Cab driver conversation !!

[cgy2london]

Originally Posted by malcolmk14

Well if he works 72-hour weeks for 48 or 49 weeks of the year, then yeah, $88,000 isn't really THAT much of a reward. You could make $60,000+ at Tim Hortons working those hours.

might have a hard time finding a tim hortons that will let you work 72 hours a week

[Kybosh]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

It's funny how someone's BS has unintended consequences for them (and all the other cabbies out there)

Damn, somebody took me seriously. I need to up my ridiculousness.

I'm just glad that North American cabbies take you where you want to go, unlike those shyster tuk-tuk drivers in Bangkok.

[CaramonLS]

I don't know.. - although I do know that in order to save money, a lot of cabbies with split their cab rental with another guy or 2, so the cab is running 24/7.

Lets say the guy gets 40$ in fares per hour (so one round trip to the airport and back) x 6 days per week = $2880 per week, -$400 for the rental, and lets say 3 tanks of gas per week -$180 = $2300 per week.

Do Cabbies get 100% of what they charge for a fare?

Add in tips and you're doing OK. I know that one fare that I took from Crowfoot to the airport, which took me 15 minutes was $41. Obviously I tipped the guy $4 too.

I guess it does make sense...

[jolinar of malkshor]

And when I went to Ecuador the cab fare to go from the Airport to my hotel which was about the same time required to go from CIA to downtown Calgary was $6. I left the guy a $15 tip.

I took one of those sedans once from Montreal to a town about 1 hour away and the guy gave me his pizza and coke. I gave him a good tip to.

[longsuffering]

Interesting thread. I'm surprised that cabbies might do as well as claimed. OTOH, last time I took a town car from the airport to my place in Bankview, the driver was talking about buying an $800,000 condo.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by TylerSVT

Nothing is more pretigious than driving a cab... LOL

Seriously who the F would want to work 4pm-4am...

Not everyone has mommy and daddy paying their way for them.

[Mad Mel]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Not everyone has mommy and daddy paying their way for them.

I might be misinterpreting TylerSVT's post, but I think that's what he's saying. It's a crappy job, so if someone can make decent money at it, good for them. I wouldn't want to do it, it might be the only job in the world worse than being a cop in terms of having to deal with drunken idiots every day.

Travel tip: when a cab driver in Ha Noi tries to take you to the hotel that gives him kickbacks instead of the one that you want to go to, swear at him in Vietnamese. It kinda f's him up a bit when whitebread comes out with that.

[JohnnyB]

Things I like about where I live. It‘s about a 20 minute cab ride from my place to downtown, though I can generally just walk outside and get a taxi within a couple of minutes and the cab fare is about $2 for the trip. Also, there is no tipping in China.

[transplant99]

Just a side note here...

About 15 years ago I decided to get my Class 4 and work driving hack from mid-November to New Years eve....working only Thursday/Friday/Saturday nights (Night consisting from 6 PM to 6 AM). With all the Xmas parties and what not the company i drove for had managed to get "exclusives" from many companies who wanted nothing to do with thier employess driving home after a night of drinking, so they would give them vouchers to get to and from whereever the event was being held. The voucher would be filled in by the customer according to the fare on the meter and then they would tip on top of that out of their pocket. It was a pretty lucrative gig, believe me. On top of that while these people were at tehir parties we were free to go about business normally and in a good night I could easily get home with $500.00 in my pocket...but this was only during the high season of parties. I would say that after expenses (car rental from owner, gas, car wash every shift) a 3 day stretch of driving would net me on average about $900.00 -$1,000. Pretty good stuff but I am here to tell you I felt like I earned it as well with all the BS one would have to put up with at times....including fearing for my safety. I always hated not having a barrier from front to back (wasnt allowed at the time), so anyone could of jumped me from the back had they so been inclined and I kicked out my fare more than once for this fear.

All in all it was probably the best "part-time" job one could get (though 36 hours is hardly PT) and meant some pretty good Xmas gifts for those i bought for, and also a bit of a nest egg to fall back on in January etc. Cant imagine those that do it full time however...not a great job by any stretch.

[puckluck]

Sorry for bumping an old thread, but I just found it.

Anyways just wanted to comment on the debate about how much cabbies make. I have an uncle and many relatives who drive taxis and I can confirm they make about $90,000 a year with about 70% cash money obviously unclaimed.

They work 12 hour shifts 6 days or nights a week so it's not like it's a great job, but it does pay as well as the OP stated.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by puckluck

Sorry for bumping an old thread, but I just found it.

Anyways just wanted to comment on the debate about how much cabbies make. I have an uncle and many relatives who drive taxis and I can confirm they make about $90,000 a year with about 70% cash money obviously unclaimed.

They work 12 hour shifts 6 days or nights a week so it's not like it's a great job, but it does pay as well as the OP stated.

Good for them. $90,000 is nice (especially for being a damn taxi driver), but me personally, I'd rather take less pay for a job with less stress and more career opportunity.

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Yeah, I can't imagine taht driving taxi is that lucrative. Are you sure the guy wasn't just one of those greasy, chest hair laden, gold chain wearing blowhards that love to brag about how much money they make and the "porche" at home in the garage?

Man, I would love to have a Porche 199... I wonder if it's the russian version of the Porsche 911?

[GGG]

I don't get the hate for cabbies. They really don't get paid that much. At 90k a year if they work 12 x 6 = 72 hours a week or 72 x 52 =3744 hours per year is $24 dollars an hour.

A reasonable wage but not excessive or unreasonable for the risk and the amount of crap they take

[Ahuch]

Originally Posted by GGG

I don't get the hate for cabbies. They really don't get paid that much. At 90k a year if they work 12 x 6 = 72 hours a week or 72 x 52 =3744 hours per year is $24 dollars an hour.

A reasonable wage but not excessive or unreasonable for the risk and the amount of crap they take

The hate is because it's completely artificial. Just about anyone can drive a cab, it's not pleasant but it's not exactly tough.

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

Originally Posted by Ahuch

The hate is because it's completely artificial. Just about anyone can drive a cab, it's not pleasant but it's not exactly tough.

So... bored?

[Huntingwhale]

Quality thread bump

[Ozy_Flame]

Epic thread bump!

[Ahuch]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

Quality thread bump

I thought this was the uber thread

[Locke]

Ah this thread! Good times!

[Raekwon]

Its fun to see how many people in this thread are now banned.