A lot of New Yorkers get the majority of their reading (for business and pleasure) done on the commute to work. It doesn’t sound like much, but that often adds up to nearly an hour a day. But a cabbie’s job is really just one long commute isn’t it? So do they have time to read on the job? Do they have time for anything other than the job?
    
Faizul
Where I hailed him:    East Village
Where he hails from:    Bangladesh
Years as a cabbie:    2
Previous profession:    Store clerk

Ha, my friend — I don’t even remember the last book. It was a long time ago that I read a book. I read the newspaper. But I read newspapers in my own language, because my English is not very good. They have newspapers for cab drivers, you know. Yes, all about driving a taxi. No one reads them though.
    
Mhidul
Where I hailed him:    Chelsea
Where he hails from:    Bangladesh
Years as a cabbie:    3
Previous profession:    Teacher

The Bible — always the Bible. Mainly now I read the Old Testament. What books? None in particular. I read them all. You want to know the truth? I read Job. It reminds me of my life. Anything bad that can happen in this cab, it does. These people — they call themselves Christians. They are awful. They do awful things! Why! Why must they behave this way? They should try driving my cab for one day — just one day! To walk a mile in my shoes! My God! [This was the beginning of an extended rant, during which the driver passed our intrepid correspondent’s Meatpacking destination and drove him halfway to the Battery. Eventually his friend had to shout down the subject and ask him to turn around. Fuming silence ensued. Horribly awkward, really, for everyone involved.]

Garri
Where I hailed him:    LES
Where he hails from:    India
Years as a cabbie:    4
Previous profession:    Store owner

All the time I have, I spend reading school books. For my classes. I am studying for a business degree, so I read mainly business things. Here [holds up a textbook he has sitting on the front seat of his car]. This is for my classes now. But slowly. It is slow when you must work at the same time. Two more years I think and I will be done.
    
Mohd
Where I hailed him:    Union Square
Where he hails from:    Pakistan
Years as a cabbie:    2
Previous profession:    Student

I used to read. History. More of the non-fiction. But now I am too tired. You drive all night, you go home, no one wants to read. You just sleep, eat and go to work. You read a lot of books? [Our intrepid correspondent admits that he does] It is your job, though. You write, you read, you work for a magazine. I have some books, but now it takes me too long to read. I have the same book for a year, and I’m only halfway through. No time, man. You do this job, you don’t have any time.
    
Rafal
Where I hailed him:    Midtown East
Where he hails from:    Queens by way of Poland
Years as a cabbie:    8
Previous profession:    Truck driver

Yeah, I was reading a lot of political stuff around the elections — figured I ought to try and figure out what was going on. I got caught up in it. But now I’m just burned out. I don’t even care. I don’t even read the newspaper these days. Never been a big fiction guy. I studied philosophy in college, but I haven’t read any of that in years. [Laughs] I guess I don’t do much reading at all, now that I look at it. I don’t know, man, I spend all day driving around listening to the radio, after that, you go home, you don’t want to do anything anyway.