I believe honesty is one of the greatest gifts there is. I know they call it a lot of fancy names these days, like integrity and forthrightness. But it doesn't make any difference what they call it; it's still what makes a man a good citizen. This is my code, and I try to live by.

I've been in the taxicab business for thirty-five years, and I know there is a lot about it that is not so good. Taxicab drivers have to be rough and tumble fellows to be able to take it in New York. You've got to be tough to fight the New York traffic eight hours a day, these days.

Because taxi drivers are tough, people get the wrong impression that they are bad. Taxi drivers are just like other people. Most of them will shake down as honest fellows. You read in the papers almost every week where a taxi driver turns in money or jewels or bonds, stuff like that, people leave in their cabs. If they weren't honest, you wouldn't be reading those stories in the papers.

我相信诚实是一件最棒的礼物。我知道如今他们给它取了许多好听的名字，像正直和直率。但是怎么称呼并不重要，关键还在于怎样才算一个好公民。这就是我的准则，我努力按这一准则生活。

我入出租车这一行已经三十五个年头，知道这一行有很多不好的地方。的士司机得凶狠粗暴才能在纽约干这一行。这年头你得有副好身板儿才顶得住纽约一天八小时的交通战。由于态度粗暴，人们误认为出租司机不是好人，其实，他们和其他人就没啥区别。他们大多诚实，与人和睦相处。你几乎每个星期都可以从报纸上知道某的士司机归还了乘客掉在车里的钱或珠宝或票据之类的东西。要不是他们诚实，你没法在报纸上读到那些新闻。