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I Came by Cab: In This New Collection of Stories, Buckle Up for an Encounter with a Taxi Driver's Bizarre, Always-Entertaining 'Wheeled World'

Written by Robin Bullard, ‘I Came by Cab’ presents eight stories about an unnamed San Francisco cab driver and the unpredictable fares he picks up. These are tales that veer from the strange to funny to outlandish and dark. With its psychological insight and sometimes startling turns, the book is resonating with readers from coast to coast.

 

San Francisco, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/05/2013 -- A taxi driver is the guy you hire to get you from A to B in in the hectic scramble of the world’s biggest, busiest and most confusing cities. You may or may not take him for granted, but a powerful new short story collection by Robin Bullard puts the spotlight on aspects of this demanding job you may be less familiar with. Driving a cab can require patience, perseverance and psychological dexterity in order to survive the world’s craziest passengers. Here is a window into some of the bizarre interpersonal encounters that a taxi driver has every day.

‘I Came by Cab’ takes gritty urban fiction off the street and onto the page.

Synopsis:

If you have an appetite for gritty realism, I Came by Cab provides an eight-course meal.

The stories in this collection focus on the strange, funny, sometimes dark, always surprising encounters between a San Francisco taxi driver and the perfect strangers he picks up. You’ll meet boozed-up businessmen on a quest for a little action, fashionable millennials, and self-absorbed hipsters. There’s a businesswoman in the thick of reinventing herself, as well as a father who blithely rationalizes the breakup of his family. There are more intriguing encounters as well—eight rides through the urban night, all filled with unusual twists and turns.

To drive a cab can feel a bit mystical at times, especially when you don't know where you’re going next.

As the author explains, his book uniquely fuses urban realism with the creative license of fiction.

“To be clear, I’m telling stories, not repeating anecdotes. Even though each story is spun from my imagination, the book as a whole does present many of the realities of life as a cabbie. I’ve been there,” says Bullard.

Continuing, “It’s also timely, particularly as cab drivers in cities such as San Francisco face an uncertain future. With limo services and ride-sharing businesses threatening to take taxis off the streets. In this book I wanted to dramatize some of the intrigue and romance that is particular to the taxi game. There’s no better place to have a one-on-one encounter with humanity—good and bad—than from the driver’s seat of an old-fashioned taxicab. A big city taxi’s clientele is EVERYBODY, from high society ladies to the most marginal of people. Can you imagine a great American city without taxis and taxi drivers?”

“This book can veer from hilarious to heartbreaking on a hairpin turn. Bullard can be as lyrical as F. Scott Fitzgerald one moment, as unflinchingly crude as Bukowski the next--yet somehow it all works. These are truly San Francisco stories that are ridiculously addictive--my only complaint is that I wished the book were longer,” says Colleen McKee, reviewing the book on Amazon.

Another reader was equally as impressed, adding, “The Voice in these stories is authentic, funny, witty and alive. The perspective on life and love and everything in between from the front seat of the taxi is one you won't find anywhere else. Read it and be enthralled.”

With the book’s popularity set to rapidly increase, interested readers are urged to purchase their copies as soon as possible.

‘I Came by Cab’ is available now: http://amzn.to/1cFOyik

About Robin Bullard
Robin Bullard is a short story writer, a taxi driver, and an advertising art director. For over 35 years he's lived in San Francisco--a place he loves, first and foremost, for being the home of many strange and wayward individuals.

Bullard writes short fiction exclusively. His best stories don't take much longer to read than a typical cab ride. I Came by Cab is his first published collection.