Sunday, January 29, 2017

Cab Drivers

In some cities, driving a cab is considered and valued
(even an elevated vocation).
In London, you need to study and train for about 3 years before obtaining a licence. Three-fourths of those who begin 'taxi-training courses' never make it to the end. London cab drivers have been the subject of 'brain studies' which have discovered that the cabbies have a larger hippocampus compared with other people.
Unfortunately, here on the other side of the pond,
cabbies are usually looked down upon.
But maybe, the following famous folk will help change the image a little.

Danny Glover: In 1999, the actor best known for playing an 'over the hill' cop in Lethal Weapon movies, used his leverage as a former San Francisco cab driver to raise awareness about African-Americans being passed over for white passengers.

Jimmy Smits: He may have his Masters in Dramatic Arts from Cornell, but for a brief period in the early 80's Jimmy Smits played chauffeur to dozens of rowdy New Yorkers. The cabbie gig lasted only a few months until he received the pilot script for a new show Steven Bocho was developing called L.A. Law. (Note that as a struggling N.Y Theatre actor, Smits acted in off-Broadway plays during the day while driving cab at night.)

Larry David drove a taxi early in his career. In fact, his neighbour across the hall at the time was Kenny Kramer who helped to inspire the character of 'Kramer' on Seinfeld. He also made money driving a limousine for a while.

Brad Pitt stated, “I drove strippers, which was interesting. It was an odd job. There's a place called “The Job Factory” where people listed 'odd jobs' they needed for a little while...and you'd go and sign up. It said, “Drive Strippers.” I said, 'I got a car!' My job was to go the place...get the assignment...then go to the girl's apartment...pick her up and drive her to the party.”

Son of Syrian Refugee
(the following, courtesy of Dilu)
The destruction of Syria due to a civil war conflict and the rise of ISIS has led to an impassioned debate
as to whether the United States should act as a world leader by allowing Syrian refugees to immigrate into the country. All the usual arguments are being made by political conservatives against such a move: What if they cannot be trusted? What if they're incompatible with our way of life? What if they take our jobs? But perhaps a more relevant question may be this: What if one of them ends up fathering the guy who creates Apple? Because that's precisely what happened the last time we allowed Syrian refugees into the country. He had the name and physical appearance of a white man. Few people were aware that Steve Jobs was half Syrian.
His father, Abdulfattah Jandali, fled to America in 1954 as a political refugee.
He worked hard. He drove a taxi. He fell in love with an American woman.
She got pregnant. Her conservative father forced them to break up...and the baby was given up.
It's why Steve Jobs was raised by adoptive parents...and why his last name is Jobs instead of Jandali.
But he was very much the son of an Arab refugee!

Note: the foregoing incidents not verified by the writer.

* * * * * * *

The following 'Cabbie Tales' courtesy of Tom

The Jewish Cab Driver: A clearly inebriated woman, stark naked, jumped into a taxi in New York City and laid on the back seat. The cab driver, an old Jewish gentleman, opened his eyes wide and stared at the woman. He made no attempt to start the cab. The woman glared back at him and asked, “What's wrong with you, honey? Haven't you ever seen a naked woman before?”

The old Jewish driver answered, “Let me tall you sumsing, lady. I vas't staring at you like you tink; det vould not be proper vair I come from.” The drunk woman giggled...and responded, “Well, if you're not staring at my boobs or ass, sweetie, what are you doing then?”

He paused a moment...then told her...”Vell, M'am, I am looking and I am looking...and I'm tinking to myself, “Vair in da hell is dis lady keeping de money to pay for dis ride?”
Now, that's a REAL Businessman!

An Arab Cabbie: A devout Arab Muslim entered a black cab in London. He curtly asked the cabbie to turn off the radio because, as decreed by his religious teaching, he must not listen to music because in the time of the prophet there was no music...especially Western music which is the music of the infidel. The cab driver politely switched off the radio...turned off the ignition...and opened the passenger door.
The Arab Muslim asked him, “What are you doing?”
The cabbie answered, “In the time of the prophet, there were no taxis
so piss off...and wait for a camel!”

Compiled by Merle Baird-Kerr...September 4, 2016

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