Well written and an entertaining piece that is full of beautifully crafted ideas and concepts beyond driving a cab around Las Vegas on the ‘graveyard shift’.

If one jumps into a taxi, you become aware of the meter running; it’s all now on the clock, how far you travel, how long it takes, unless like day the fixed rate to the airport, will determine the cost of the fare.

The narrative here runs on the clock; each ride being given a time and the interactions of the driver and passengers detailed within their journey and reasons to be in town.

I loved the feel of Vegas, the other side of the vacation and the ups and downs, mirrored in the night the cabbie is having. I also enjoyed the insider knowledge expressed and the working life of those providing this service. I found this quite informative and left me more appreciative of this type of transport and taxi drivers themselves. Although some dark arts of mentioned, our narrator is an old hand, a veteran of some 15 years and would have us believe he is one of a few honest ones on the rank.

It is an expose of American life and culture. I would encourage everyone to read it if they get a chance. It is a short novella type account, from the first person, perspective. So it is really down to sharing a day in the life of this cabbie and how much we believe his own value and vision of Vegas nightlife.

There is an element of repetitiveness but it is addressed by a varied clientele, with different stories and journeys to make. The openness of some, contrasts the reticence of others. Winners or losers in a gambling town; no real clue to how much of a tip, if any will be made.

I loved the idea that his life could be a number of chance events, which each potentially could lead to another outcome in a parallel universe, resulting in an infinite number of possibilities. All depending on that first decision, which hotel to pull up at, where to start the shift and the randomness of the punter telling you where to go.

It leads nicely into the potential ending to this 12 hour shift as a number of outcomes have been suggested throughout the night. Where a bad decision could undermine all the good fortune and hard work.
We as the reader can almost imagine the ending we want for our taxi driver.