> People tend to talk out of social anxiety or the perceived need to entertain a passenger who looks bored. I do not think the majority of drivers talk as a mer

> People tend to talk out of social anxiety or the perceived need to entertain a passenger who looks bored. I do not think the majority of drivers talk as a mercenary plot to try to get a bigger tip - simple human sociability seems just as likely an explanation. Driving in circles for hours on end is not the most intellectually-stimulating occupation around. I entertained myself by talking to my passengers. Some of the things I learned turned into diaries that I originally posted at kuro5hin.org (RIP - reposted at http://www.taxiwars.org/ http://www.taxiwars.org/ ). Usually people were happy to talk back. Every so often people weren't interested in chatting, so I didn't talk to everyone.