Part historical reference, this book details and identifies the challenges that taxi drivers face in their pursuit of what we all want – to make a living. The process by which a person ends up driving a cab is varied and interesting. Many people are familiar with the idea of highly educated immigrants being unable to find work in their field (or having their qualifications not recognized) and resorting to driving a taxi to make a living. With the advent of Uber cutting into profits, and municipal governments failing to protect the taxi industry they have profited from, taxi drivers face new challenges.
“Through a series of interviews, the lives of taxi drivers are explored, their wildly varying backgrounds and how drivers ended up where they are.”
In Driven: The Secret Life of Taxi Drivers, the author describes taxis as a border between worlds, a space that is both public and private in nature. Through a series of interviews, the lives of taxi drivers are explored, their wildly varying backgrounds and how drivers ended up where they are. The book is a portrait collection of Canadian taxi drivers, their origin stories and how they found their way into and through the business. Not everyone who has driven a cab wanted to talk to the author, but those who did have generously shared their compelling stories. Some of which may break your heart or bring you to tears, as they recount the honest struggles they have faced. Driving a cab while raising families, and acclimating to a new place, some drivers have adapted well to this line of work, while others have struggled to navigate the road and lifestyle. Taxi driving is a lonely job that is hard on the body from the long hours behind the wheel. While this is not a new reality, the devaluing of taxi licenses and competition from ride-share services mean that the health risks of driving no longer seem worth the profit made. Throughout the book, the theme of taxis as borders is a thread that binds this collection of stories together, where various borders are explored.
This is a compelling exploration of the lives of people many of us have or will encounter but never truly meet or understand. If cabs are borders, this book lifts the veil between driver and passenger; it fosters a human connection between the passenger and the person behind the wheel. An intriguing read for those curious about another’s lived experience. It might make you want to put your phone away the next time you sit in a taxi's back seat.
About the Author
Marcello Di Cintio is the author of four previous books, including Walls: Travels Along the Barricades, which won the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing and the W.O. Mitchell City of Calgary Book Prize, and Pay No Heed to the Rockets: Palestine in the Present Tense—also a W.O. Mitchell Prize winner. Di Cintio’s magazine writing has appeared in publications such as the International New York Times, The Walrus, Canadian Geographic, and Afar.
About the Reviewer
Pamela Sinclair is a writer and lifelong reader. She enjoys reading multiple genres, both fiction and non-fiction. Pamela lives in Halifax, NS with her husband, daughter, and a grumpy grey cat named Ben, and she is currently working on her first novel.
Book Details
Publisher : Biblioasis
Publication date : May 4 2021
Language : English
Print length : 280 pages
ISBN-10 : 1771963840
ISBN-13 : 978-1771963848