Taxi Drivers Reveal Nyc's Best Food and More in Tiktok Series

Taxi Drivers Reveal Nyc's Best Food and More in Tiktok Series

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On any given day, Kareem Rahma might find himself hopping into the back of a yellow cab in the afternoon and dancing on top of it with the driver by nightfall.

In his new TikTok series, “Keep the Meter Running,” anything goes. 

Anything that the cabbie wants to do, that is. 

“If they want to go to a mosque, we go to a mosque,” Rahma, 36, a stand-up comedian living in Bedford-Stuyvesant, told The Post. “If they want to play soccer, we go to Pier 40 and play soccer.”

For each installment of the series, which has amassed nearly 4 million views over seven clips posted since the Oct. 24 debut, Rahma hails a taxi and strikes up a conversation with a willing cabbie, asking questions about their life and interests beyond the wheel.

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He then tells the driver to “keep the meter running” as they proceed to spend hours exploring off-the-beaten-path spots in NYC, frequently heading to some of the cabbie’s favorite haunts.

Rahma covers the costs of their food and expeditions. And, at the end of each ride — some of which have lasted 10 hours with meters ticking to more than $600 — he pays the fare and includes a tip of at least 15%. The project is funded by New York-based media company Mad Realities. 

“These cab drivers have so much wisdom regardless of their age,” said Rahma, who’s been schooled on everything from sacred Islamic prayers to mid-20th-century Tibetan history since launching his cab driver-focused production. “There is so much faith in their daily lives.”

For his first foray in early October, Rahma, along with filmmaker pals Adam Faze and Ari Cagan, hopped a train from Brooklyn to downtown Manhattan and started hailing cabs.

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After receiving an emphatic “No” from more than a half-dozen drivers who didn’t want to be filmed, the trio met Pakistani geologist-turned-Big Apple taxi driver Abdur. He agreed to give them a glimpse into his world in Queens. 

Footage of their hours-long excursion through Jackson Heights — spent unearthing crystals found in rocks lining suburban streets, dining on authentic Pakistani food and exchanging nuggets of wisdom such as Abdur’s advice to Rahma, who is divorced, about having “one wife for life” — garnered 3.4 million TikTok views.

But Rahma insists he isn’t motivated by the prospect of racking up digital clicks and followers.

“I love hanging out with these cab drivers, and learning so much about the city and life from them,” he said. His late father became a cabbie in Minneapolis after relocating to the U.S. from Egypt in the 1970s. Connecting with New York City’s cab drivers, many of whom are from the Middle East, lends the comedian a sense of home. 

“These people are very under-appreciated and some have had f- -king hard lives,” Rahma continued. “So I’m like, ‘Yo, take a break with me, let’s grab something to eat, do something fun, but keep the meter running.’”

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Here are some of the coolest places cabbies have taken Rahma so far.

Getting his goat

During his inaugural ride, Abdur took Rahma for lunch at Pakistani eatery Dera Restaurant & Sweet on Broadway in Jackson Heights. There, the professional funny man was introduced to what he now considers one of his favorite bites, karahi gosht, a dish made of tender goat that’s been slow-cooked in a blend of vegetables, spices and yogurt. “Dera is this big cafeteria restaurant where other cab drivers and their families eat,” said Rahma. “I asked Abdur why he likes this place and he said because it reminds him of home.”

Robert Thorne
Penulis

Robert Thorne

Robert Thorne covers electric vehicle innovations, autonomous driving systems, global mobility trends, and automotive engineering developments.