Seeking Taxi Driver Opera Singer

Dear Astute Readers,
Once again, I'm calling on you to help me locate a cab driver. He's a cabbie opera singer, and a friend of mine was in his cab last November, told me about him, and gave me his number -- I think it had a Jersey area code?

Anyway, I clearly lost his number.

So if you know a cabbie opera singer, let me know ASAP (nyctaxistories@gmail.com).

And if you are a cabbie opera singer, send me a line! Trust me -- it'll be worth it. Especially if you met my friend Sarah while driving last November, and she complimented you on the music you were playing in the cab (opera), and you said that it was you singing it.

If you need me to further jog your memory, Sarah's a hot redhead. And she called me while in the cab with you.

Taxi Driver Remake with Scorsese and von Trier?

So you may have noticed that I've been AWOL for a few weeks -- thanks to an amazing vacation in Panama. And do I have a couple good Panamanian cab stories for you. That and water taxis, which are almost cooler than cabs because, well, they're boats. And you're on the Caribbean. And it's hot, humid and sunny. Need I say more?

But in the meantime, feast on this tasty nugget:

A rumored remake (Variety reported the scoop) of Scorsese's Taxi Driver as challenged by Danish-director-of dogma-fame Lars von Trier? Oh, von Trier, can't you leave amazingness alone? Because I hear they did a good job on that flick the first time around.

Taxi driver opera singer

My friend was in a cab and totally dug the opera music the driver was listening to. She asked him what he was listening to and, wouldn't you know, he was listening to himself. The guy's an opera singer, driving a cab to help fund his dream.

She got his 411, so I'm going to give him a call and see if I can score an MP3 to share with you guys. Because you need to know.

Jude Law and my book

Today, Jude Law got his hands on Taxi Confidential.

Here's the story: My good friend, Lee Bob, saw Jude Law walk into a shop. So he followed him in and gave him a copy of my book. Short and sweet.

And now, let's collectively give thanks for our friends.

Taxi Driver (the movie): then and now

So unless you were born in a cave, you've heard of the movie Taxi Driver. And seriously people, if you haven't seen it, stop reading this and rent it already! With Robert DeNiro playing a crazed taxi driver, a pimped out Harvey Keitel, and Jodie Foster as a teenage hooker -- not to mention the seedy New York of the 70s -- what more could you want? Oh, a handful of Oscars? Got that, too.

But I digress. There is a fab new website called Scouting NY, where a film location scout blogs about what he finds and what he sees.

And he's taken stills from Taxi Driver, the movie, and compared them to the exact same sites today. Cabs aplenty in these photos, people! Not only can you compare the old-school Checker cab to today's Crown Vics, but you can really see how New York's grit has been rubbed off for a squeaky clean. Click here to check it out.

Angenlina Jolie Rejected (!) by Sexy Brooklyn Limo Driver

Gossip: Can it possibly be true? This story does come from my trusted source, former Northside driver…

A few years back, a not-yet-famous-but-still-smoking-hot Angelina Jolie allegedly regularly took Williamsburg’s limo service, Northside. Every time she called them, she requested car #91, driven by a sexy Hungarian with the traditional Hungarian name of … Billy.

If Billy already had a customer, Angie waited till he was free.

Everyone at Northside joked about Billy’s ‘special’ customer. (Was she really Angelina? Kinda hard to confirm, that). But she was crazy sexy, and she clearly had a thing for the Hungarian stallion.

When Angelina climbed into Billy’s backseat, she would start talking to him, engaging him in conversation. A few times, she asked him out to dinner. Shockingly, Billy declined. Every time. He was in a relationship, and despite having a solid track record of cheating, he wanted to be mature and stick by his lady.

Note: This may be the only time in history Angelina Jolie didn’t get the guy. (Sorry Jen).

The other Northside drivers told him he was crazy for ditching the sexy lady. But Billy stuck to his guns, and over time, Angie stopped calling Northside.

Then Tomb Raider came out in 2001.

And all the Northside drivers – including Billy – recognized her. They were in shock. Billy’s sense of maturity flew out the window and his sense of regret settled in like an albatross. “He sooo couldn’t believe he didn’t go out with her. He felt like shooting himself in the head,” Aura told me, adding that this story can be confirmed with Northside’s older drivers, as well as poor Billy, who today drives car #191.

You knew what I want? A picture of Billy. So if any of you happen to hitch a ride with car #191 and have a camera on hand, you know what to do. (This pic of Angelina was taken in 2000).

Thanks for the party - and a sexy story

Thanks to everyone who came to the launch party for Taxi Confidential last night and afterwards bought me those drinks that make me feel so braindead today. You're the best.

A quick synopsis of the event: real live cabbies and hilarity.

I also heard my new favorite cab driver story. I'll tell it in code: It involves a Jewish taxi driver, a Hasidic passenger, a question about being kosher, and a reply that includes the term "goyische" with a reference to a specific sex act.

Puzzles are a gift. They save you from boredom. I'll let your massive brains connect the dots.

Finally! The Book Launch Bash

What's the point of writing a book without having a book launch party?

And what's the point of writing a taxi book without having a book launch party complete with taxi drivers to tell their tales? Expect cabbies, a limo driver, and just enough wine to keep it sweet.

Check it out!

Location:
WORD, Greenpoint's Independent Bookstore
126 Franklin St. (corner at Milton)
Brooklyn, NY 11222
718-383-0096

7:30 to 9. Be there or be square.

Kanye, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and ... Cabs

You know what excited me about last night’s MTV Video Music Awards? Sure, the bit about Kanye West storming the stage and tearing the mic from Taylor Swift’s hand in the middle of her acceptance speech – he apparently needed to tell everyone that Beyoncé should have won the Best Female Video award – was a total dick move.

And Beyoncé inviting Taylor back on stage to finish her her acceptance speech pulls a bit at those heart-strings.

But the best bit was Taylor Swift performing on top of a New York City Taxicab.

Oh, you missed that?

Yeah, me too. Because I don’t watch the VMAs. But this morning, I was eager to watch some of the VMA action on Youtube. But it never happened, because MTV doesn’t allow its video on Youtube. (That info came from a friend who worked there). And MTV hardly has any VMA video on their own website.

Um, MTV? I hate to tell you this, but while your legions of lawyers are helping you control your content, you’re loosing out. How many people are googling Taylor Swift and Kanye right now? And don’t you want a piece of that action? Please. If you don’t use Youtube, at least upload it to your own site! Geesh. Get with the program.

But you can see photos like the one above of Taylor practicing her moves on a cab at Justjaredjr.buzznet.com.

Spiderman and cabs

So I was re-watching Spiderman 2 (guilty pleasure), and if you took a drink of beer every time you spotted a yellow cab in this flick, you'd be wasted within 30 minutes. Or I would be, but I'm a lightweight.

Basically, you see a yellow cab every 2 minutes. It's like the director said, "hey, this movie is set in New York! I want yellow cabs everywhere! On the streets! In the background! Give me more yellow!"

When the bad guy with the octopus arms robs a bank? Right outside sits two cabs, one of which gets mangled by a flying superhero.

Octopus arms kidnaps Aunt May and hulls her up the face of a skyscraper? The scene below is a street crawling with yellow cabs.

I could go on, but I won't. And as I couldn't find a pic of Spidey with a yellow cab, you'll have to deal with the videogame shot above. But for those of you thirsting for the real webbed wonder, I also included a photo of Spidey and a subway. Which is like a yellow cab. But longer and silver. And it only costs $2.50/ride. And it's crowded. But hey, both subways and cabs can smell bad. So there.

Story: um, where's the fire hydrant?

I met Melissa at a blog launch party, where she mesmerized me with her story of the flaming limo.

She was on her way to JFK when she looked out the window and noticed fire shooting out of the back of the car, like how flames erupt from the Batmobile. Only this wasn’t the Batmobile.

The driver pulled over, and frantically tried to put out the fire, which started under the car. Melissa tried to convince him to rescue her luggage from the truck, but, for some bizarre reason, he seemed more concerned with flames near the gas tank. Two Jamaican gypsy cab drivers pulled over to help, and Melissa stood there, feeling like the stereotypical helpless chic at the side of the highway. They finally put out the fire, and one of the gypsy cab drivers took Melissa to the airport.

She made her flight, but all her luggage smelled like smoke.