A 21-year-old female cabby revealed people are fare-ly “surprised” when they see her behind the wheel - with many thinking she’s much younger than she actually is.
Abi Mar, who is from Blanchardstown in Dublin, told how she gets a barrage of questions from puzzled passengers who expect a middle-aged man when she pulls up. The young woman said she followed in her dad Mihai’s footsteps and became a taxi driver 18 months ago - at just 19-years-old.
Speaking to The Irish Mirror, Abi said: “People would be surprised, they’d always say something when they get into the car - they’d say ‘oh it’s very rare to have a female driver’ or ‘how old are you if you don’t mind me asking?’ They always ask questions along those sorts of lines. Some of them don’t believe my age. Some people think I’m younger than I am. I’d love to know if there is anybody similar to my age because I haven’t come across any other young females.”
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Abi also revealed driving a taxi around the capital is “way safer” than when she used to deliver takeaways for a local chipper. She explained nowadays most of her work comes through apps such as Free Now, Bolt, and Uber and told how customer details are traceable - whereas with food orders anybody could answer the door.
Abi added: “I didn’t have any bad experiences as a delivery driver but it never felt very safe. I’d be dealing with cash most of the time. I’d be knocking on people’s doors at 12 or 1 o’clock in the morning. You don’t know who’s going to open that door. You don’t know if they’re going to pay you. I’d say you’re more vulnerable delivering food than you would be driving taxis.
“Everything is your choice driving a taxi but working in the chipper you didn’t have a choice. If there was an area you didn’t want to drop off to that’s tough - you have to do it. I definitely feel more secure as a taxi driver especially because you have their names, you're paid already. If you were to compare the two - driving a taxi is way safer than delivering food.”
It comes as the 21-year-old said a handful of passengers have recognised her from appearing on RTE’s First Dates. But this isn't the only time her love life has come up while ferrying people from A to B. Abi also admitted some men have asked for her phone number after finishing a fare while others wanted her to join them in the pub but she told how she just laughs off any advances.
She added: “I’ve had more women who’ve come across a bit rude towards me than I’ve had men saying anything to me but you just get on with it, drop them off, get your money, and move on to the next customer." She said she applies “common sense” when picking fares up off the street - typically only accepting couples and families.
It comes as Abi has attained more than 11,000 followers on TikTok after she started posting videos about working as a taxi driver. The young woman said she works 6 pm until midnight during the week and during the day on the weekend. She also avoids working into the early hours when things get messier.
She added: “My dad from the start said I’ll build confidence picking up from the street because it’s down to common sense. You won’t pick somebody up if they have a beer in their hand or you won’t pick up a group of young fellas. You’d be looking for couples or a family. I tend not to pick people up off the street at night time because you can’t really see who you’re picking up.”
Abi said to become a taxi driver she had to sit an exam that tested her knowledge of Dublin and revealed only one company would insure her initially. She ultimately had to fork out €9,000 for her policy to cover her first year as a professional driver but said it’s worth it now.
Abi, who rents her taxi plate from dad, said: “The majority of my friends think I’m mad. You get out what you put in. If you put your head down and keep on picking up jobs - the money adds up fairly quickly. Although you need to consider your expenses, you get an idea of how much you need to earn in a week. It’s a hard start but the price will go down. It does get easier.”
Abi, who dropped out of school at 15 to work on a stud farm with horses, said people don’t always need to go down the traditional route and go to college before getting a 9-5.
She said: “My advice would be to follow your gut and don’t let other people make the decision for you. My family have always been very open and said ‘Abi, it’s your life, you do what you want and follow your gut and follow your heart.’ There’s no right or wrong job in life. Enjoying the job you do is the most important part. I’m probably at my happiest now because I followed my heart.”
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