Do You Ever Fight With Customers?
by Ryan Vlastelica
Hailed at: The Barclays Center
Hails from: Bed-Stuy
Only one time. A woman was riding with me, and she started leaving all this shit in the back seat, tissues and papers and shit, just using my car as a garbage dump. I notice, and she just stares at me, like, “fuck you, what are you going to do?” So I tell her she needs to clean up, she tells me to go fuck myself, and we start screaming at each other. She calls me an asshole, tells me I’m just a dumb cab driver, says something about her garbage being nothing compared to people dying in Afghanistan. But look, I served my country for seven years and I go to school. I had my textbooks in the front seat with me. I’m not going to let that fucking bitch tell me that shit. So I stop the car and turn around and scream at her, and she just runs out. Takes her shit and leaves without paying. Sometimes I want to pick her up again. I’d lock the doors and tell her everything she needs to hear.
Hailed in: Bensonhurst
Hails from: Ghana
No, never. If customers want to talk that’s fine, but if they mention stuff like politics I don’t ever disagree with them. Most of the time they want to hate on Republicans, which is fine, I’ll join in for that, but if they are against Obama I just say I don’t follow politics. That’s pretty much the truth anyway. There’s no point in fighting; you won’t change anyone’s mind—and you might not get a good tip.
David
Hailed in: Chelsea
Hails from: Hoboken
After a while you get a sixth sense about which customers will give you shit about things, so I usually drive past those people. There are times when I don’t want to go to Brooklyn and people give me shit about that, but whatever. [That is really fucking annoying, though. You’re supposed to take me there if I want.] You want to drive the fucking cab? You want to make as little as I make and waste all the time it takes to go there for shitty tips? Go right ahead. Don’t tell me how to do my job.
