CABBY1000Aweek

It seems like everyone is making a thousand a week.....Well approximately. Twice each week I conduct a survey of a group of Taxi Drivers during a seminar at the Master Cabbie Taxi Academy. Full time drivers, those working five or six shifts per week seem to be in thousand dollar per week range....Some as low as seven hundred, but few and a substantial number seem to be near or above twelve hundred per week.

So what's the problem??? It's the economy I guess...Two years ago, a skilled, six day driver was earning as much as fifteen hundred dollars and then the slide began....The lowest averages were last November when most seemed to be earning less than eight hundred...There was a lot of screaming in the classes, but the numbers went up through February and then back down through the summer and now, three weeks into Ramadan we are seeing the Thousand dollar number close at hand BUT...

During Ramadan many drivers work less as they fast and celebrate their traditions. This allows others to earn more as there is less competition for fares on the street... It will be interesting to see if the numbers hold up as many drivers return to a regular schedule after this week.

As we go through the fall and the holiday season business usually improves...But with ten percent unemployment we can only be hopeful....and thankful that we are working the streets and not walking the streets looking for a job.

In my day??? High earning drivers were taking home about one hundred twenty-five dollars per shift, perhaps a little more...We would of course have the occasional $200 shift but it was not a weekly event....It helps to remember that in a recession driver income goes down more due to competition as many drivers come into the industry keeping more cabs on the street. A vicious economic reality suffered by drivers who have not learned to drive smart, and quickly fall out of the industry due its demands of time and focus.

The good thing is that we are making a living. We are not Donald Trump rich...but instead are taxi cab happy which is better by far.....