While many taxi drivers wait for the inevitable “have you been busy tonight?”, one young Dubliner faces questions of a very different kind – like is she old enough to drive!
We all like to be told we look younger than our age, but passengers in Dublin often get a surprise when 21-year-old Abi Mar arrives to pick them up.
Breaking the mould
And when they find out that not only is she old enough to drive, but she has two years of experience under her belt, her growing social media following and appearance on a TV dating show mean there is still plenty to talk.
There are stereotypes in any profession and most passengers expect a middle-aged man to be at the wheel of a cab.
Like many cabbies, Abi has followed in her father’s footsteps, often working the same shift as her dad, Mihai.
She told the Irish Mirror: “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 lines. Some of them don’t believe my age. Some people think I’m younger than I am.”
Following
Abi also shares videos on TikTok, talking about her work as a taxi driver, from which she has gained 12,000 followers.
Like fellow cabbies, Abi had to pass taxi exams, including the knowledge of Dublin. But because of her age, only one taxi insurance company offered to cover her. She eventually had to pay €9,000 to cover her first year. She said: “It’s a hard start, but the price will go down. It does get easier.”
Abi said she felt as though driving a taxi in Dublin was much safer than delivering takeaway food from a local chip shop, which she had done previously.
She said that by taking bookings through apps such as Uber and Bolt, customer details are easily traceable, whereas there was uncertainty and anxiety about who was answering the door to a takeaway driver.
New direction
Abi said: “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 chippy 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.”
As well as her social media following, Abi has been recognised by customers after her appearance on RTE’s First Dates, although this means her personal life often becomes a topic of conversation with multiple customers.
Abi revealed that some men have asked her for her phone number, or even invited her to join them in the pub, although she brushes off such advances.
She said: “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.”
Despite this, Abi is happy doing a job she enjoys. She said: “Enjoying the job you do is the most important part. I’m probably at my happiest now because I followed my heart.”
