Time Traveling with Troy

June 16, 2010
Time Traveling with Troy When my co-adventurers and I hopped into Troy's back seat yesterday, he told us "you're not gonna get rich driving a cab." And that his girlfriend of 18 years had just left him "because I wouldn't get married." Though he'd just finished drowning his sorrows in soul food, he ended up leading us to

Up Next

June 14, 2010
Up Next Coming up: a taxi adventure with two of the most impressive travelers I know. Plus, a bit of light from the driver's seat in the form of sunny dispatchers, cool street vendors, good bagels and New Yorkers just being themselves.

Two Lessons and Terrible Tacos (Part 2)

June 11, 2010
Two Lessons and Terrible Tacos (Part 2) You can learn a lot about a person by eavesdropping on their cell phone calls. And when someone initiates a chain of calls from the back seat of my cab, I feel no shame about listening in. I may be invisible to some of my passengers, but they're never invisible to me.

From the Driver’s Seat: Two Lessons and Terrible Tacos (Part 1)

June 9, 2010
From the Driver’s Seat: Two Lessons and Terrible Tacos (Part 1) During my last shift, I learned two lessons that are going to be burned on my brain for as long as I’m driving a cab: 1. Never, ever, order an iced coffee 2. Never, ever pick up anyone going to JFK after 3pm and expect to return your cab to the garage on time.

Tasting Hossam’s Ritual

June 8, 2010
Tasting Hossam’s Ritual I was a little alarmed when I walked into Little Morocco on Friday and saw that every single chair was empty. Wasn’t this cabbie Hossam’s go-to spot for couscous? Hadn’t he told me to make sure I got there early in case they ran out?

Emigration, Recession, Couscous

June 3, 2010
Emigration, Recession, Couscous About halfway through my ride with Hossam from Spanish Harlem to Midtown, I asked him what inspired him to leave Egypt. "I hate it," he said. "What do you hate about it?" I said. "Why is that important?" he said, "What does that have to do with Taxi Gourmet?"