On an average day, Ben Bailey drives a yellow cab around New York City, asking passengers trivia questions and doling out dough for his show, “Cash Cab,” on Discovery Channel.
But Thusday he steps out of the cab to be a featured speaker at the Taxi and Limousine Commission Driver Recognition Ceremony, at Top of the Rock (at Rockefeller Plaza), an event held to salute the best city drivers.
Ben Bailey
AGE: 38
JOB: Cab driver, host of Discovery’s “Cash Cab” (Mondays at 6 p.m.)
HOURS/WEEK: Over 40
TIME ON THE JOB: Three years
You went from limo driver to being host of “Cash Cab,” a trivia game show that takes place in an NYC cab.
How did you get discovered?
They did a nationwide casting call for the host. I was brought in because [the producers] had spoken to comedy clubs in New York, and they said, “Ben Bailey used to drive limos, and he’s a funny fellow.” So I went in, and I auditioned four or five times, the last of which was in a minivan, which I drove off the curb in the very beginning of the interview. I was like, “Can we start again?”
You had to take an official taxi cab test to drive a cash cab. Was it hard?
I thought maybe I could just take the test and pass it because I knew the city pretty well, but I was wrong. One of the questions was: “If you’re at 161st at Broadway, what bridge do you take to get to Yankee Stadium?” There were four possible choices, and I had never heard of any of them.
Did you pass the test?
I had to get a 70. I got a 92.
What rules wouldn’t the average rider know about?
There’s a law that if I make eye contact with a customer, and it’s understood between us that I’m going to pick them up, I can’t pick anyone else up.
Who was your craziest contestant?
I picked up a huge guy, as tall as me, about 6-feet-6, and he probably weighed 350 pounds. He was wearing a purple velour rabbit suit and 5-inch plastic heels. And he kept calling me “babe.” He got out and didn’t play. He realized what was going on and I guess he didn’t want to be on TV in his rabbit suit.
Have the lights and music that go on when riders get in the cab ever scared anyone?
One time this woman just started bawling. She looked at me, and I said, “You’re in the Cash Cab!” and she just started crying. She had just had a really rough day. She was from out of town and trying to get to a job interview and had been dropped in the wrong neighborhood by a cab driver already. So she was at the end of her wits by the time she got into the Cash Cab.
What’s the largest sum won in the Cash Cab?
We have a new record as of about three weeks ago. It’s $4,100, [won by] a couple of bus tour guides here in New York.
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
do they get to keep the cash?
Bruce, have you ever seen Cash Cab? Yeah. They get to keep it. If you can find episodes online or anything like that you should watch a few. It’s a fantastic show.
It looks like it to me that the money he hands out is bogus. It has pixs on the money of non presidents.
the money they hand out is fake, but they mail you a check later. My friend was on it once
Has there ever been someone one the show twice?
I have watched Cash Cab many, many times. Every single time that a contestant elects to use their “mobile phone shout-out option”, the person being called ANSWERS ON THE FIRST RING! I know of no one who has ever called someone and they answered on the first ring. Heck, the preponderence of the time, you get voicemail!! Gotta be staged.
It the show filmed in a studio, or is it actually filmed on the streets of New York? Also, every time a contestant, or contestants, is picked up, they always ask for a destination that is roughly 38 blocks away. I mean, what happens if the rider, or prospective rider (contestant), only wants to go eleven (11) blocks to their destination. The show seems so phony. Pretty much always a 36 to 40 block ride! Furthermore, I have been to New York City many, many times and ridden in many, many cabs. If a driver took his eyes off the street, and looked sideways as many times as the Cash Cab driver does, there would have already been a lot of wrecks on the show!!!
George: It’s not that serious, I’m sure the show is edited. The driver of cab does indeed have a hack license, and he’s the sole driver of the cab they use for the show. I’ve never seen it while on the road, but look out for it. The medallion is 7N78.
although it is most likely -very most likely- staged, it is actually a licensed cabbie, driving a medallion taxi. they are driving through new york, but the contestants are pre-arranged, and so there is no hurry to drive through the streets in a quick pace, therefore, the driver can look to his side as many times as he likes. he is driving very slow, and rarely does he pass other vehicles. he is also followed by a film crew in a van behind him.
I wanted to be on the show, but I didn’t know who to ask, they didn’t look like they were taking customers. any real cabbie would’ve been desperate to pick somebody up.
I would like to know where Ben Bailey obtained the question for which the answer was Nelson Mandela which aired on the Cash Cab show on November 23rd 2009.
The answer which was given by Cash Cab was definitely wrong!
Where is this information?
Please reply, and please repeat the question.
Valerie Cooke.
DEAR BEN ,IF 1 DAY U FINISH WHIT ,, CASH CAB,, MAYBE U BE A FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE NYC TAXI DRIVERS UNION. WE NEED U BEN !!!!!!!
Two questions :
who makes the questios and the answers you do?
Who is the sponser(s) for the money?
you can add a feature and keep the qaudience interested with just a simple change.
when contestants elect NOT to try the video bonus, give them their $$$ and then play the video “just for chuckles”. this would hold the audience and give a better sense of closure to the game. if the contestants get it correct, for no $$$, give them a T-shirt or cap.
Has anyone ever said, “No, I do not want to play, but thanks anways.”
I really like the show. I have wondered if there will ever be a “blooper show”? That would be pretty funny I think. I have also wondered if someone ever gets in and says “no, I don’t want to play” or if anyone ever disputes an answer they have given and are told they were wrong, or if there are ever any arguements between contestants, and if the people that are picked up are staged or not. I did see a show where a lady was just going a few blocks, so I know not all shows are a lot of blocks, but that is a good question that George had about 38-40 blocks being the norm travel distance. And I really would like to know what the 7N78 and 1G12 means!!
You think maybe this show is edited a bit? I’ve always been impressed that Ben can drive 35 blocks through downtown Manhattan in 12 minutes! That must be some cab! Probably made by the same guys that made that car for “Men in Black.”
Who is Ben Bailey? Is he a real yellow cab driver in NYC?
Because I cannot find his name in http://www.taxihack.com web.
I said the same thing george stated about the cell phones , i would say 1 outta 20 times i call someone on a cell phone you always get the voice mail, I think ben is cool thou
I THINK IT’S AWSOME
Yanosh, only ONE Awsome Management Garage on my supposedly complete list, and it is West 37th st. Does Awesome have other locations not on my list? I don’t even see those addresses on my list in Flushing and LIC. The Awesome on list I see is in Manhattan (maybe the office address not garage?).
Is the taxihack.com web part of the New York City TLC website? Are website visitors tracked? Someone said there is a Hack list on it, is it current? I’m not interested in visiting government sites.
i love cash cab,i usually watch it in the gym in the morning and it is on one of the t.v.s one thing i don’t understand, is why when he is asking the questions do they play loud music ? i can’t see any need for it, and a lot of the times you can’t hear the question,it takes a lot away from the show,