CAB DRIVERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 127, 1 June 1942, Page 2

CAB DRIVERS

EFFICIENT WOMEN ALREADY REPLACING MEN (By SHEILAH GRAHAM) There are thirty-four licensed women taxi-drivers in and around New York City. And there will soon be more, hundreds more, perhaps thousands more as the call for men to the armed services drains the existing supply of male cab drivers, "When the subject of women drivers first came up early in 1941," says Benjamin Botwinick, of the Taxi-Cab Bureau of New York, an organisation comprising twenty-five groups of independent cab owners, "most of the owners were against it. They thought that women would disrupt everything and everyone—particularly if they were attractive, But we have found women cab drivers to be more business-like than men.

"The qualifications," according to Mr. Doppie, manager of a taxi company, "are three years as a licensed driver. And the woman must be a 'smart' type and a safe driver. We give her free instruction, she does not have to work more than ten hours a day—a single shift is from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. with time off for meals. She is on the same status as a man and can earn from 35 dollars to 40 dollars a week in tips. They have been a great success. The customers like them. And the men drivers like them. And we want as many as we can get." Women were used in the last war for driving cabs. But very few— about ten or twelve. The cars were heavy in those days, more like trucks and only Amazons were able to handle them. It is anticipated that after the next call for the draft, the bigger companies, who to date have held out against employing women drivers, will capitulate. 'The alternative is a huge percentage of idle taxi-cabs

Women applicants go through the same routine as the men. They are finger-printed, investigated, and must have a New York City hack license. Clothes worn on the job must be "conservative and appropriate for driving." Several of the women cabbies wear riding pants, or ski suits with heavy military jackets. The hat is usually a cap with or without a peak. On the way home in a Parmelee taxi, this reporter queried the male driver for his views on the imminent female invasion of his territory He admitted sadly that it was probably a necessity, and he hoped it would be all right for them—"especially at night. You get all sorts of customers at night, drunks for instance. It's all we can do sometimes to handle drunks, it'll be tough for a woman. The cabbie brightened somewhat when recalling the only woman cab driver he knows.

"Her name is Tessie. We call her Tessie the Tough Taxi Driver. She can swear like a man and heaven help the guy who tries to get fresh h Tessie!"—Auckland Star and N.A.N.A.