Cab Driver In New York: Adventures of a Chalaco in the City of Skyscrapers

By José Manuel Herrera Tamines

This book has the sweet essence created throughout my 38 years of living in New York. I hope you enjoy my stories and recollections of a life filled with adventures. They may appear incredible or astonishing to you, but they are true.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ibukku, LLC
• Release date: Nov 19, 2023
• ISBN: 9781685745301

Book preview

Cab_Driver_port_ebook.jpg

CAB DRIVER IN

NEW YORK

Adventures of a Chalaco


in the City of Skyscrapers

José Manuel Herrera Tamines

All rights reserved. The total or partial reproduction of this work is not allowed, nor its incorporation into a computer system, or its transmission in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright holder is a violation of these rights and may constitute a crime against intellectual property

The content of this work is the responsibility of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of the publishing house. All texts and images were provided by the author, who is solely responsible for their rights.

Published by Ibukku, LLC

www.ibukku.com

Graphic Design: Diana Patricia González J.

Cover Design: Ángel Flores Guerra B.

Copyright © 2023 José Manuel Herrera Tamines

ISBN Paperback: 978-1-68574-529-5

ISBN Hardcover: 978-1-68574-531-8

ISBN eBook: 978-1-68574-530-1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

MY YOUTHFUL YEARS

IN SEARCH OF THE AMERICAN DREAM

START OF MY ADVENTURE IN THE YELLOW TAXI

SHOPPING IN THE TIMES SQUARE AREA

WELL-DESERVED VACATION

MY FIRST ANECDOTE IN THE YELLOW TAXI

GUNPOINT ROBBERY

THE MYSTERIOUS MAN OF THE FACELESS CAPE

MY SECOND ACCIDENT

DRUGGED WOMAN

BRAZEN PASSENGER

AN UNEXPECTED ALTERCATION

PREGNANT WOMAN

THE WATERGATE CASE LAWYER

PAUL NEWMAN THE ACTOR

IMPROVISED CHASE WITH AN UNEXPECTED TWIST

LOSS OF A WEDDING RING:

HONESTY PREVAILED

SUBTLE CONNECTIVITY

MISS USA BEAUTY QUEEN

SLEEPING PASSENGER

THE GREAT VICTORY

A MEANINGFUL COMMERCIAL WITH A HAPPY ENDING

RELAXATION WITH A TWIST

BREAKFAST LUNCH WITH AN EXTRA ORDER OF SAUSAGES

TRANSPORTING THE INTERVIEWER HOWARD COSELL

THE ATTACK ON THE TWIN TOWERS

EMOTIONAL, FUNNY, AND SUBSTANTIAL

FRUSTRATION OF A SEXUAL FANTASY

HEROIN ADDICT

OFFERING OF TOBACCO THROWN IN THE TRASH

LEGEND OF COMEDY

TRANSPORTING ACTOR SIDNEY POITIER

TRANSPORTING A FORMER WORLD CHAMPION

IMPOSTER MTA WORKER

PICKING UP ACTOR ANTHONY QUINN

EX-PRIEST RENOUNCED CELIBACY

PICKING UP AN ARAB SHEIKH

PICKING UP AN EXECUTIVE FACING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

A FRUSTRATED ADVANCE

EXECUTIVE FROM ZARA

VALUABLE PAINTINGS

PICKING UP THE FAMOUS WALDEREDO DE OLIVEIRA

To my wife Isabel,

who has been by my side during the most

glamorous twelve years of my life.

INTRODUCTION

The famous yellow cabs are yet another symbol of New York City. Their history dates back to 1907 when a somewhat stingy gentleman, Harry N. Allen, felt ripped off being charged 5 dollars for a barely mile-long journey to his home. In truth, Allen was right (those 5 dollars are equivalent to around 125 dollars today), but it’s also true that walking a mile and a half in early 20th-century New York City was no easy task. Many streets were still unpaved, while others were lined with tiles as slippery as ice. The most common sight was streets filled with all sorts of filth, as both animal-drawn and motorized traffic still shared the roads.

In the end, drivers charged whatever they pleased, and since there was no regulation on safety and comfort, the quality and price of the service depended on the driver’s goodwill. Allen decided things couldn’t continue like this, so he imported 65 gasoline-powered French cars and established the New York Taxi Cab Company. Thus was born the first modern professional taxi service in the United States.

Not only that, but he also ordered all his cars to be painted in a glaring yellow to stand out. To ensure customers didn’t feel cheated, he installed taximeters with standardized fares. Furthermore, he drafted a code of conduct and courtesy for his drivers.

His services weren’t cheap: 50 cents per mile was a significant price for the time, but at least customers knew what to expect.

The success was immediate, and soon competition arose for the Cab Company. The fiercest competitor was led by John Hertz, who even allowed customers to drive his taxis themselves. Over time, this service would become the seed for the now-famous car rental company bearing his name.

Over the years, a series of car brands dominated New York’s taxi fleet, with brands like Ford and General Motors pioneering the service. Morris Markin, a Russian immigrant who arrived in the United States in 1912 at 19 years old, without speaking a word of English, immediately recognized the potential in meeting these transportation needs. In 1922, he founded the Checker Cab Manufacturing Company to produce taxis and their spare parts exclusively. In less than five years, the yellow Checkers (with their distinctive checkerboard side stripe) conquered New York’s streets.

Markin was a shrewd and cunning businessman. He instructed his engineers, for example, to ensure the roof of the Checkers was high enough that gentlemen could ride without removing their hats. He also designed the rear seat to comfortably fit a baby stroller, making it convenient for mothers to ride New York’s taxis.

The Checker factory in Kalamazoo would produce taxis for half a century. On July 26, 1999, the last Checker Marathon taxi was officially retired from the streets, with 994,050 miles (1,599,768 kilometers) on its odometer.

A Massive Ford

The successor to the Checker for New York taxis is the 1991 Ford Crown Victoria sedan. Initially designed as a police car, it was quickly adapted as a yellow cab. Exceeding five meters in length, it features a four-speed automatic transmission and a 4.6 V8 engine producing 220 HP, which rarely drops below 15 liters/100 km in fuel consumption.

Finally, in September 2011, the last Crown Victoria rolled out of Ford’s St. Thomas factory, unable to meet anti-pollution regulations and burdened by unaffordable fuel consumption. Up to that point, 9.6 million units had been produced. In any case, the Crowns continue to dominate New York’s fleets and will remain on the streets of the Big Apple for quite some time.

A Japanese Future

In 2009, New York City decided to open a competition to determine the new taxi model that would replace, before 2018, the 13,000 taxis of various types and brands currently in operation. To the shock of the American industry, Nissan won with its NV200 model.

It’s a compact minivan, affordable (priced under $30,000), with sliding doors. It boasts a comprehensive system of airbags, a low-emission 2.0 four-cylinder engine, a transparent roof, USB ports for charging smartphones, upholstery treated with antibacterial agents to combat odors, and a rear hatch accessible for disabled passengers.

The decision was a bombshell in the skyscraper city. The NV200 completely lacked charisma, and moreover, the Department of Public Transportation had promised Nissan an exclusive ten-year contract, which the taxi union considered untenable.

In October 2013, a federal judge agreed: professionals couldn’t be forced to buy only one model of car and required the city council to also provide other alternatives.

By September 2015, the introduction of the NV200s was a reality, though not a mandate. In any case, the goal is for at least 80% of the fleet to be Nissan soon.

Regardless of the brand, one thing we can say for certain about New York’s future taxis is this: they will remain yellow.

Up to this point, I’ve wanted to offer a brief remembrance of what can be described as an icon of New York City: The yellow taxi. It’s not just famous because of the residents and tourists who have had the chance to ride in them, but because these vehicles, in and of themselves, have gained fame. Without ever being asked, they have unintentionally become background extras in countless Hollywood films shot on the city’s streets. They can be said to be part of the natural landscape of New York, a city that never sleeps and is also dubbed the capital of the world.

I humbly feel a part of a chapter in the history of these iconic yellow cars. Since 1980, I’ve proudly taken up the mantle of driving this special passenger service. So, over my continuous 38 years faithfully serving in this role, it’s natural that I have experienced a myriad of anecdotes. Some are amusing, while others were risky, where not only my physical well-being but my very life was at stake.

Given this extensive life experience I’ve gained over so many years providing this service in New York City, I’ve gathered a collection of anecdotes, adventures, situations, circumstances, or events that resonate in my memory. I hope they’ll stand the test of time because these cars indeed have their history, and I see myself as a part of it. Consequently, when my tales are recounted someday, I hope it’s said that I was yet another character in this urban legend: the yellow taxi.

Like everything in life, I’ve also experienced the height of the golden era of this wonderful profession, a fantastic employment opportunity that allowed me to earn a living. But I’ve also witnessed what could now be termed, and I say this with much nostalgia, the decline of my beloved yellow taxi.

Before the pandemic caused by COVID-19 and its subsequent variants like Delta and now Omicron, trips were down by 50%. Since the pandemic started, we’re nearing a 90% decrease. Yellow taxis were ever-present on the streets of New York, as emblematic of the Big Apple as the Empire State Building or the Yankees baseball caps. However, after two years of the coronavirus pandemic, yellow taxis are becoming increasingly rare, and their future seems uncertain.

Before the pandemic, there were hundreds of yellow taxis in the parking lots of LaGuardia and JFK airports;