NYC taxi driver sounds off on ‘unfair’ congestion pricing

Looking for a fare shake

I asked a longtime driver about the life of an NYC cabbie.

Gene Telarico: “When rates went up, tips dropped down. Passengers say, ‘Why these extra charges?’ Listen, everyone’s trying to make a buck. You got to know that all New York has some sort of side hustle.

“And Ubers take 30% of business. We’re better drivers. Better vetted. Yellow cabbies, born with intuition, don’t need GPS navigation tools. We weave and bob to get around.”

Although your eyes look forward, what do you know from the back seat?

“At 10:30, coming from a restaurant, they’re looser. One recent guy was in a sour mood. The lady tried sweetening him up. He wasn’t having it. What came from him was a big, ‘Shut up!’ and then it got quiet.

“Another thing. Congestion pricing is just a big money grab. Unfair. There’ll be more parked cars and traffic above 60th Street. And these extras go to the MTA and different places — not us. We don’t see a penny of it. Means less for the driver.”

Besides sticking your finger out at us in the rain, what’s the biggest pain?

“Bad weather and other cabbies. Driving at night, windshield wipers, going six hours from 6 p.m. to midnight, lights coming at you, it’s lots of eyestrain. A job of weaving and bobbing while still trying not to curse out too many drivers under your breath.”

Screen send-off

Colleges in the toilet? How about Manhattan’s dead movie theaters? It’s bye-bye to Lincoln Plaza, RKO Roxy, Paramount, Sunshine Cinema, Landmark, Astor, Ziegfeld, Regency, Sutton, Tribeca Cinemas, Thalia.

And gone is Loew’s 72nd on the Upper East Side, where I’d then hit Due’s for Italian food and is happily still there.

Today’s version of civilization is breaking up that ol’ gang of mine.

Seeing stars all around town

I’m wall-to-wall NYC today. Our God-bless-us NY Yankees made Hudson Clearwater Restaurant in the Village look like home plate.

Catcher Austin Wells, shortstop Anthony Volpe, pitcher Gerrit Cole, third baseman DJ LeMahieu arrived as a whole team. Drinks. No food.

Next, DJ’s little daughter hit a home run. Mom clutching the leash, they ran in with two dogs called whatever’s a “pomsky.”

The guys petted the pomskies, drank drinks, then slid to whichever that night each called “home.”

Our town’s busy. Reese Witherspoon did drinks at the Whitby Hotel then into a giant black SUV . . . Bill Murray. Wearing a Cubs hat, rode the 7 train home from the Mets game.

And NYC Dept. of Ed Chancellor Banks is phoning pals. Scratching for help. Planning his testimony to Congress. Worrying this could be his undoing. Underlings already are around talking.

Rock the vote

On Curtis Sliwa’s 2:30 a.m. WMCA radio show he admonished me for my NY Post column not demanding the community board name a Chelsea street corner after the band Kiss as done with other VIPs.

Like what’s he want from me? I’m lucky I’m not a dead end! 

Can’t authenticate this, but word is Mrs. Biden (of 1930 clothes and high school’s cheapo long yellow hair) says Joe’s great in the bedroom — as a throw rug.

Only in Washington — and New York, kids — only in Washington and New York.