They drive for a living. Many of them drive very fast, and some might even say very recklessly. Cabbies are on the city streets more than just about anyone else in the city. So what’s the worst they’ve seen?
    
Henry
Where I hailed him:    Lower East Side
Where he hails from:   Haiti
Years as a cabbie:       7
Previous profession:    Clothing factory

A few months ago, two guys, they get into an accident over by the tunnel. Not very bad, just the one guy stopped quick and the other car bumped him from behind. It was rush hour, very busy… but not much damage, dent, scratches maybe. But they get out and the guy who bumped starts yelling at the other one. And they both start yelling. We are all just watching in traffic, they get up really close, like they are about to start fighting. I don’t know, maybe they did. The traffic moved before I could see. They were there still though.
    
Sourav
Where I hailed him:    Midtown East
Where he hails from:   India
Years as a cabbie:       28
Previous profession:     Cook

Most accidents you see here are not so bad. In the city the cars are so crowded, you cannot drive so fast most of the time so they aren’t very bad. Once though, I saw a car that had run into a fire hydrant. It was downtown somewhere. I did not see it happen, but I came along later and the car on the sidewalk and there was a tow truck there to take it away. I do not know how he did it.
    
Kamal
Where I hailed him:    East Village
Where he hails from:   Bangladesh
Years as a cabbie:      4
Previous profession:    Student

I am lucky. I haven’t been in any. Have I seen any? Little things here and — mainly just little accidents in traffic. One driver, though, I know, he gets hit from behind by a car one day in traffic. The next day, he comes out, he is driving maybe an hour — he gets hit from behind again — just the same way. It is not his fault. But still, bad luck for him.
    
Jean
Where I hailed him:    LES
Where he hails from:   Trinidad
Years as a cabbie:      15
Previous profession:    Cook

No. No accident. None. Not since 1994. Very bad. Very bad accident. By the tunnel. Very bad. That is all.
    
Anjum
Where I hailed him:    Chelsea
Where he hails from:    Pakistan
Years as a cabbie:    3
Previous profession:    Car service

Last month I was driving to the airport over the Triborough and there was a gigantic traffic jam. Everyone was rubbernecking to see what was going on. There was a yellow cab that was just completely destroyed right there on the bridge — I cannot understand how the car was damaged that badly. The entire front was ripped of and it seemed smashed like an accordion. The driver couldn’t have been in very good shape, man. I saw the ambulance. It made me think twice. Sure, sometimes I drive a little too fast. But you know what I’m saying — time is money in this job. It’s easy to forget it’s so dangerous out here.  
    
Ahsan
Where I hailed him:    Soho
Where he hails from:  Pakistan
Years as a cabbie:      8
Previous profession:    Gas station attendant

You see minor accidents here all the time — maybe once every three days or so. Cars run into each other every minute here, and you just can’t help it. But you’re talking about local streets, so usually traffic isn’t running over 30 miles an hour. Getting hit is part of the job; you never feel totally safe, but you know at low speed it’s probably not going to be terrible. The worst accident I’ve been in personally happened out in Jersey — away from the city. In Hoboken actually. I was sitting at a light on a very snowy night, and an SUV hit me from behind really bad. I was really shaken up. Yeah, it was some kids. They don’t know how to drive in the snow.