Do taxi drivers like talking?

It is no surprise that taxi drivers become excellent analysts after years of observation. They just want to talk to break the monotony. I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of folks that hardly spoke in 5 years of taxi driving. The overwhelming majority liked a good chat about anything to be honest.



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Generally, if the passenger starts the conversation, I take it as a cue that they like talkative trips, and if they don't, I assume they prefer silence. I'll start the ride with my standard line of So how's your day going so far? and use the response to gauge how chatty the customer is. It depends.

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They're only doing their job, and it's nice to be able to work with friendly people - in this case, customers, so to speak. The sign of a great driver is being able to “read” the passenger by their answers and body language, and know when to engage, or when to keep quiet.

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All drivers I have known prefer longer rides. Many taxi drivers often have a daily target to achieve after which they'll just hang their gloves and call it quits for the day.

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Travis Bickle says that he's God's Lonely Man. However, instead of using his solitude the way a medieval hermit might've (to empathize more with the suffering of humanity), isolation plunges him into despair and hatred for humanity throughout Taxi Driver.

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If you want to get to your destination quickly, you could say “I'm really in a hurry, so can you take the quickest route please?” If you have more time free and want to do some sightseeing, you could say “Can we drive past (famous place) on the way?”

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Is it rude to not have a conversation with your Uber or Lyft driver? No, it is not rude at all. Drivers have to take cues from passengers, and if you're talking about just you as a passenger, I tend to open with just saying hi and asking how they're doing.

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Is it rude to not talk to your Uber? No, it is not rude at all. Drivers have to take cues from passengers, and if you're talking about just you as a passenger, I tend to open with just saying hi and asking how they're doing.

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There's no need to shout “taxi” and indeed, it's actually illegal to shout “taxi” whilst trying to hail a cab.

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Legally, a driver can't make you hang up your phone, but as a rider it's common courtesy to avoid loud conversations and rude conduct. “I think drivers overall appreciate being respected for their professionalism and the service they provide.

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These drivers often work 10–12 hours a day, six days a week (2). Research across various cities has shown that these long hours, combined with the sedentary nature of their work, high stress, and low rates of insurance and healthcare access (3), contribute to poor health outcomes (4–6).

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According to the National Careers Service, an experienced taxi driver working around 40 hours a week might expect to make around £30,000 per year. As a one-person business, it's largely down to you. If you're prepared to put in the hours and work at anti-social times, your profits could soar.

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Research has shown that taxi drivers are at risk for numerous health concerns, such as low back and leg pain, linked to their highly sedentary occupation, long work hours and stressors related to the job (e.g. low income, safety threats).

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Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro), age 26, is Taxi Driver's lonely, alienated “hero.” Yes, he's a Vietnam War vet, ex-marine, and likely has his share of PTSD. But, his problems stem from something much deeper than war trauma. He must have suffered some kind of childhood trauma, to be sure.

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