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"Because it attracts attention," says a taxi driver who has lived in New York for the past 24 years. It's easier for people to spot the taxis from among the rest of the cars. Not only can a taxi take you from point A to B, it also allows you to seek out some words of wisdon...if you're looking for ideas for fun places to visit. On the roofs of some taxis, you can also find ads for different shows playing in town. Taxi drivers come from different backgrounds. Many can speak french or 'patois', noted Mr. Jelon, a taxi driver for ten years. "They are very happy to speak french with francophones," he said. "So happy it's hard to get a word in edgewise for the rest of the trip." They are however, less happy to talk about traffic which is more congested in New York due to the Earth Summit II conference. Just in front of the United Nations building, all of the streets are closed off due to tight security. Taxi drivers must drop of their charges a few streets away from their destination. "Customers are unsatisfied and when they're unhappy business isn't good. It's a good thing that UN conferences only happen once a year," Mr. Jelon said. Despite the traffic, it's surprising to find that in New York, taxi drivers and New York folks in general respect the red traffic lights. However, the reason is simple, when you go through a red light, you risk being fined $185 or $205. That's a far cry from what might happen in Montreal... Taxi drivers love meeting people from around the world and talk with interested people. They believe that this conference won't bring in much new, except maybe...plain tourists who bring home a little souvenir from New York...a stuffed yellow taxi, a key chain, a piggybank, an insignia on a t-shirt, on a mug, on an eraser... |
