Cabdriver Hit by Recession Has Good Advice for Bad Times Special

Lost your job and looking to make living driving a cab? That's what lots of men try to do during down times, but according to one cabbie, it's not easy. The taxi business has serious challenges but one fellow has advice for that and a whole lot more.

I interviewed Alan Matthews of Portland, Oregon who has been a cabdriver for approximately two years in Portland. He finds it especially difficult to make a living these days. He told me, "What I have noticed is that people are taking shorter cab trips these days. The fares are half what they used to be. I am willing to pick up people in different places, some in neighborhoods where other cabbies don't want to go; but I find that even hustling a lot, I still have trouble making the kind of money I did when I first started." Matthews went on to describe how the taxi business is suffering in the Portland area. He says, "lots of guys don't last long in the business these days. They come and go because they can't make a living." He says he hears of 10 cabbies quitting monthly. With the additional problems of folks not having money for fares and drivers not getting the kind of money they were used to during more prosperous times, in some cities unlicensed cabdrivers makes it even more difficult for the honest driver.. A story two days ago from the Associated Press discusses how this has become such a problem that New York City has had to crack down on people who drive cabs without proper licenses and documentation. Unlicensed hustlers at the airports can no longer pick up passengers without facing heavy fines. Matthews maintains it's the same thing in Portland. "Rogue" drivers come in from out of town and hustle passengers. "This is bad for everybody," Matthews says "because these guys don't pay taxes like we do." He mentioned at one time authorities had to intervene when limousine drivers were paying off hotels in order to get fares. So illegal huckstering is part of the many barriers honest cabdrivers face on a daily basis. The holiday season is a time cabdrivers look forward to for increasing income as shoppers use a variety of means to get to the malls and bring home packages. The downturn of the economy, as it has brought bad times for cabdrivers, shows how the trickle down of the recession has brought difficulty for many people during times that ordinarily might be prosperous. And competing with unlicensed folk and others looking to make a living who have lost their jobs in other areas of the economy, places an extra burden on the professional fellows in the taxi business. But Matthews perseveres in spite of the hard times, "I just hustle a little more and get creative." To be downtown at certain busy times, or close to the hospitals or bars, is key, he adds. With his optimism and ability to interact positively with passengers, Matthews will likely make it, but his advice to others is not to count on driving a cab as the ultimate answer to making a living during this recession unless you are prepared to work very hard. He reminds those interested in the cab driving business that "you have to be willing to listen to and interact with a variety of people, stay honest and remain optimistic in spite of the problems of the economy." That just might be good advice for everyone trying to make a living where the recession has impacted jobs.