I was a kid when Driving Ms. Daisy came out and I’m not sure that I ever saw the whole movie or understood the important messages it was attempting to convey. But what I did understand is that it must be really sweet to have your own personal driver. That’s what rich people have. The super rich. But why should they get all the fun? Don’t the poor people have a right to that same treatment?
Well, now they can. And you can be the person to do it. This is your opportunity not only to make money, but to help out your fellow man.
Depending on where you live, you may or may not need a special license to be a taxi driver. Getting a license, if it is required, is time consuming. You also need to install special equipment in your car to keep track of the milage and fee. You may be forced to comply with absurd regulations, such as picking up people you just aren’t comfortable with or taking them into neighborhoods that you don’t feel comfortable going into. Your local government may run sting operations to catch you and punish you for making these decisions. As an independent and unlicensed taxi driver, these rules do not apply to you.
Still, it wouldn’t make much sense to be an unlicensed taxi driver and ignore the poorest people and parts of your community. They need your services too.
Many poor people don’t have a valid driver’s license or, if they do, cannot afford to own a car. Many of them rely on public transportation, which is often slow and unreliable. Some try to rely on licensed taxi drivers, but either find them too expensive or cannot get a taxi driver to pick them up. But you can help these people. You can get them to and from their jobs. You can take them to see their families. You can make a meaningful contribution to the betterment of their lives.
But isn’t being an unlicensed taxi driver illegal? Well, it depends where you are. The laws against being an unlicensed driver are intrinsically unjust and immoral. They infringe on the right to contract. They impose themselves on a private consensual relationships. They restrain trade unfairly. Yet, if being an unlicensed taxi driver is illegal in your jurisdiction, you do so at your peril. Your government will not share my perspective and will may punish you for breaking the law. For the record, my advice is to follow the law, no matter how stupid and wrong it is.
If you do decide to be an unlicensed taxi driver, first figure out what areas of your community are under served by public transportation and taxis. Talk to people from poor areas and ask them. Find out what local unlicensed taxis are called and how they are stopped. For example, in Baltimore they are called hacks and people extend one of their arms, point down their hand, and quickly move their fingers to signal they need a ride. The driver will stop and there will be a negotiation that involves the proper payment for a trip to the place desired. If there is an agreement, the person gets in the car and is given the ride. Payment is typically made before the passenger has arrived at his or her destination.
You need to figure out how much gas you are going to burn driving around all day picking up rides and factor that into your pricing. It may be a bit of a guessing game at first and you may even lose money, but quickly you should be able to figure out a way to turn a profit. It helps if you drive a car that gets good gas mileage.
Recently we have seen companies such as Uber and Lyft startup. You could sign up to be on of their drivers. Many report that they are making pretty good money and having fun while doing this. It may be more rewarding, financially, than trying to do this on your own. You could try working through one or both of these companies and compare that to how you faired as a completely independent driver. Go with whatever gets you the most money.
If you try to do this yourself, consider setting up an internet website to offer “limo” service to and from the airport. Work on Search Engine Optimization so that when people search on the internet for your local airport and limo service your page comes up on the front page.
Regardless of what exact services you offer, always be polite, but don’t be afraid to use your instincts. If you get a bad vibe from someone as you drive up, just drive away. People can’t complain about you to anyone. Depending on your local laws, defend yourself in appropriately. This may include carrying a firearm or other weapon. Taxi drivers have been known to be robbed. If the law does not allow you to defend yourself this way, then don’t do so. You don’t need a criminal firearm conviction. In many places this carries mandatory jail time. It will cost you more money in the end if you violate the law.
Be honest, smart, and have fun.
