Taxi drivers hailed

Cabbies fêted for most atypical service; Muhammads steal show

Andrew S. Garib, METRO New York | Link | PDF | MIDTOWN. New York City taxicab, for-hire vehicle and paratransit drivers were honored yesterday at the city’s annual ceremony for hacks who go above and beyond the call of duty. But for these celebrated cabbies, it was all in a day’s work.

Yellow cab driver Douglas Guldeniz was recognized for driving a septuagenarian Queens couple 2,500 miles to Arizona. The fare? $3,000. “If my passengers, they want to dance, then I want to dance for them,” Guldeniz said.

Driver of The Year was Charles Kabbani, who saved a woman who went into a seizure in his back seat on the Roosevelt Expressway. “I just did what I thought a part of my day was,” Kabbani said.

The honorees reflected the city’s diversity. Out of the 60 drivers at the event, nine had the name Muhammad or some variant.

Ahmed Ibrahim was honored for his quirky mission of love: setting up his passengers. His free, impromptu computer-dating service got at least 19 couples together. “I love my job so much, I don’t want to take one day off,” he said.

Over a sumptuous lunch at the Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center, Taxi and Limousine Commissioner Matthew W. Daus said it was important to recognize drivers.

“It’s our turn to give them a free ride for a change,” he said. End.