Ravi
Hailed in: Downtown Brooklyn
Hails from: India
One time I was driving and thought I saw my ex-brother-in-law, and I actually changed lanes to get away from him. Now, I could see in the mirror that it ended up not being him, and I’m not even 100 percent positive that he was trying to hail me, but I’d probably do that same thing again, lame as that sounds. It was a bad divorce, and her brother used to always give me shit about being a cab driver, so I think that if somehow he wound up in my backseat that would be terrible.
Taweel
Hailed in: Times Square
Hails from: Pakistan
I’m not sure I really have enemies. If there’s someone walking around out there who hates me, I don’t know about it. [What about a public figure you dislike?] You mean like Dick Cheney or Donald Trump? If someone hailed me and I pull over and it’s Dick Cheney, ugh. That man makes my skin crawl. I might refuse to let him in. I don’t know; I feel like he could easily get me fired. But if he couldn’t, yeah, I wouldn’t want him around. Donald Trump I might drive, but only because he’s so rich he might give a big tip. But now with the credit card machines, people generally tip the same amount, so who knows?
Collie
Hailed in: Lower East Side
Hails from: Brooklyn
I refuse people every day. If people are so drunk they can’t stand, I don’t let them in because I’ve cleaned up enough vomit. If someone helps them into the cab, OK, but I don’t want drunk guys. If a girl is drunk I might let her in just so she’s not out on the street alone and drunk. The other day, a guy got in, and he smelled horrible. He looked normal, but he just absolutely reeked, like he had shit himself. I kicked him out. He was pissed, but if you don’t do that, you have to smell it, and then the next people who get in might leave because of how bad it is.
Danny
Hailed in: Park Slope
Hails from: Crown Heights
I honestly don’t pay that much attention to what people look like when they get in, so no, unless they were holding a gun or covered in blood or something. Actually, if they’re covered in blood they may need to go to the hospital, so I should probably pick them up. [What about your worst enemy?] You mean, would I lock the doors and drive the cab off a bridge and jump to safety at the last minute? Yeah, probably.