To meet taxi drivers, Lakshmi would take taxis often and ask the drivers if she could photograph them. Sometimes, they said yes, but most often they would say no.
The airports turned out to be a great place to meet taxi drivers, because so many have to stand around and wait in a queue for passengers. Here, a man prays during a break.
Lakshmi met Haitian cabdriver Pierre Beauzile through a different cab driver. He was an interesting character.
Prior to driving a cab, Beauzile attended New York University and worked as both a social worker and a real estate agent. After his mother passed away, he started driving because he found it therapeutic.
Lakshmi met other cab drivers at the garages where they pick up and drop off their cars and take many of their breaks. This is the garage at Stan 55, a taxi company in Queens.
Here's another look inside the garage. Queens is a popular place for taxi garages because of the cheaper rent and proximity to the city's airports.
Taxi shifts are long. Drivers work a 12-hour shift from 4:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m..
At the beginning of the day at Stan 55, mechanic Sani Barra writes out drivers' schedules for the day.
Many taxi drivers start the day by meeting at the same restaurant for breakfast. Lahori Kebab in Curry Hill is a popular spot for these drivers (pictured on the right).
Back in the garage, cab drivers will often hang out before a shift to chat with other drivers and play board games.
The taxi drivers that Lakshmi met were part of a diverse group.According to the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission , only 5.9% of New York cab drivers are American born.
Source: NYC.Gov
Many of the cab drivers that Lakshmi met had other careers in their home countries before arriving to the United States. She met former bankers, doctors, and a journalist.
Jacqueline Mingo used to work as a corrections officer before she started driving. She works the night shift. Only 1.1% of drivers are female.
Source: NYC.Gov
