Driving a Water Cab

Cab drivers are ubiquitous. They come from around the world and each has a story. Some are willing to tell theirs. For instance, on a sub-zero night in Madison, WI, a drive with a PHD in physics came into a dark bar to retrieve us so we needn't huddle outside in the cold. Drivers work hard as documented by the driver from Bangladesh who had saved enough to buy a second cab medallion at a tens-of-thousands-of-dollars each.

I recently signed-up to be one of the drivers for the tender service at Monroe Harbor in Chicago. During my 4 days of training I got to know the other drivers. Each had a rich story of how they got to be cab drivers on the water. Retirement or summer work were only part of their stories. The drivers had rich and varied backgrounds. Some were poets, actors, engineers, fathers, beach bums, educators, and philosophers. A great environment in which to tell stories between rides.