CRISTIAN
Hailed at: Hell’s Kitchen
Hails from: Romania
Years as a cabbie: 10
Previous profession: Med school
I hate sharing the road with bikers. They go in the middle of the lane, holding up traffic and cutting in front of you, and then scream at you when you need to slam on the breaks. There need to be more streets that are just for bikers. Bloomberg wants to make more bus lanes; he should make more bike lanes, too. But Manhattan is a terrible place to bike. Other boroughs are ok, but people shouldn’t do it here. Just take cabs or walk or take the bus.
LAWERENCE
Hailed at: Grand Central
Hails from: Key West
Years as a cabbie: 6
Previous profession: Bartender
I wouldn’t object to having more bike lanes, so long as it doesn’t mean fewer car lanes. [What do you think about sharing the road with bikers?] I don’t mind it, so long as the bikers follow the rules, which they don’t as much as they should. They go wherever they want, and cops don’t pay the same attention to them that they do cars, especially cabs. I don’t bike to get around, but sometimes I go around for exercise. Not lately. Too hot.
DAVID
Hailed at: Astoria
Hails from: Brooklyn
Years as a cabbie: 1
Previous profession: Writer
I don’t know exactly what the policies are, so I guess the rules need to be a lot clearer. I’m always nervous around bikers, though. They should be a lot more careful since they go a lot faster than walkers and have less control about stopping quickly. I think they should close one avenue in Manhattan and make that the only avenue where bikers can go north or south. I don’t know if that would work, but they should be kept away from drivers as much as possible, for their sake and ours.
ABDUL
Hailed at: West Village
Hails from: Ivory Coast
Years as a cabbie: 7
Previous profession: Tailor
Oh, no. Bike lanes. They’re ok if people would use them, but bikers, they don’t care. I never got a ticket for being in a bike lane, but my friends have. It’s annoying because it’s a big ticket, but sometimes people want to be dropped off there. I see bikers ignore the lanes all the time. They go through red lights too. They don’t stick to their lanes, but if we go in their lanes we get in big trouble. But they run a red light, and it’s fine. I feel like I can’t win.
VERNON
Hailed at: Midtown East
Hails from: New York
Years as a cabbie: 22
Previous profession: Always a driver
You know something? I think they do it kind of half-assed here, and that’s why people don’t use the lanes as much. They’re putting in some new lanes I heard, which is good. Like in Denver they have bike-sharing things with showers and stuff. Might be good to have that here, it would probably lessen the traffic, which would make me happier.
GETACHEW
Hailed at: LES
Hails from: Ethiopia
Years as a cabbie: 6
Previous profession: Student
Bike lanes are dangerous for us! It just makes the bicycle riders feel more safe, but it’s not true. We don’t see them half the time. If there were more lanes and they were wider, and people obeyed them more, it would be better. Everyone in their place. A lot of cab drivers hate bicycles, but not me, because I ride one sometimes too.