32 Time May 18, 2020
ALMONTASIR AHMED
MOHAMED, 33
An engineering student at a
Brooklyn community college,
Mohamed (top right), who moved
to the U.S. from Sudan, says
most of his customers recently
have come from hospitals. “I’m
just praying five times every day
to keep this virus away, and for my
family,” he says.
MOHAMED ELEISSAWY, 63
The father of three (right) has
been a taxi driver for about
30 years. He’s gone from working
five days a week to three since
the lockdown started, often only
giving four or five rides a day. After
every stop, he wipes down the
seat belts, doors and credit-card
machine. “I love Manhattan, but I
feel bad for Manhattan,” he says.
KIM JAEMIN, 58
As business has plummeted, so
has the civility of the customers
who enter Kim’s cab. “We face
a lot of crazy, racist people,”
says the South Korean driver
(bottom right). “I don’t think the
city respects us like doctors and
nurses, the police, the subway
workers. They never talk about
the yellow-cab drivers risking their
lives. We move the city.”
CABDRIVERS
NEW YORK CITY
The global health crisis has
given new resonance to the word
essential, as the people who
make our daily lives possible are
suddenly hailed as heroes. But
many taxi drivers feel they have
not gotten this recognition. Now,
with residents largely staying
home, more drivers are filing for
unemployment benefits. The three
here have not yet received theirs.
COVID-19 | ECONOMY
