Soviet Taxi Driver. One of the Most Prestigious Jobs in the USSR

Life of the taxi driver in the USSR. How much a regular taxi driver was making in the Soviet Union? Most well-paid jobs in the USSR: taxi driver.
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88. "Ushanka Show" is a collection of stories about life in the USSR.
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[@UshankaShow]

Hello, comrades! My name is Sergei. I was born in the USSR in 1971. Since 1999 I have lived in the USA. Ushanka Show channel was created to share stories as well as my own memories of everyday life in the USSR. My book about arriving in America in 1995 is available on Amazon: www.amazon.com/s?k=american+diaries+1995&ref=nb_sb_noss You can support this project here: www.patreon.com/sputnikoff with monthly donations Support for this channel via PAYPAL: paypal.me/ushankashow Ushanka Show merchandise: teespring.com/stores/ushanka-show-shop If you are curious to try some of the Soviet-era candy and other foodstuffs, please use the link below. www.russiantable.com/imported-russian-chocolate-mishka-kosolapy__146-14.html?tracking=5a6933a9095f9 My FB: facebook.com/sergey.sputnikoff Twitter: twitter.com/ushankashow Instagram: instagram.com/ushanka_show/ Reddit: www.reddit.com/r/The_Ushanka_Show/

[@shananagans5]

My best friend in college had defected from Soviet Union. After the collapse, her mother came to the US for about 6 months. It was a very novel thing for her to ride in a car and she thought my 4x4 truck was amazing. She was a military engineer in the USSR and in her mind 4x4 = military vehicle. Anyways, she loved riding in my truck so one day I took her out to the desert and with her broken English and my extremely limited, broken Russian, I gave her a driving lesson. That lesson consisted of look at my feet, right pedal makes you go, left pedal makes you stop. lol I found a big clear spot with no big rocks near, stopped and let her drive. She was thrilled and we ended up driving around for a few hours. She was in her mid 60's and it was the first time she had ever driven a car. She had lots of fun and I was glad I could do that for her. We made that a regular thing during her visit and she must have gotten 50 photos of her learning to drive.

[@shananagans5]

@@UshankaShow :) Glad you had fun. I had a great time teaching my friend's mother. Off topic but what was the name of that TV series you mentioned? The one that everyone watched? I started it, got busy with other things, now I can't find it & don't recall the name of it.

[@tiborpurzsas5465]

@@shananagans5 AHAHHA I know that one : the 17 moments of spring ! Everyone watched that one in Hungary as well in the early 70 s I was born in 1968 by 73 or 4 I was old enough all ready that I remember some of it !

[@daytonasixty-eight1354]

Dude I work with came to the USA in his 40s in the late 90s from the collapse of USSR. His first car was a Mustang that was given to him for basically free. I always give him shit like oh first you did when you got to USA was drive a mustang in blue jeans? Very American.

[@diesect33]

Very cool man!

[@user-xg8yy7yl1d]

Was she confused by lack of a manual transmission? As far as I know almost all Soviet vehicles had manual transmissions because they were cheaper to make more durable and easier to maintain

[@bradwalsh9122]

I had a teacher in the seventies who escaped from communism. He told us so many stories. This channel reminds me of those days. I was so happy to live in America.

[@SMGJohn]

I had a teacher who thought there was a wizard man with big white beard living in the clouds and he created everything using some kind of magic. This was 20 years ago, I asked my teacher if he had taken drugs when he told me about his beliefs, needless to say he was not happy. But also he could never produce any proof of his claims, so his stories were just that, baseless drivel by a madman seeking fame.

[@rameshbhattacharjee4374]

Wow , The Soviets Could Be Quiet Crafty At Making Money

[@rameshbhattacharjee4374]

No Choice In A Command Economy, The Black Market Is The King

[@EquuleusPictor]

I wonder if taxi drivers in Soviet Union also supplemented their income by stealing gas from their own tanks and reselling it.

[@Unknown_Ooh]

I guarantee it happened. When the government deprives its citizens the citizens will find a way to make life easier. It's sort of like rebellious kids with super strict parents.

[@Elyseon]

Most likely.

[@88WhiteRhino]

Not many citizens owned their own car in the Soviet Ùnion so they didn't have a huge market to sell to, I don't doubt that they stole gas but they likely used it.

[@Tonyx.yt.]

@@88WhiteRhino not many yes but still several milions of cars and trucks...

[@foof811]

Or if someone had a car they could be buddies with a taxi driver and he’d let them siphon fuel from his taxi. He could then tell his bosses that some unknown gopnik siphoned fuel when he stopped to take a leak.

[@altair1983]

Taxi situation was remarkably similar to Croatia until about mid 2000s: taxi drivers were shady guys, often close to underground, earning way better than average. Riding taxi was expensive. Big difference was that they owned cars, it was a kind of collaboration of private taxi drivers. They held monopoly until companies with professional drivers which didn't drive their own cars arrived

[@ottoen1]

At 1:15 , I recognized the license plates on the Volga as norwegian license plates. The Volga is indeed registered in Norway. :) It is in Harstad, in the north. Still on the road, from the looks of the papers. It is a 1968 Volga 21 with six seats and a 2.4 liters engine producing 86 hp. It has been in Norway since 2003.

[@user-gq8rw6hf9v]

Wow!!

[@IvailoStoianoff]

Curse you and your working e-government!

[@mrkiplingreallywasanexceed8311]

Love it! There is something so retro, so self consciously awful, about old Soviet cars that it is almost camp!😆 A friend of my father's owned one of those 2 cylinder 2 stroke Trabants that they often drove in East Germany buzzing and popping, sending a noxious stream of oily blue-white exhaust smoke behind it. Was in that classic pale, flat (non metallic) colour that they nearly always were, that we labelled "Lavatory Blue"😆

[@zilet7844]

I have a recommendation: night parties at USSR, night life, prostitutes and also the crime in the Soviet Union.

[@daytonasixty-eight1354]

Soviet Union had no crime.

[@warpspeed8305]

There was some special club in Moscow. Drugs, prostitutes and famouse people as visitors writers, actors

[@diesect33]

@@daytonasixty-eight1354 sure they did. They just killed anyone they labeled a criminal.

[@daytonasixty-eight1354]

@@diesect33 No comrade you are mistaken. There is no crime in the USSR. How could there be crime? Do you want to go to prison? How can there be prison with no criminals? Stop talking nonsense.

[@theblackhundreds7124]

Bad news, this wasnt as common as one would imagine. Prostitution comes from poverty or need of something and crime was extremely low.

[@dr.valbell6427]

So the taxi driver’s ‘scenic drive’ trick isn’t just used in my hometown of Chicago!

[@Leviwosc]

Nope, it's used all over the planet. Also here in Western Europe.

[@MarkH10]

I arrived at Ohare dead tired. I knew it would be expensive, but I took a cab. He only woke me up to show me the Arch half way to my friend's house.

[@rsvp9146]

FYI, the picture of the cab meter's backside shows a cable attached. The other side attaches to either the transmission or the wheel hub. There is a metal cable inside the plastic sheath that rotates based on either wheel or transmission speed. This is also how speedometers on old cars worked. I work on classic European cars for a living. I've never heard of all these Soviet cars. Very cool to learn about them. The only Russian car I've seen up close was a Lada Niva. I'd love to have one, lol. Love your videos.

[@UshankaShow]

Thank you for your input

[@johnblackstone5261]

It's roughly the same as a speedometer cable. Honda used them until 1991.

[@ronblack7870]

there may have been a timer as well. regular meters here in the usa at least 25 years ago when i used a taxi also would charge for time if the taxi was say in slow traffic .

[@stukafaust]

My father did some business during the dying days of the Soviet Union and apparently taxi drivers in Moscow were always much happier to be paid in western cigarettes, in fact some would insist

[@Thx1138sober]

The GAZ 24, 1966 Ford Falcon defects to USSR, slightly alters its grill and tail lights.

[@rsvp9146]

Right??! I could have sworn it was a Falcon..

[@alanmalan3819]

Ford Flacon + Jeep Super Wagoner of 1966

[@user-gq8rw6hf9v]

@@alanmalan3819 a GTA car ?

[@tiborpurzsas5465]

Hey tovarish ! Our family in communist Hungary never used a taxi ! It was unheard of in our neighborhood. I remember it was high winter , negative 15 outside 10 o'clock at night I had a 40 degree fever maybe 10 years old or so ! Even if mom was willing to pay for a taxi to take me to the emergency, there were na way to call for one since we didn't have a telephone line . My older sister and brother took me by bus .it was so cold late at night and I was so sick and still no taxi ! Latter in early 80 s the taxi driver was a well paying job as well we had the private taxis (ones own car was the taxi) those guys made more money than engineers and such

[@Tonyx.yt.]

today in cuba, taxi drivers earn around 20 times more than a medic

[@OffGridInvestor]

Just funny to think that as cars were special in the Soviet Union my uncle and dad slone had about 20 wrecks and 5 working vehicles and that didn't include my grandfathers cars. And they were just a few hillbillies on a small farm in Australia.

[@lukak6372]

Love the channel Sergei!

[@UshankaShow]

Thanks! Glad to hear it!

[@Akula114]

I like the shot of the old taxi and the ТУАЛЕТ sign! There must have been an extra charge for this special service.

[@maverickfox4102]

That Airport Taxi 2:00 sure looked pretty futuristic in it's time

[@rustyholt6619]

i could live in that

[@rustyholt6619]

or the white van

[@kingjames4886]

in soviet russia taxi calls you.

[@janchovanec8624]

Funny, no matter what part of a world. Whenever you hear stories of a taxi drivers, it is always dodgy and plenty fishy. Specially around the airports.

[@joebannon9443]

Taxi drivers, lawyers, governments none will be going to heaven if there is one 😅

[@bluewater454]

I am curious how a Soviet citizen could land a job like this. If it was so prestigious and lucrative, I would imagine a lot of people would want the job. Would you simply walk in and fill out an application at the local taxi business, or did you need permission from the government?

[@UshankaShow]

Short answer: BLAT(блат). You should know the right people and have the connections

[@user-gq8rw6hf9v]

@@UshankaShow the total opposite of communism 🤣

[@ulfljung4630]

Sergei, You make very interesting videos! I am interested in soviet made musiqal equipment. Have many synths and drum machines! I am a communist since 35 years and enjoy your stories! Have learnt a lot!

[@joechang8696]

on my visits to Ukraine years ago, many taxi drivers would ask if I want a girl, what type - thin, fat etc. same with hotel security. good to see the entrepreneur spirit at work

[@Tonyx.yt.]

because if they provide a client, they get a small cut of the lady's tariff...

[@SM-pt5ll]

Thanks!

[@UshankaShow]

You are very welcome! Thank you for your support!

[@dzonikg]

While in Yugoslavia most people drived Zastava ,WV and Renault cars like most off taxis were Mercedes E class or then called W123 which was out off reach for even people in the west ...taxi was expensive and would use it only if you have no other choice..and they were mostly yellow ...basically only time i was driving in mercedes then was when was driving in taxi. They had radio stations and you call operator on the phone and she then send you taxi

[@Tuppoo94]

Taxi drivers are the top 1% in Cuba, because they can charge tourists what they want.

[@diesect33]

Capitalism finds a way. Good for them.

[@MH-jt3lx]

The GAZ 24 in the burnt orange or black was one cool car. They were beautiful.

[@mrporcupine4140]

"Not having change ;) ;)" XD I see that one is popular everywhere in the world, haha. Greetings from Colombia!

[@GreedPainLove]

It's funny how much effort was put into planning the economy in the Soviet Union, so that people would just start doing business off the books

[@Elyseon]

Planned economy doesn't work, especially when production is completely unrelated to the actual needs and everyone is stealing.

[@soco13466]

I drove a cab in a small city in Michigan. Low prestige as it gets.

[@soco13466]

Retired Michigan State Police retired Ford Crown Vics mostly, retired MSP Chevy Caprice. I own a retired South Carolina Crown Vic.

[@jimmyjimjims7483]

How I got here I'm unsure, I was looking at memes and then this video which was surprisingly interesting popped up. Pretty cool actually, makes sense why you'd see a lot of Russian cab drivers here in the US in the 1980's.

[@hoponasu2471]

Indeed those wear the days..I still remember been driven by gas 24 in leningrad in 1980s and driver just floored the pedal in middle of town down ! I idid pay in hard currency :) see the secret of the riches were few westeners with goods or currency opportunities

[@AlexTsekot]

Zelenoglazoye Taksi, GTA IV Squad assemble

[@KazzArie]

Alex Tsekot that remix gave the song some new life eh!

[@soco13466]

That '62 version, has the front end that looks like a Ford Falcon front end, and I see that the Chevy Nova looking taillights make up the rear. I call this a FordOlet. Or is it a FordaChev? The Soviet carmakers knew other designs were up to date, etc. The Chaika limousines looked like a 50's Packard up front, and a late 50's Buick rear end. Then they modernized them, like Soviet Linconallacs.

[@kevinrice7635]

I have made in USSR toy taxi..Volga brand..... damn nice toy car 🚗. Same as in your show.

[@zerocool5395]

In Chile in the late 80's early 90's, we used Ladas (Square headlights) as taxis.

[@natasastanojevic]

@Ushanka show Have you ever seen the movie Taxi blues from the time of Perestroika? Great film.

[@travishabursky4362]

Those Volgas are some of the most beautiful vehicles from the Soviet world. I'd love to have the opportunity to drive one.

[@Maelli535]

Theyre still around, in Russia and Ukraine, although they're getting rarer, of course. I climbed into a Volga taxi in Odessa back in 2010, stroked the dashboard and said "Volga - a classic!". I asked the driver the age of the car. "1977!" "Wow!" I said. "Traktoooor!" said the driver, proudly! On the subject of beautiful Soviet and Russian cars, take a look at the car used by Putin (or Medvedev) in Red Square on 9 May every year (you can find clips on KZbin) - I used to know the make, a Russian friend told me, but I've forgotten, sorry - some vehicle!

[@rossmum]

@@Maelli535 The limousine? ZIL, I think.

[@Maelli535]

@@rossmum Yep, I think that hits the spot - will check later. And: THANKS!

[@paulaharrisbaca4851]

Like Checker Cabs in the USA, they used a sort of 55 Chevrolet crossed with a Studebaker appearance. For generations. Like the vw beetle

[@rsvp9146]

They are TANKS. You cant kill a Checker. They made them forever. Knew a guy who had one. It was ridiculous how overbuilt they were.

[@Otokichi786]

Long live Cab 804! kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoKWc6uCqq12eck

[@tomh9391]

It's got to be really hard to just up root from something that you've known your whole life and go somewhere new learning language learning new culture I commend you for having the strength and courage to do it I wish nothing but success in your life and I hope you find happiness here in the United States

[@henrydillard6217]

You should do a video on Soviet police next if you haven't already.

[@stanojevicnatasa2514]

I can't think of Soviet taxi without thinking of Taxi Blues movie.

[@Otokichi786]

How about "Angela"? kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3WvaYZ9et6bkKc kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJW3XmeqmZmXg7c

[@TheBengalDragon]

Man, it is nostalgically surprising. I grew up in the UAE in the 90s and didn't permaneltly leave until 2015 I remember the Elektron TV, I had no idea it was Soviet. I remember watching Taxis with the occupied sign and the ticking taxi meter, and all the relevant taxi jokes. I'm originally from Bangladesh, and Black n White TVs were still a thing in the 90s in Bangladesh. Hell, I vaguely remember my Dad talking about the Tupolev 144 as the other Concorde.

[@jeffm6080]

My wife's grandfather was a taxi driver in Kirovograd.

[@jeffm6080]

@@UshankaShow The story that he tells most often was in the 1970's when he had to drive a high ranking party official somewhere in the middle of the night. The party official made him wait for him in the car all night long while he was in a "meeting" with a woman in a hotel. The party official threatened him that he would be in big trouble if he told anyone about it. To make it worse, the party official didn't pay him.

[@johnblackstone5261]

@@jeffm6080 sounds about right

[@chesterboy18]

In Finland in 70s taxis were often Volgas or Mercedes Benzes...

[@blueroadsroll]

I really enjoy your videos. Who is the artist that did the paintings in this video?

[@allenhill1223]

Remember Robert Robinson. Well he was a. Machinist for FORD motor company. I imagine for design was popular

[@algibson0228]

Taxi driver make more because they are privy to general info of the population...... he goes here every Tuesday...... I see her at the location at 2:00 o’clock 3 times a week..... this guy always smells like caviar LOL! ♥️ Show!

[@Borodino1812god]

Cab drivers still do the "I don't have change" trick. But it's harder now because we can now pay with our phones.

[@stanleyqc2244]

Sergei, Did you have to wait for all car makes in the USSR? What about Trabant, Skoda, Wartburg? From what I know, Eastern block countries had no waiting list for those models - you go and you buy it cash, or you can take out a loan. It was considered better to have Lada or Zhiguli though, since it was more rare :)

[@stanleyqc2244]

@@UshankaShow Thanks, I saw it. But I didn't hear you talking about the Eastern block cars. Were they even available in the USSR?

[@stanleyqc2244]

@@UshankaShow Ah ok. In the Eastern block you could buy DDR cars which there was no waiting for.

[@Maelli535]

General East European joke: Pa, can I borrow the car keys? Sure, but don't lose 'em - it's only five years now till we get the car.

[@davidbrown8303]

This is exactly why the Bible says its easier to drive a Taxi through a eye of a needle than to get a Russian Taxi driver into Heaven.

[@larrybrennan1463]

I drove a taxi here in Jacksonville. Horrible job, but mostly pleasant people.

[@RigaRoosterMikeJohnson]

Green lights still used today in Riga Latvia taxis today.

[@joebannon9443]

In the eights in the unlikely event I needed Roubles the best rate of exchange was that provided by the taxi driver outside the Ukraine hotel. Most would include a taxi trip around Moscow. While more recently working in Vladivostok & Sakhalin taxis were unmarked cars, mainly locals trying to make a buck or two. Enjoyed watching Russia’s progress & liberalisation, sad at now witnessing its demise.

[@paulaharrisbaca4851]

We only used taxis from my mom’s house to the airport and back. Boy, the taxi drive back from the airport was miserable because the drivers were always mad because the drive back was so short and the taxi driver was hoping he’d get a good fare full of tourists coming to San Francisco but we were just going back to my mom’s house, in San Bruno, the city that SFO is located in, and those drivers would get pissed off when instead of an $65 fare he’d get $15.

[@xKynOx]

My brother is a cab driver, he goes on holiday 4 times a year i think it still pays ok

[@Donaldperson7]

Need a video on the working girls! You know the happy ending ones!

[@UshankaShow]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4ezhKOLd6-Bq6M

[@luccianom]

Can I ask if that guitar intro belongs to a specific song? Thank you!

[@antoinedoinelswaroop]

Moscow Nights is the name of the song.

[@LucianoClassicalGuitar]

One ruble was amazing. 15 Kopec was an ice cream!

[@sangkang6294]

It sounds like in the old Soviet Union, the Taxi rides you.

[@user-cy4en8jn7w]

A month of paid vacation, what the fuck. Dude please bring back the USSR ;-;

[@markhall6306]

I like the Volga Gaz

[@americansupervillain4595]

2:06 That styling looks worse than a Fiat Multipla.

[@telesniper2]

Same thing with Truck Driver in USSA

[@FedotDaNeTod]

2:00 thats not RAF. Thats experimental moscow Taxi van. Very few vere made in late 60's. Just google up RAF it looked different and it was route taxi, for few people.

[@magnusfranzonuvebrant9519]

Thank you. Couldn’t find anything from RAF looking like that one.

[@gertvanderhorst2890]

@@magnusfranzonuvebrant9519 later in the movie is a RAF or Latvija because it was made in that part of ussr. Very poor quality van.

[@czarpeppers6250]

Wow, one month paid vacation. That's a rarity here in the west today (probably in the former Soviet Union too I'd imagine).

[@diesect33]

@@MajkiBoyVids i'll stay in the USA but enjoy.

[@David-cy5zu]

it was standard in ussr.

[@magnusfranzonuvebrant9519]

5 weeks in Sweden, paid.

[@shoominati23]

I like those Soviet posters.. as if, she has no interest in you proletariat man - she is going to date party official to obtain luxury goods

[@penskepc2374]

The green light is a good idea. I wonder why Checker never put anything like that in their cabs.

[@droolooze6811]

In Australia, there is a green light on top of the Taxi roof sign, which is an emergency beacon.

[@droolooze6811]

Orange in some states and green in Queensland.

[@elgus1147]

In Cuba when a black Volga 24 hits the neighborhood everyone instantly knows the pigs will be around :)))

[@scottmacleod6301]

6:28 what kind of van/ambulance is that?

[@UshankaShow]

ceautoclassic.eu/60-years-of-the-raf-977/

[@josh656]

I've hitched a ride in a few Ladas (Fiat).

[@wildazcat25]

Sergei, what was tipping like in restaurants in say, Soviet Kiev? As youcan know in America waiters depend completely on tips, and 20 percent or more is considered a good tip. What was good tipping in the USSR? I'm a waiter and I waited on 7 beautiful Russian women the other night and least half of them left about 18 percent and the other half left less than10 percent. They were all very nice and satisfied with my work but I felt that with most Europeans they have not caught on to the ways of America in terms of gratuity. Please enlighten me sir

[@wildazcat25]

@@UshankaShow did you find it bizarre when you moved to the US that waiters depend in tips here? It is not the consumers problem but waiters here in the US only get a wage of $2.13 an hour which obviously is not enough to live off of. So getting the best service possible is what gets you the bigger tips and it also too depends on how high the bill is. But thank you for your quick answer. I was always told that in Europe especially that waiters are paid a proper salary, therefore tipping would not be necessary. In fact, I've heard that inthe Japan it is downright insulting to rip your waiter. I feel it is necessary to learn the custom of the country you're in. If I were in the Soviet Union I wouldn't want to get an employee fired or insult them but it would be my natural instinct to take care of them, so it is equally understandable why those Russian women would not be good tippers so i guess I am fortunate I got what i did. Thanks again Sergei! Keep up the awesome work!!

[@NeblogaiLT]

@@wildazcat25 As far as I remember (i was a kid in Soviet Union)- there were no tipping. It was a debate already later, in independent Lithuania, about should we ever tip waiters. Now it is common, and obvious practice. And, customs like this change. In one of the classic movies- The Petrified Forrest (1936), there is a line, by a waiter: "-But tipping is un-American. We don't allow it."

[@Elyseon]

Employees should never depend on tips to make a living.

[@joanhuffman2166]

Best opportunities for perks?

[@LemSportsinterviews]

did any early personal computers come out in the USSR that would be uncommon in the west? things like the Commodore or Amiga?

[@simonrichard9873]

I read somewhere that people were smuggling in Commodore 64s in their coats

[@OffGridInvestor]

Actually one of the stark differences between the Soviet Union and the west was the computers were always very far behind. Think about this. In the time he's talking about cars being special, my father and uncle had over 20 junk cars and 5 working cars between them. And considering that at the end of the Soviet Union officials were being bribed with VCRs, one of the most coveted items at the time, guess how far they got with computers..... they were only used for military applications and it became apparent with missiles and fighter jets that they had big problems trying to advance the computers to run this gear. All the creativity had been beaten out of them and the incentives taken away and computers take very smart people on huge wages to develop..... what would the average person do with one? No internet, not bulliten board dialups. In a country where it was hard to get bananas and mayonnaise would never be on the shelves for long.....

[@NeblogaiLT]

I can only say what I saw as a kid in the 80s, in 'Soviet Republic of Lithuania'. So, around ~1985, I once went to an 'arcade' with my mom. There, they had some soviet arcade machine with a plane shooting other planes. It cost 15kp to play, which was a lot, and graphics were very basic, and the game was too hard for me. That was the only time I played. Then, I remember my father bringing used perfocards from his factory- so there must have been some computers there, probably for accounting. And in ~1989-90, (it was when we started to gain independence and communicate with the outside world), a videogame club opened close to my home, which had Amiga games on them (this I only found out recently, after some research). Those games were loaded from tapes, and played with joysticks. Oh, and at about the same time, I saw a custom computer at one of my neighbours, who's father was a russian engineer- so he had made a computer that was capable to run snake, and display it with a ~2" screen and a magnifying glass, to make it look bigger. Obviously, Amiga games in that local videoclub interested me much more.

[@David-cy5zu]

@@OffGridInvestor car in the us = nessasity. in ussr luxury, because ppl did not commute

[@joeljrdevera1255]

Ok. First of all, the computers in the Soviet Union at the time before the perestroika era , that was 1970s, were usually clones from the west and it was usually used for industries, institutional, or military purposes. They are not available for private costumers who able to purchase those computers. It was until about 1985 computers were used for private individuals. The Elektronika BK - 0010 was first personal computer widely used in schools and as a consumer product. Another is the AGAT computer, a clone of Apple II, this computer is prone to failures, disks are read in one system could be unreadable to other systems. The Poisk, one the common IBM compatible soviet computer, was released in 1989. The main issues of soviet made computers is the quality and reliability because most of its components particularly the microprocessors are clones, meaning some of the are identical to western counterparts.

[@jimhowes2983]

Hmm not much different to Australian Taxi drivers since the 1920s in my Grandads time. Not that in the 1980s I knew which houses paid the best commissions & yes the 2 bottles of whisky in the boot where for me after work. If you fancy a flutter I might happen to know of an illegal casino. Only

[@sarjim4381]

It looks like the meter did have a cable connection, so I'm sure the meter did measure mileage, just like your speedometer. How exactly did a person get a job as a taxi driver? Sounds like it was a plum job, so I assume there was competition for the job, It sounds like Soviet taxi drivers were the same as taxi drivers the world over, All of them can do a lot more than just drive from one place to another.

[@VinylToVideo]

This video was posted 4 days ago yet I've heard this story before - Weird?

[@patrickshea5955]

Honestly I'm grateful for growing up in a free capitalist country. I'd much rather be my own master but have take care of myself then have all my problems taken care of for me In Return for obedience

[@omanvictory4011]

I'm a London black cab driver. Its great as we pay no tax.

[@murderouskitten2577]

15:00 EVERY society has prostitutes mostly they are called wifes :D

[@opl500]

Best officially paid job or best under the table paid job? I'd rather be a soviet butcher or work for one, that's where the black market opportunities would be, I'd imagine.

[@opl500]

Oh, of course you wouldn't trade it for money. What use is money in a commie society? What's the Russian word? Blat'? You trade it for blat'

[@diesect33]

And you can kill your enemies with your newfound butchery skills! capitalism vs communism. Best of the west and the east!

[@seytanuakbar3022]

Before WW2 a pay of taxi driver was as a pay of army captain. It was always good money, even without moonshining.

[@shelby3822]

6:35 mobile phone?

[@user-oz8uf6cn6u]

Some kind. Taxis and anbulence cars were having special radio stations to communicate their dispatchers.

[@michener1622]

What’s the intro song name

[@UshankaShow]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGbbg3ShncaLatU

[@Otokichi786]

Here's a foreign language song that became a #1 hit in 1963: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWSYdaWqhdGImMU

[@Kananmunakas]

There was propably many drunken taxi drivers drinking and driving there

[@wach9191]

You would have to look really hard to find a sober person in Soviet Union.

[@Kananmunakas]

@@wach9191 propably there was suffered alcoholism in every households close relative circles

[@wach9191]

@@Kananmunakas Alkoholism is still a huge issue in all post soviet countries (at least in non muslim ones).

[@Kananmunakas]

@@wach9191 I wound argue that it might even has gone worse, in places like Russia, slightly though, this is seem for example in life expectancy of men which has gone down since soviet days, also alcoholism cound be explaining low birthrates. Not sure about all post soviet countries though. Even that system collapsed the problems stayed and got worse. It is shame it has being there quite long time as cultural product also, there were lots of drunks in pre soviet days also. I wonder wound this next generation have less alcoholism, or less drinking.. In my country Finland, drinking has gone down since last 20 years, thought alcoholism still big problem, but it seems like younger generation is not drinking so much anymore, like it has being questioned - maybe use of drugs and other problem behaviors are compansating it

[@wach9191]

@@Kananmunakas I read that it begun when one of the tsars came up with idea to nationalise all taverns and would came up with insane laws like wife could not take her husband from tavern. By 1860, vodka, the national drink, was the source of 40% of the government's revenue in Russian Empire. And Soviet Union just deepened it, as you could drink alcohol in almost all jobs and you will not get fired, because state must provide you work. It was actually illegal to be jobless. So it was a country were you could still be alcoholic and have decent life. And then union has collapsed, every former soviet country transitioned to capitalism where you are free to work or be jobless, I'm from Lithuania and there are still some jobs where it's normal to drink as long as you can walk in straight line. But in most workplaces you get fired. A lot of poverty is directly caused by alcoholism.

[@erjo8199]

Good topic! I've heard taxi driving was one of the more profitable professions in other socialist countries as well. (Especially in Cuba)

[@joevespa3157]

Comrades

[@willclayton9909]

why was a taxe driver pad so much?

[@mrkiplingreallywasanexceed8311]

I did enjoy the story, especially as to how it demonstrated nothing changes! While one does not like to generalise, it is my - and very many others' - experience that taxi drivers the world over are always on the make😏

[@JTA1961]

& if they hit an animal they're also a Taxidermist 🤑

[@jpmnky]

It doesn’t sound silly at all. These taxi drivers were trusted with government vehicles, trusted to take people to and from destinations that they could find with their eyes closed. In all conditions. Get them there safely. I can see why it was a prestigious job. I gotta assume taxi drivers were screened so only trustworthy and accomplished people got those jobs. Certainly veterans and probably at least NCOs. Here in the US, with the current state of the job market, a lot of us would love the opportunity to become taxi drivers.

[@johnfontenot4351]

What is the equivalent in US money to a kopeck? A rubble? The only Russian money I ever heard of was a rubble.

[@UshankaShow]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2nZmWaHes-DeNk You can start from here

[@christophera556]

Volgas painted yellow lemon colour no doubt the cars were lemons.

[@Otokichi786]

Under low light/bad weather conditions, vehicles painted light primary colors like yellow are more visible. Then there's International Orange, usually reserved for fire department rescue vehicles.

[@TheLoyalOfficer]

Taxis are expensive for Americans too!

[@michaelpalmer4387]

Why is Super Mario driving a taxi?

[@jenniferjuniper97]

taxi regulations are like Amazon warehouses. they have a high rate/quota to make. only amazon employees do it on foot racing around 10-15 miles per shift and aren't considered important-no respect. and amazon doesn't pay worthwhile bonuses. amazon staff are fired for simply not making quota or taking too many seconds to meet rate. i see a number of similarities between soviet and communist soviet union and today's russia, and capitalist cultures. Organized labor is rare in the usa, and nonexistent in soviet union. If Amazon workers organized, other industrial workers would follow, and labor would once again have decent work conditions. $15 per hour is nothing if you have to break your back, raca all day, are subjected to poisons and cannot take your scheduled breaks, etc. Union Strong! Boycott Amazon Prime delivery service. Shop locally.

[@AbandonedMaine]

If you visit Los Angeles, your taxi driver will most likely be either Russian or Armenian.

[@zombehmonkey]

18:02 I really like all the propaganda/advertisements you show. Could you please translate some of them maybe in a new video?

[@v_chai]

And what about soviet toilet paper? Oh, yes...

[@joethewarbringer69]

we need a fake taxi...USSR edition.

[@Paul__Allen]

Haha quality 😂

[@blueshirt06]

Really? more than a doctor?

[@thehillbillygamer2183]

Do they still make the Volga card can you buy them in Russia today do they sell them in Europe do the Chinese buy the Chinese probably copied them