In taxi business knowing hot spots for potential fares can raise income of driver dramatically, especially night shift driver need to know at slow times where he has more chances for getting fares, such places includes bars, clubs and after economic fall down few financial institutes, who instead of taking designated black cars take yellow cabs instead. But finding a spot which is not popular among other drivers is the real deal, because if lots of drivers know about certain spot you will end up lining up for passengers, which is again is not that bad at 3:00 A.M in the morning, but if you have discovered some spot, best thing is to keep it to yourself.

I start working from The Bronx, which is a borough north of Manhattan, everyday I have to pass through Bronx Zoo while going towards Manhattan, once I got hailed and took passengers to Brooklyn from there. Everyday when crossing Zoo I spot 5P18 sitting in front of Zoo's entrance with his offduty lights on, hassling for the passengers which may go to Manhattan or Queens, he is also from Pakistan.

This Sunday when I was going to Manhattan, I spotted 5P18 and decided to have some words with him, and he asked me why don't I pick up passengers from here and suggested to wait here 10-15 minutes, "you will get fare going to Manhattan" he told me.

Now there are two kinds of drivers, one of them are the ones who you will find sitting in front of hotels, bus terminals waiting for passengers for longer trips, even in busiest time you will see them sitting on those spots, which always make me wonder because if they drive they will get fares in same or maximum next block during rush hours, I call them airport hunters. Then there are drivers who keep driving during there whole shift, stop means, break either to use lavatories or to eat, except these they won't stop and wait anywhere, they are the ones if someone hailed them and tell them hey wait here for 2 minutes I gotta get my belongings/wife/kids etc but they drive off for next Passenger instead of waiting, because they can not wait.

I'm among the latter category, 5 minutes of standing feels like half an hour to me, but anyway I decided to wait in front of Zoo in hope to get some fare, 5P18 got his share to Manhattan and left with in two minutes, I spotted about 20 or so people standing next to my cab waiting for bus BxM11, which eventually will take them to Manhattan. This bus doesn't work like all other MTA buses instead bus comes there, wait for about half an hour for the passengers and then leave. I was unfortunate enough bus came very shortly, and started picking up EVERYONE, leaving none for me. I waited about 30 minutes there and got fed up.

Next day same story, 5P18 got the fare and I have wasted 30 or so minutes, bus doesn't seems to leave until last person comes out of Zoo. Now I decided not to stop there, that spot is not for me.

Labels: Taxi Business, The Bronx