What Was Your Favorite Subject in School?
by Marian LorraineOur favorite subject in school was whatever was third period, because if you skipped that period you could, along with lunch, create a block of nearly two full hours of free time, during which you could actually, you know, get real stuff done.
DAN
Where I hailed him: West Village
Where he hails from: Queens
Years as a cabbie: 4
Previous profession: Construction
Are you counting stuff like lunch? Nap time? [Probably not.] Ok, well, what about gym? [Sure.] Gym, then. I used to like that. We played this game that was sort of like dodgeball, only instead of throwing balls you slid beanbags and there was no catching allowed. I don’t remember playing it after fourth grade, but it was a lot of fun. I was good at it. They should make it an Olympic event.
LOFTI
Where I hailed him: Midtown
Where he hails from: Egypt
Years as a cabbie: 5
Previous profession: Student
Philosophy. It teaches you how to live. Everything in your life can change because of philosophy. You can adjust the things that make you feel bad, or you can adjust yourself. Philosophy helps you learn that everything you do can have a great result.
YVAN
Where I hailed him: Midtown
Where he hails from: Israel
Years as a cabbie: 8
Previous profession: Always a driver
History. I didn’t go to a very good school — we only had a few textbooks and all that — so history was just all of us sitting around listening to the teacher as she read from this book. No discussion, no essays, and just a couple of tests every so often. It was an easy class, which was why we all liked it.
SARDER
Where I hailed him: Battery Park
Where he hails from: Pakistan
Years as a cabbie: 5
Previous profession: Construction
You’re asking a guy who spent his entire school life wishing he could be somewhere else [laughs]. I hated school. None of the classes were any fun. I just could never get interested in any of the stuff. I guess the absolute worst were biology and chemistry. All the sciences. Also math. And English.
MUHAMMAD
Where I hailed him: Financial District
Where he hails from: Pakistan
Years as a cabbie: 8
Previous profession: Grocer
Math was the best for me. The more math you do, the better brain you have. I am still very good at math.
