My Afghan cab driver tonight

[serryjw]

Life is so much more informative than news. I just came home from Downtown Denver and was driven home by an Afghan cab driver. He is thinking of going back to Afghanistan where his life would be easier..So much for freedom! He drives 15 hours a day 7 days week. The first $500 goes to the cab company even thou he owns his own cab. It is for the privilege of being on radio call. If he does NOT make $500; the shortfall is rolled to the next week at 15% interest. IF he is not even in 2 weeks he gets fired! Mean while he has made zero for himself! He said the stress of not getting ticket for some reason, the traffic he has to be in is not worth it.
he said he can work in a shop in Afghanistan 2 hours a day and have enough money to live for 2 days. Will he be safe? Yes, IF American would stop dropping bombs! The Taliban was the best form or Government for him. They always had food.

We all have the goodies of living in America but what does it cost us in quality of life. He said he never sees his family...Do we?

[Lucky Luciano]

1. It is usually tough for immigrants...

because he may not have the appropriate education or language skills to succeed outside of driving a cab....However, his children will get a better education here and they will be able to enjoy a middle class lifestyle...though they will have to work more than two hours a day. *












* - that middle class lifestyle presupposes a reversal of RedState-itis collapsing our country.

[anarchy1999]

4. "they will be able to enjoy a middle class lifestyle..." You've got to be

kidding!

"though they will have to work more than two hours a day. *

What planet are you on? LuckyL, I'm just amazed, this is satire, right?

[Lucky Luciano]

5. I am referring

to when they grow up. Lots of immigrant families in NYC have the father driving a cab and the children off at college. The children will eventually make a middle class living.

[anarchy1999]

18. Well yes, Lucky, that used to be the case, not so much anymore.

or have you just not been keeping up with the times as they are changing, and alarmingly fast. Guess you might have missed it.

[Lucky Luciano]

19. Hey...I did put the disclaimer at the bottom of my original note

perhaps you did not notice?

Get over thy holy self.

[ultraist]

2. Increasing gas prices are also really taking a toll on cab drivers

[serryjw]

6. He can make more than zero.........

He will be in better shape in Afghanistan

[MuseRider]

3. I am pretty certain

his wife might disagree but I get your point.

[pocket]

7. "The Taliban was the best form or Government for him."

So why did he leave Afghanistan?

If he supports those women-abusing scumbags then he should leave the US before he starts voting republican.

[delete_bush]

8. Your post makes no sense...

"he said he can work in a shop in Afghanistan 2 hours a day and have enough money to live for 2 days".

Are you saying that by working only 2 hours, he can live for 2 days, or that if he works for 2 hours/day for, let's say a year, that he can live for 2 days? You need to clarify the time period.

[serryjw]

10. Works for 2 hours a day and can live on it

for 2 days
Unfortunately, everyone seems to be missing the point of the post.He came to American because like many he thought is was the land of opportunity. He certainly had a better chance 15 years ago. All out families are immigrants. The land of opportunity has turned into a night mear for most whether you were born here or not. If you doubt this you have not read the posts of our fellow DUers.

[delete_bush]

13. Do you really think there is more opportunity in

Afghanistan than here? Unfortunately he choose a vocation where the state has decided that it's in the public interest to regulate and limit the number of medallions available. I'm not sure of the current price in Denver, but I know that at one time they were going for $200,000 or more in NYC.

This makes it tough on anyone trying to break into the business without the financial ability to purchase a medallion. It forces you to work for someone else, and not all are ethical. I'm not sure I know of a better method, maybe an annual license system could work. My point is that he might have "fared" better in a different profession.

[serryjw]

15. Denver has no medallions

If you had read my post it said he OWNS his own cab

[Straight Shooter]

9. Well, he lost me at the Taliban.

F*ck those people, not least of which for destroying the Buddha.



"The main Buddha in the Bamiyan valley, 240 kilometers northwest of the Afghan capital Kabul, before total destruction by the Taliban. The 53 meter Buddha was the largest statue in the world. With its strategic location at the intersection of roads to Persia, India, Tarim basin, and China, it developed an art style with a fusion of Iranian, Indian, Gandharan and local style into an independent mode of its own. This style of Buddhist art traveled eastward and was quickly adopted at Kizil, Xinjiang and ultimately Dunhuang. Buddhism reached the height of its power in the 8th and 9th centuries in Afghanistan before it fell to the Arabs."

http://www.fantompowa.net/Flame/heathcote_bush.htm

[serryjw]

11. As a fellow Buddhists this breaks my heart but

not the point of the post.

[Straight Shooter]

12. Not the point of the post, true.

But when I hear "Taliban" I lose empathy for the guy.

Peace.

[entanglement]

20. You're talking about a guy that's come over from

Afghanistan, it isn't realistic to expect him to be liberal. Cab drivers in NYC have it bad (an Afghan cab driver was murdered in a hate-crime just after 9/11) with racism, muggings, police harassment and the like. You'll feel more empathy when you consider that unlike you and me, this guy probably never heard a single liberal view in his life.

[enki23]

14. kinda hard when a guy's pining for the taliban

even if it's for economic reasons. he was, after all, male.

[spindoctor]

17. Say what you will about the Taliban

Their merrit among the Afghan population was based on the fact that they made the area safe. Something that the Brittish and the Russians couldn't do before them (no thanks to our involvement), and the US has been unable to do since them.

There will always be people willing to sacrifice freedom for safety (*cough* Patriot Act *cough*). It may not be ideal, but neither is working 80 hours a week and not having anything to show for it.

[serryjw]

22. FINALLY someone understood the point of the post

Thanks for really reading it. Yes, you are correct. He said exactly what you said..The Taliban kept them safe and nobody else can. It's easy to be holier than thou.Try living with bomb dropping every day from those supposedly trying to help.
I contend he is correct. American (unless you are ultra wealthy) have no quality of life. We are the most addicted society on earth..drugs,alcohol,food and sex..and most are workaholics just to keep the wolves away. No prior generation has had this much problem with kids raising them selves due to no parental supervision.

There are millions that work/commute 80 hours a day when they did all that was expected of them with college and a 'good job'. To say he is in this predicament because he is an uneducated immigrant is Bushit'

[mailotto]

16. If he puts up with it

It seems that if he is indeed willing to put up with these circumstances, the companies can continue their abuse of the workers
If enough people got fed up, things might change

[Maine-ah]

21. time to open his own cab company.