NEW YORK TAXI DRIVERS
AUDIO
NEW YORK TAXI DRIVERS by Laura Warrell (American English spelling) Even if you’ve never been to New York, you’ve most probably seen or heard of New York’s famous taxi drivers. They’ve appeared in hundreds of films and television series, and they have a reputation for being rude and eccentric. They’re also known as the worst drivers on the planet as they drive too fast, rarely pay attention to traffic laws and they think they own the streets. For passengers, a ride in a New York taxicab can be like watching a car-chase scene from a Bruce Willis movie. So what’s it like to be a New York taxi driver? And what are they really like as people?
Are You Talkin’ to Me? One of the most famous taxicab drivers from the movies is Travis Bickle (played by Robert De Niro). He appeared in the classic 1970s film Taxi Driver (directed by Martin Scorsese). Travis is an ex-Marine and insomniac who drives his cab through a decaying mid-1970s Manhattan. He desperately wants a “real rain” to wash the “scum” off the earth, and he decides that it’s his mission to clean up the city, and to kill two people: a politician, and the pimp of a child prostitute (Jodie Foster). The film won tons of awards, and let everyone see how crazy life in New York can be. It also caused lots of nerds to copy Robert De
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Niro’s famous scene when he’s standing in front of a mirror saying to himself, “Are you talking to me? I don’t see anyone else here. You must be talking to me”. So, is Travis a typical example of a New York taxi driver? Not exactly.
They’re not all Robert De Niro Unlike Travis, only about 10 percent of drivers are American. Most of them are from the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Asia. Only 1 percent of drivers are women. In fact, the average New York City taxi driver is a middle-aged, foreign man. And what about their personalities? Most New York taxi drivers come across as rude, stubborn and impolite.They also think they know the city better than anyone else (they usually do). And few of them pay attention to taxi driving rules. For example, if a passenger asks a driver to stop smoking, or turn off the radio, most drivers will ignore the passenger and continue to smoke like a chimney, speak to their girlfriends on their mobile phone (illegal) and listen to music at the highest possible volume.
The Cab Many taxi drivers are really fond of their cars. Some of them put photos of their families in their cars. Others decorate their cabs with incense, religious symbols and even shrines (particularly the Indian ones). Most of the rest of the taxi drivers just decorate their cabs with cigarette butts and half-eaten roast beef sandwiches.
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