TAXI DRIVER

You will need a driver's license and the special hack's license required for commercial driving. To get a hack's license, you'll have to pass a written and driving test. You will need to know details on regulations affecting cab drivers. This is public information, available at libraries, town halls, or on the Internet.

Some companies will require up to eighty hours of training. You will need to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of a region and how to get to popular destinations such as train stations, landmarks, and theaters. You will also need to learn how to use the meter and two-way radio.

Cab drivers are subject to town, state, and federal regulations, so you need to check with your local cab company to see what requirements might exist beyond your license. Larger companies will check for criminal records in addition to medical and driving histories. Insurance regulations encourage companies to hire drivers a little older than high school age, which might mean as old as twenty-five.

As a cab driver, you need to be polite, able to understand directions, and able to answer questions. You need to be patient with all types of personalities, including backseat drivers who might dictate your route or critique your driving. Patience will be required to deal with those passengers who have had too much to drink and are being ferried home for their safety, or boisterous students who think the party is still continuing. It is important to remember that you will be representing the company, and if you anger a customer, he or she may refuse to use the company in the future.

Similarly, you need patience to handle heavy traffic, especially in a city or where highway driving is required. If you get angry, it might cause you physical distress or upset the passenger.

Larger companies tend to offer on-the-job training, making sure the driver really can get from point A to point B in the most efficient manner. In the majority of cases, cab companies have set rates that start with a high number for the first mile and then a set price for each division of a mile. In New York City, for example, it's $2 for the first mile and 30¢ for each additional fifth of a mile. Other municipalities have regional rates.

You're shown how to use the taximeter and radio, plus what to look for in terms of vehicle maintenance. If you drive the same car for eight or ten hours at a time, you will be the one to notice mechanical problems. Drivers are the ones who gas up the vehicle and usually clean it out at the end of a shift.

In many cases, drivers lease a vehicle from a company or have their own car and affiliate themselves with a cab company. This involves a fee paid from the driver to the company for the customers assigned, but the driver tends to keep more of the money. If you have your own vehicle, though, you will be the one required to keep the car in good condition in addition to paying the insurance premium.

For those operating on their own, you should note that many cities limit the number of vehicles that can operate as taxis. In New York City, that's controlled through the assignment of “medallions,” which can be seen on the hood of all properly registered vehicles. This limits the competition and the number of vehicles crowding the streets. In San Francisco, for example, there are thirty-three companies sanctioned to operate taxicabs.