By Euclid 419er

In The Usual Suspects, there is an excellent scene where Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Pollack, Benicio del Toro and Stephen “When Did He Go Crazy?” Baldwin take down a ring of corrupt cops known as New York’s Finest Taxi Service.

In his understated narration of the fantastic scene, Kevin Spacey’s character, Verbal Kint describes the service:

“New York’s Finest Taxi Service was not your normal taxi service. It was a ring of corrupt cops in the NYPD that ran a high-profit racket driving smugglers and drug dealers all over the city.  For a few hundred dollars a mile you got your own blue and white and a police escort.  They even had their own business cards”.

Yesterday, however, the Daily Orange ran an interesting feature on Don Thatvihane, a Laotian immigrant who makes his living as a taxi cab driver in Syracuse, while imparting his wisdom onto the Syracuse athletes he exclusively shepherds around. 

So which is it?  Which is truly New York’s Finest Taxi Service?  Let’s compare and contrast.

Fare

Corrupt Cops:  A few hundred dollars a mile.

Thatvihane:  Fifty cents per quarter mile unless it’s a snow emergency, which means an extra $2.00 surcharge.

Advantage:  Thatvihane

Car

Corrupt Cops:  An old-school blue and white. 

Thatvihane: A maroon Impala.

Advantage:  Corrupt Cops – it’s got a siren!

Clients

Corrupt Cops:  Drug dealers and smugglers

Thatvihane:  Mike Williams and Paul Harris

Advantage: Push

Transit Routes

Corrupt Cops: The Verrazano, Lincoln Tunnel, Queensboro

Thatvihane:  Comstock Ave

Advantage:  Corrupt Cops

Taxi Chatter

Corrupt Cops:  “Give him the money!  Give him the money!”

Thatvihane: “Mike Williams, I know him personally. He’s good! He plays well. But his mental was not there. That is why he could not make it with us.”

Advantage:  Thatvihane 

Operation Prognostication

Corrupt Cops: “Strausz and Rizzi were indicted three days later. Within a few weeks, fifty more cops went down with them. Everybody got it right in the ass.  From the chief on down. It was beautiful.” 

Thatvihane: “Sometimes, the athletes go weeks without calling Don. And sometimes they call four or five times a day. Joseph’s roommate, Wes Johnson, has a truck, so Joseph doesn’t need a taxi as much.  Don will drive them around regardless of when they call. He has to make a living.”  

Advantage:  Thatvihane

So there you have it.  By a narrow margin, the ‘Cuse cabbie is truly New York’s Finest Taxi Service.  But the victory will not likely go to Thatvihane’s head.  From the article, he seems like a decent, honorable and humble guy:

Don enjoys conversing with the athletes. He enjoys all of his customers, but (Kris) Joseph and company, they don’t receive special treatment. The fare is the fare, no matter who you are. 

“Everybody has to be treated fairly,” Don said. “Sure, other people wouldn’t know if I gave them special treatment.”

He looks up at the ceiling of his car and points his finger to the sky. “But God, he knows what I am inside. That’s the way I live my life.”  

Well, Don, I believe in God, and the only thing that scares me is Keyser Soze.