seem to care more about the fact that Im a working man and I need my money when I talk with them. Or maybe the cabbies here are just nice guys. :shrug: Granted to take a cab from work to home is only about $4.

[C0ckney]

i've had some amazing chats with cabbies over the years, covering just about every topic under the sun, nice to have a chat with someone after a night out, although i'm usually too wasted to make much sense.

[Boris Godunov]

It was 50/50 with NY cab drivers. Sometimes they were rather talkative, sometimes not. I remember the first time I went out with friends to the gay bar scene, the cab that picked us up to take me and my roommate home was driven by a young, cute white gay guy. Not something one sees very often. We had a pretty extensive talk on the cab ride, after he found out I was new to the city.

The scariest one occured with 2 friends and I were visiting another friend in Washington Heights (way uptown) and decided to share a cab back downtown. As the cabbie careened down West Side Highway at 60 mph, he turned around (as in not at all watching the road) and asked, "Hey, have you guys heard of JESUS?" It didn't help that he looked like the unabomber. We were rather frightened that he wanted to go meet Jesus that night. Anyway, he drove like a maniac, spouted out Biblical stuff the whole time and it was all I could do to not kiss the ground in gratitude when I got out of the cab in one piece.

[Tuberski]

At least he got you home fast...........

ACK!

[Vince278]

I remember one fun conversation with a London taxi driver. He was explaining that we Americans drive on the right side of the road whereas they drive on the correct side.

[DerSchwarzfalke]

In the city (Philadelphia, for reference) my friend and I found ourselves in the middle of some sort of cabbie dispute. We were around 15th Street near Market East and the Gallery when we decided to take a cab a short distance to Chestnut and 22nd. The only reason we chose not to walk was because the shop we had to get to was closing within twenty minutes. Anyway, we hop into a random cab parked on a street in a row of cabs, and as we are getting in we are accosted by nearby cab drivers who tell us not to get into that cab. "That guy isn't supposed to be here," etc. The cab was painted with a company we knew to be legit and his license seemed fine, but either way as we are driving down Broad a bunch of the cabbies who had rid our ass started tailgating and cutting off the guy with us in the bloody cab.

The cabbie himself was an immigrant from Africa, while the guys riding his ass were all locals. That might have had something to do with it.

[Odin]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov

The scariest one occured with 2 friends and I were visiting another friend in Washington Heights (way uptown) and decided to share a cab back downtown. As the cabbie careened down West Side Highway at 60 mph, he turned around (as in not at all watching the road) and asked, "Hey, have you guys heard of JESUS?" It didn't help that he looked like the unabomber. We were rather frightened that he wanted to go meet Jesus that night. Anyway, he drove like a maniac, spouted out Biblical stuff the whole time and it was all I could do to not kiss the ground in gratitude when I got out of the cab in one piece.