4 ms·

I heard that both cops and taxi drivers aren't suited for creative and theoretical thinkers. Mainly because it's a lot of waiting. They will get bored and quit.

JoeAltmaier 12y ago
Of course 'smart' means a lot of things. But thinking outside the box is probably not going to make a great cop - there's process and policy to observe scrupulously.
jordanpg 12y ago
Boredom. There is perception that police work is exciting and fast-paced, presumably from television, movies, and books. I've heard more than once that police spend a huge fraction of their time waiting, filling out paperwork, and sitting in court.
Lendal 12y ago
I drove a taxi for a year back in the 90's. Most drivers do play the waiting game, but that wasn't for me. The company I worked for awarded call-ins to the closest cab available rather than whoever waited the longest, which meant that you could develop a strategy of being at the right place at the right time to optimize your fares. This turned out to be a much more lucrative strategy than the sit-and-wait deals. I rarely drove more than a mile or two without a fare. Competing for fares can be quite challenging and rewarding in the right situation. In the end I didn't quit because of boredom. I quit because taxi drivers were getting killed in their cabs too often.
- mikeash 12y ago
  How did you figure out your strategy for being in the right place at the right time, and what sort of stuff did it consist of?
  - Lendal 12y ago
    You learn the people of your town over time. When calls come out they usually come from certain areas of town at certain times of day or certain days of the week. You learn where all the bars are, when they let out, where those people are likely to go and what the odds are that that area will produce a new fare. Companies that are hiring a lot of workers at once house their workers in certain preferred hotels. Longer-term contractors are likely to live in certain other neighborhoods. In my case it was Jacksonville and you have a navy base here where a large number of sailors from various foreign countries will show up all at once needing to go places when their ship comes in. If you can anticipate when that ship will start its shore leave that can be worth money. In Hollywood movies the taxi drivers will have random conversations with passengers to advance the plot. In real life, the purpose of this conversation is for the driver to learn where his next fares might come from. Sometimes the passenger will figure out what you're trying to do and will offer you valuable information. No reason not to. It's a win-win. Not all drivers do this. Some companies hand out jobs to the next driver waiting in a queue so everything is fair and equal. Some drivers prefer this system. But this produces poor customer service because that queue of drivers might be on the other side of town, and the fare will be waiting a long time. I never quite understood that mentality. I never worked the airport because the airport does not reward hard work. It's just a dumb queue and the fares are unpredictable. Not profitable enough for me.
    - mikeash 12y ago
      Interesting stuff, thanks. Too bad about the safety trouble.
- mwg986 12y ago
  Where were you driving taxis? I was reading your comment expecting "I quit because I moved on to another profession" or anything else that wasn't taxi drivers getting killed.
  - Lendal 12y ago
    Jacksonville. Certain areas of town are known for high crime and you take a risk working those parts of town. This was a long time ago, but two or three drivers got killed in like a month's time. It sucks for the people who live in those areas that they can't get good taxi service but you only get one chance at life. I can understand that desperate people do desperate things, but I am not desperate. I like my life so I prefer to stay away from those areas of town even today.

JoeAltmaier 12y ago

Of course 'smart' means a lot of things. But thinking outside the box is probably not going to make a great cop - there's process and policy to observe scrupulously.

jordanpg 12y ago

Boredom. There is perception that police work is exciting and fast-paced, presumably from television, movies, and books. I've heard more than once that police spend a huge fraction of their time waiting, filling out paperwork, and sitting in court.

Lendal 12y ago

I drove a taxi for a year back in the 90's. Most drivers do play the waiting game, but that wasn't for me. The company I worked for awarded call-ins to the closest cab available rather than whoever waited the longest, which meant that you could develop a strategy of being at the right place at the right time to optimize your fares. This turned out to be a much more lucrative strategy than the sit-and-wait deals. I rarely drove more than a mile or two without a fare. Competing for fares can be quite challenging and rewarding in the right situation. In the end I didn't quit because of boredom. I quit because taxi drivers were getting killed in their cabs too often.

mikeash 12y ago
How did you figure out your strategy for being in the right place at the right time, and what sort of stuff did it consist of?
- Lendal 12y ago
  You learn the people of your town over time. When calls come out they usually come from certain areas of town at certain times of day or certain days of the week. You learn where all the bars are, when they let out, where those people are likely to go and what the odds are that that area will produce a new fare. Companies that are hiring a lot of workers at once house their workers in certain preferred hotels. Longer-term contractors are likely to live in certain other neighborhoods. In my case it was Jacksonville and you have a navy base here where a large number of sailors from various foreign countries will show up all at once needing to go places when their ship comes in. If you can anticipate when that ship will start its shore leave that can be worth money. In Hollywood movies the taxi drivers will have random conversations with passengers to advance the plot. In real life, the purpose of this conversation is for the driver to learn where his next fares might come from. Sometimes the passenger will figure out what you're trying to do and will offer you valuable information. No reason not to. It's a win-win. Not all drivers do this. Some companies hand out jobs to the next driver waiting in a queue so everything is fair and equal. Some drivers prefer this system. But this produces poor customer service because that queue of drivers might be on the other side of town, and the fare will be waiting a long time. I never quite understood that mentality. I never worked the airport because the airport does not reward hard work. It's just a dumb queue and the fares are unpredictable. Not profitable enough for me.
  - mikeash 12y ago
    Interesting stuff, thanks. Too bad about the safety trouble.
mwg986 12y ago
Where were you driving taxis? I was reading your comment expecting "I quit because I moved on to another profession" or anything else that wasn't taxi drivers getting killed.
- Lendal 12y ago
  Jacksonville. Certain areas of town are known for high crime and you take a risk working those parts of town. This was a long time ago, but two or three drivers got killed in like a month's time. It sucks for the people who live in those areas that they can't get good taxi service but you only get one chance at life. I can understand that desperate people do desperate things, but I am not desperate. I like my life so I prefer to stay away from those areas of town even today.