Ahhh...as someone who drove taxis while learning to fly originally in the early 80s and who did a few months of it 18mths ago while between jet jobs I can tell you for a fact that a cabby is one of the most poorly paid jobs out there...60+hrs a week for about $500-600 gross...if you're very good at it and work hard...i.e. don't just sit on ranks reading a news paper and nattering to the other losers on the rank.
Cab companies are all short of drivers all the time...but the pay hasn't increased one cent in 25yrs.
You wait for hrs for a cab for a few hrs on 2, matbe 3 nigts a week...the rest of the week drivers are doing 12hr shifts for about $60 gross.