| So, for
a start, you know Big Apple cabbies are superstitious.
The surprise comes when affable Roy and his Wheels of
Fire screech to a halt in front of your dangling thumb:
in this cab, you'll get more than superstition for your
valuable Yankee dollar.
You see, Roy is lifebyte's very own encyclopaedic,
charming and hassle-free guide to cheap eats
within New York's 322 square miles. Get Roy in the driver's
seat and you need never answer that most New York of
questions, 'You
gotta problem widdat, pal?' when time comes to settle
the fare.
Roy's been rolling his cab tyres over Manhattan asphalt
for 22 years and, in between thousands of fares, has
developed his top-notch list of New York eateries you
won't find in your average travel guide.
Topping Roy's list is Carmine's (200 W 44th St), an
Italian joint that's always jovial, jumping and joyfully
affordable. Garlic-drenched meals get served on huge
platters and shared, with the tiny bill shared at the
end as well.
If lasagne ain't your thing, have a natter with Roy
about pizza and his cab will roll to a stop in front
of Ray's Pizza (6th Avenue & 11th St), where Roy assures
us you'll find NYC's tastiest pie.
Or, if you fancy dining in fine style like a cabbie, the Market Diner (11th Avenue
& 43rd St) is the top place for
top taxi-driver nosh. Why the Market Diner among New York's thousands
of eateries? 'Because', explains Roy, 'you get New York's
most important thing with your cawfee'. That's
right, all for just a $1 tip comes Manhattan's most
valued commodity: parking.
With parking taken care of, Roy gets together with his cabbie brethren every day – just like de
Niro's deranged Travis Bickle in Taxi
Driver.
Roy and his pals (this bunch is totally sane, unlike
Bickle's) meet daily at the trés civilised hour of 10am
to discuss the life on the mean
streets they're about to hit once again.
But speaking to Roy you wouldn't know these ever were mean
streets: 'On Manhattan streets, y'know, it ain't hard. You just gotta be like me
– you
gotta be in control. Then you don't have a problem.'
— Clay Lucas 14.11.00
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