TAXI! A social History of the New York City Cabdriver by Graham Russel Gao Hodges

 TAXI! A social

History of the New York City Cabdriver by Graham Russel Gao Hodges is a wonderful account of, maybe, the most important symbol of New York City: taxis. 

But...Do you know their history?

Let's start to saying that the author, now a professor of History and Africana, once a student in a NYC university, searching for a work in grade to bring some food on his table met along the way this one. It was wonderful because of course permitted him the discovery of a city, and at the same time the possibility of earning a lot of money with fun.

Of course later Hodges left for discovering new horizons but he hasn't never forgotten this work-experience that signed his existence and that he goes proud of, reconstructing so in this book the story of the NYC taxi, from the foundation, at the beginning of 1900s when someone understood that the European experiment noticed when in the Old Continent could be imported also in the New World. 

Of course at first taxis were differents, and there were also other problems to fix, but with the time they became what they are today. 

Who were at first taxi drivers? Jewish, Italians, Irish although they were not yet regarded as American. Of course the introduction of this new vehicle meant for NYC a less safe place where to walking in or where to driving in. 

In the Age of Prohibition taxi were also part of this program. The publication of a first taxi driver memoir revealed also who were men driving taxis: gunmen gorillas, people who serve a district leader at election time and get a certain amount of protection in return. Not only: these first memoires speak again the language of a rampant racisms between the various working classes of the ethnic groups involved in the work. But it was when the police department took control of the cab industry that taxi drivers wore uniforms and they had to be "temperamentally fit for the job."

Cabdrivers disagreed and they wanted to force Daly to resign but without success.

With the time taxi drivers made great money also thanks to prostitution and bootlegging. 

There was the birth, in fact, in NYC of new locals of the most diversified genre.

The decade from the 1940-1950 was characterized by a big prosperity for cabdrivers although sacrifices imposed by war. Also, when returned home from war, most veterans started a new career as taxi drivers. Also, drivers were more comfy while driving and the service for everyone, guests and cabdrivers for sure was better. Not only: but during the war many women became cabdrivers! arriving during the war at 68!

Some cabdrivers reached also fame working in a tv program called This is Your Life.

A reporter Damon Runyon wrote a story on them called Pete Hankins and during this decade a writer and his cabdriber, worked together for the creation of a series of stories involving the category. With the masterpiece of D.H.Salinger The Catcher in the Rye, the portrait of the cabdriver become hilarious.

If the second world war created a good humus for cabdrivers and their work, the 1950s ended in much poverty for the entire category.

The 1960s opened with a new redefinition of the category and thinking that, after all, cabdriver could become testimonials for several products. 

Their popularity raised again although they understood that popularity could also mean danger because medias could distort their work.

There were in the 1970s tensions between cabdrivers and african americans; when a colleague of them of hispanic origin, Benjamin Rivera 40 years, was killed, there was a great demonstration of all the NYC's taxists for the funeral of the 40 years old man.

Taxi Driver is one of the most iconic movies of all the times and portray the taxist as an invisible man, maybe a witness, "someone invisible to his fellow men", writes the author.

But it's in this decades that taxi drivers at least received a stable union, medical benefits and pension.

In the 1980-2010 taxi drivers have seen new characters entering in the category: Indians, Pakistans, Russians, Africans, Asians: but people fell and fell in love for them. Andy Wharol confessed that loved to take everyday taxis in the city, but also common citizens; they have always thought that it is the safest way for reaching other parts of NY.

There were also famous taxi driver: Eli Resnick The Candy Man, The Zipper Man and there was also a Santa Claus taxist. Yes: all of them with a specific car-theme.

This last decade maybe the biggest competition the one of Uber.

Intriguing book this one. It was an age that I wanted to read a book about NYC's taxi! They're the most characterized and colored icons of NYC and they keep the city of New York frenetically...wonderful.

I can tell you that it is written with immense love, for giving us a fresh idea of who, these people who touch our existence sometimes for just 15-30 minutes are, and the history of a vehicle that is marking so spectacularly well the reality of the city that never sleeps.

I thank Johns Hopkins University for the physical copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori