Behind the wheel: New York Taxi Drivers | FULL DOCUMENTARY 

Drove yellow cab from 1994 - 2018. It was a great experience. You see and learn so much, meet interesting people from all walks of life. The Taxi and Limousine Commission destroyed the taxi business that's why I got out.

As an engineer I can't but help think about the abuse these cars go through. Running day and night, they never stop, in all weather conditions. The engines, the transmissions, the HVAC systems, the suspensions and wheels running over those potholes. Those Crown Vic's must be built like tanks. No wonder cops love them too.

I was hoping this is modern but yes this is about from 2008, way before uber. I drove a cab in nyc from 2010 to 2019. Those were the golden years along with radio dispatch cabs because it was mostly all cash back then and the amount of rides you got was insane. I made more in 2010 and 11 then maybe 2018 and i had no experience then. Today this is nothing like this at all anymore. Garages want 1200 a week now for what used to be 700 a week crown vic. Back then you did not have to even get a weekly car because the business was 24/7 now you are pretty much dead empty after 12 30 to 1 am. Maybe fridays and saturdays are better but overall the money is no longer there. There is maybe 3 Crown vic still left and driving, i dont know how because it would of well surpassed the TLC's requirements.

I think a competition should be held between the Black Cab drivers of London and the Yellow Cab drivers of NYC

Taxi cab drivers are very interesting. I enjoy using their services. When I was in college, I met a taxi cab driver who was also a PhD student.

If anybody wonders when this documentary was shot. It's between 2007-2009. Because that's when they built the Chelsea condo building at 15:00. That's why there is no talk about Uber and nobody has any smartphone in the documentary.

New York is so multicultural! Thank you for taking us tour the city ❤

Thou i began driving a cab purely an accidental beginning but loved the job and eventually continued in that profession for straight five solid years. Everyday on the job was like a new day on the job, met and became acquainted with quite a few among the numerous wonderful customers that i drove for.Driving a cab really gave me the element of freedom and to be a boss on my own.

3 days to get a license 😂 took me 4 years in London

I gad a part0time job driving a cab in Boston, The nature of the clientele really changed when the sun went down. And yes, like one of the divers in the video, I have had a knife to my throat. One night some tough guys in my cab wanted me to back into a dark, quiet street. Several plain-clothes cops came bailed out of a nearby car and foiled their plan. Thank you, Boston PD.

From 2004 to 2020 when the Covid-19 hit then I moved to Dallas-Fort, Texas changed my DL to that state and start driving for Uber and Lyft didn’t like it also tried to work in warehouse hated that too but can’t have that old good day I miss NYC my yellow cab 🚕 job now I’m truck driver kind love more than Uber and warehouse jobs 😅but miss yellow cabs I visited nyc recently seen yellow cabs everywhere getting their business back makes me so happy but I don’t have the courage to leave truck and Dallas Texas even though I love nyc than anywhere now THIS IS HOME I ALREADY MADE DOWN PAYMENT FOR NEW HOUSE IN GRAND PRAIRIE TEXAS 🙏

For anyone wondering, the candy shop mentioned is Economy Candy. They are still in business and great!

This is Pre Uber Doc. in the 70's - 80's if you own a medallion & work hard 5am - 9pm you can gross avg $ 400 -500 maybe more on Fri /sat & even more if you own a Radio calls pre black car & take home perhaps $ 350.00 x 6 days = $2100 X 4 weeks = $8400 a month / that's $ 100,000 yr. my brother did that.

For almost a year I moonlighted on weekends as a taxi driver in a midwestern city back in the early 1990's to pick up some extra cash so I could pay off some bills. Was an interesting experience, glad I did it, but the world is too crazy now for me to consider driving a cab again. I was single at the time and asked out a hairstylist who was a regular customer. She accepted, although the initial spark between us never went any further than a first date. With that in mind, I hope that Brett was able to find his true love. The young lady at 42:20 is a classic beauty and I am hoping they connected later in life.

I don't usually leave comments but this video was hugely enjoyable, thanks

Even though this documentary was supposed to be about NY Taxi/Cab it ends up presenting a whole new beautiful perspective about NY i have never seen in similar docs here on RU-vid. Thank you

NO country like America 🇺🇲 & NO city like Nyc🗽 ! Salut from Chicago !🍷🇺🇲

As a taxidriver this video is very interesting for me.I wish their success in nyc👍

Great documentary!

One of the drivers said there's no train to Roosevelt Island? There is an F train stop on Roosevelt Island.

I love the crown Victoria cabs. My favourite way to travel in nyc.X💕🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

It was fun watching, as well informative

That's a really inspiring documentary for my delivery work. I love Taxi and New York City.

Nicely done, its vibrant, energetic, optimistic, informative and kool!!!

Thanks!

Awesome!! :)

Reminds me the days at Ohare airport waiting to get my fares in Chicago in 90s

I miss the 2000s America 🇺🇸

HEY,. LOUIE Well Man really appreciate and enjoy your videos And Marry Christmas and Happy New Year's And congratulations on your 5000 subscribers

Will always remember that good times when yellow crown victorias were flying through the streets of nyc

Very nice video, have a blessed week! 💚✨

WOW!! Amazing Docu Movie! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

Best tourist destination ever NYC taxis 🚕 ❤😂😊

I'd hang out with Brett any time, to listen to that accent! LAWDDDD have mercy !😏

OLYMPIC A340 🇬🇷💙🇬🇷💙🇬🇷💙

great documentray. a million views soon for sure

The best getaway car for a robbery in New York!

One of the best tourist attractions in NYC are the cabs. I visited NYC last year for the first time since the 1964 World's fair. The cabs are great! don't waste a bundle on those hop on/off buses. Those things take forever to come around. Take a cab and they'll get you anywhere in minuets for a few bucks. They drivers from all over the world are amazing. You ride in ten different cabs and you visited ten different countries. Ask where they came from and most open up and give a complete history of their country. Also, cabbies born here are better at NYC history, best things to see, how to avoid scams. All have their own story, it's one of the few reasons I would go back for another visit.

Taxi drivers has the darkest secrets from strangers 😂

Johnny Marks's photos are wonderful

Ain’t gonna lie , this documentary makes me wanna drive a nyc yellow cab and I am a truck driver lol

Good night, interesting vlog, Roosevelt Island is accessed by 1) water taxi 2) subway 3) tram 4) taxi 5) bicycle 6) walking 7) scooter There are quite a few options & RI is such a great place to visit 😊

damn man ted williams on tha radio. man went from homeless to bac on tha radio with that golden voice thats crazy

Crown Vics are some of the best cars ever made. I love my 2011 ex Sheriffs car.

The Ford Crown Victorias disappeared about 5 years ago. This documentary must be 10 years old.

Watching on tv is as close as I ever want to get to NYC

It has always been my dream to visit New York. I just love big cities. 😍🗽🇺🇲

A July 2019 short documentary on the opening of the Japanese ta​xi industry to foreign drivers (via a video titled "Japan's professional taxi industry opens door to foreign drivers | ABC News" posted on the RU-vid channel of Australian public broadcaster ABC) was a surprising find as I hadn't thought the East-Asian country had had taxi drivers born abroad. I've started watching the documentary, but still have just over halfway to go before the end (the length being just over 3 minutes).

Ive never been to NYC. Ive traveled around the country working but never there. Im not much on crowds but hope to see the city someday. Thanks for sharing.

****** Watching this Video, better than a movie !! ********

New York City at this time was the liveliest, most exciting city in the world. I hope it comes back to that place

Excellent documentary!

Love the nyc taxis I took a taxi from midtown manhetten to bay ridge Brooklyn guy was super quick

I went there once 20 years ago , the taxi drivers would drop you off where they wanted not where you wanted , the rudest people ive ever met , hated the place and would never return !

The crime level in New York is sky high at the moment , it's safer to go to Afghanistan and that's not a joke

The vintage music is so funny😂

New York somewhere I’ve always wanted to see since a child, growin here in Australia it’s always fascinated me always, I’d go everywhere these taxi drivers recommend, I love the not so tourist places, underground entertainment is gold, love this docco thanx so much 4 posting 🇦🇺🇦🇺👍💯 I wonder if those underground places are still there? Or have they all gone commercial?

I wish every city would value their taxi's like New York does

Yes the map reading, that would be helpful..

This makes me want one visit 🇬🇧 🇺🇸

NYC is Hippie Town v.2 Berger and Claude would still love it in NYC today. 😂😂😂

Reminds me of Sydney where no one that drives a cab is actually from there 😂

Mrs Richards: "I paid for a room with a view !" Basil: (pointing to the lovely view) "That is Torquay, Madam ." Mrs Richards: "It's not good enough!" Basil: "May I ask what you were expecting to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window ? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically past?..." Mrs Richards: "Don't be silly! I expect to be able to see the sea!" Basil: "You can see the sea, it's over there between the land and the sky." Mrs Richards: "I'm not satisfied. But I shall stay. But I expect a reduction." Basil: "Why?! Because Krakatoa's not erupting at the moment ?"

Anyone misses "The Checkers"..??😁

So many cabs but never when you need one. Amazing they stack up at airports when there is so much need in town

I thought this was a recent 2023 documentary since it was just released on RU-vid but a number of closed businesses in the video like the Virgin Megastore made me realize it was older. The pay-per-view billboard ad at 48:55 is for a fight that happened in 2008. I was wondering why there was zero mention of Uber or other rideshare programs. 😐

You could have done the prank at three in the morning 😂😂😂

😮1 st day driving cab in SAN FRANCISCO... my 1st customer "Jodi foster* Yop...from Mission \ Embarcadero I was driving a Crown Vic " 🚕 She was beautiful.. Speaks perfectly French

I used to work in a taxi company in London .. the streets are not in a grid pattern as in USA so Sat Nav is a blessing. There are the official black London Taxis and the minicabs which are cheaper.

In this captivating documentary, we delve into the world of New York City taxi drivers. Through interviews with seasoned drivers and insights from industry experts, we explore the unique challenges and rewards of this iconic profession. From navigating the city's notorious traffic to dealing with difficult passengers, these drivers share their stories and perspectives on what it takes to succeed in this demanding line of work, all while providing a vital service to the city's residents and visitors alike..

That’s really cool NY taxi

42:50 him: “smoking in the cab illegal” Her: “Isn’t this illegal?” She said Uno Reverse 😂

Thank God I'm a small town guy

u wanna go to a taxi company and just sit and listen to cabbies talking about 'strange fares' while waiting to get their cars, some of the most amazing hysterical and sometimes frightening stories you will ever hear

I'd love to drive taxis in NY. My favourite city.

is this how real life is, am like watching a movie, all this is how it is. all taxi are real all over

45:33 Great Documentary

Here in Australia, taxis were deregulated ten years ago and the price of a cab plate crashed from $300k to $100k as Ubers now can outnumber taxis. You also do not need a special license for a Uber and the money is better. Most taxis and all Ubers will not take cash now and the fare is regulated on their app. Tipping is unheard of. Just don't expect the driver to lift your bags out of the trunk or open the door. The most pay comes from owning your own Uber. You can drive it for 12 hours and rent it to to another driver for the other 12 hours. The insurance is more expensive but thats all. Renting one to drive or renting a taxi will send you broke.

Any South African CAB drivers here? I will be in New York soon.

Whatever I'm out of town and I need drugs I just get a taxi. hook you up with whatever you're looking for

curious how many drivers sell contraband. any one have an idea? was well known where I life that if you wanted extras with your ride it was readily available. remember a driver when I was in college. He always had big handles of alcohol and party favours in his trunk

I think those cabs are collectables now.

I thought the US was open to only those with higher skills. I`m a Taxi Driver, living and working in the north of England. Would I chose to become a Taxi Driver in NYC ? Never ! Notwithstanding I like the job I have over here. I speak English - I am English and so would be fairly well understood by New Yorkers in want of a Taxi, and I`ve been to New York. I just wouldn`t want to be a Taxi Driver there. Us drivers over here all have a tail to tell. I`ve been used as a `get away` car, been Hi - Jacked, used as an ambulance..... I once picked up an Irish `girl` ( she looked as if she was about 16 years of age ) who wanted to be taken from a small train station in a small town in North Lincolnshire to Grimsby `s Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital. On the way I found out she was late for work - she being the Surgeon the theatre was waiting for. Another time I picked up a Canadian Doctor who wanted to go to the same hospital. We began a conversation about the Mammalian Endocrine System and at one point she told me that she`d heard of every hormone the thyroid gland produced. So I asked her about 3`3`5 ( reverse ) Tri-iodothyronine.... She`d never heard of it. So I thought the only decent thing to do was start at the begining with 3`5`3 reverse thyroxine and take it from there. Some of you will be old enough to remember a US Comic TV Show from the 1980`s called "Police Squad." It was pretty much like that, in my cab, on that day.

I was born and raised in Jersey just across the river from Manhattan. I currently work in NYC. Driving in Manhattan on a work day is extremely stressful, I try to avoid dosing so whenever possible.

I would imagine that NYC has changed dramatically since the pandemic and this film was filmed before the pandemic. I have never been to NYC, but I would imagine that NYC is much more dangerous now than before the pandemic. In Las Vegas, Nevada the taxis are very different and there are a lot of taxis in the Las Vegas, NV. I have been to Las Vegas several times and seen the taxis all over the place.

“And my body still vibrates from all the driving”… Said no driver ever. Unless it’s your first time in a vehicle, ever.

13:44 That's no longer the case today with NYC cabs bearing the same license plate as its number.

Did you guys notice something? No Smartphones. Just happy people enjoying the moment :)

fugetaboutit, one time I woke up in the back of a car, I noticed it was a taxi, i wondered where i was goin, and the first thing you do is look at the driver's license to make sure it's the same person driving otherwise there could be a problem, and i look at the license and who do I see, i see me!--ok, now i'm more awake, I just woke up in the back of my own cab and there seems to be a young female driving, headed downtown--so I tell her to pull this car over, she does, then I tell her to get in the back and I get behind the wheel. then i show her the license and tell her how things go, the person on thee license drives the car, not the other way around--then I ask her why she was driving my cab--she says i dont know mister you said you were too fucked up to drive and told me to drive and got in the back seat and went to sleep----ok, that made sense to me, i took her to wherever she was going and refused payment of course adding 'this never happened'=====true story

This was some 18 years ago.

They had their chance and they blew it

❤

NYC has 315,000 streetlights, and cabbies see most of them every day.

Also Hungarian taxi driver is welcome as a tour guide.

Try trucking in SoCal!

Remember when cellphones and social media junkies were not a thing yet? Good old times...

As many times back in the day, they would drive past me and my friends and not pick us up because of the way we looked. It will be one of the happiest days of my life when rideshare apps take them out of business!

6:48 That part reminds me of GTA 4

They must adopt to south African taxi industry ,using Toyota quantum as a taxi . Fighting for routes every day , gun fire every now and then

This was filmed in a different NYC