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Working in NYC: Community van driver Radcliff Smith works hard to earn Queens community street cred

Harry

By Harry,
in Other Transit Systems

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Harry

Harry

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Radcliff Smith is not happy that a reporter is taking up one of the 14 seats on his community van.

 

That's $2 that will not be collected on the 20-minute drive from Jamaica Center, Queens, just over the city line to Green Acres Mall.

 

And who could blame him? After all, in the community van industry, profit margins are razor thin and every dollar counts.

 

"I work 14 hours a day and after I pay for gas, I typically bring home close to $200 a day," says the community van driver, who emigrated from Jamaica to New York in 1997. "Out of that money I have to pay for insurance, taxes and have the van cleaned."

 

Read more: New York News, Local Video, Traffic, Weather, NY City Schools and Photos - Homepage - NY Daily News

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Locomotion69

Locomotion69

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The guy would make way more money if he was hauling stuff instead

of people. He can easily make $200.00 within 3 hours. 14 hr work day for

no more then $200.00 is sad, really sad. Get an extended cargo van and

post your moving service on Craigslist dude. You have been here for 14 yrs

already, you can do better then that....

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lilbluefoxie

lilbluefoxie

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Posted
The guy would make way more money if he was hauling stuff instead

of people. He can easily make $200.00 within 3 hours. 14 hr work day for

no more then $200.00 is sad, really sad. Get an extended cargo van and

post your moving service on Craigslist dude. You have been here for 14 yrs

already, you can do better then that....

 

hes making about $14.30 an hour, not too bad for a working class job. You would be hard pressed to find an entry level job that makes that much at a retail store or a fast food joint.

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B35 via Church

B35 via Church

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The dollar van/cab drivers that bitch about 2.00 (losing out on a "fare"), those are the ones I don't get in.... the ones that run along church, I know who they are & the cars they ride in....

 

"Out of that money I have to pay for insurance, taxes and have the van cleaned."

Naaaah....

 

He aint tellin the whole truth... He's been in the "industry" for 14 years, and he's paying for all that... not buyin it.... He has help; if that were the case, he wouldn't have lasted for 14 years.... who he tryna fool....

 

don't buy into that *it's just me out there all by myself, and I'm making but so much profit*..... notice every last one of these drivers that get interviewed be on that tip.....

 

back to that quote.... that's stuff that the new guys comin in have to pony up for themselves (unless they already know some of the "vets" willin to hook em up w/ a couple bucks)... majority of these drivers (vets or newbs.. lol) got they hustles on the side anyway....

 

Very few dollar van drivers are driving lone wolf out there... especially the Queens guys...

 

Now on to some quotes.....

 

 

hes making about $14.30 an hour, not too bad for a working class job. You would be hard pressed to find an entry level job that makes that much at a retail store or a fast food joint.

yep, all tax free money too!

 

that's why cops give them a hard time...

 

You have been here for 14 yrs already, you can do better then that....

While true, the question is are they here legally or illegally..... No one ever talks about the west indian folks that aren't here legally; it's always the hispanic ones that gets mentioned....

 

they'd get a little more "cred" if they drove like normal people and not like they're in the daytona 500.

If they drove like "normal people", they wouldn't have near as much "business" as they get now....

I have no problem admitting it, but a lot of the dollar cab/van riders won't tell you that's part of the reason why they take the things.... It's a hustle, and that's why the drivers act (drive) as such....

 

If they drove normally, more ppl. would just take the bus.... I truly do believe that.

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JAzumah

JAzumah

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If they drove like "normal people", they wouldn't have near as much "business" as they get now....

I have no problem admitting it, but a lot of the dollar cab/van riders won't tell you that's part of the reason why they take the things.... It's a hustle, and that's why the drivers act (drive) as such....

 

If they drove normally, more ppl. would just take the bus.... I truly do believe that.

 

100% correct.

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