Keep The Meter Running - Season 1

In the season premiere of Keep The Meter Running, Kareem Rahma asks a retired New York taxi driver named Eugene to take him to his favorite place and ends up at a Russian banya in Brooklyn. Eugene has been a cab driver for 40 years. Originally from Russia, he came to New York on political asylum and spent decades behind the wheel. After losing his wife last year, Eugene tells Kareem he feels alone but says the banya is where he goes with friends to socialize, reset, and feel better. At the banya, Kareem meets Eugene's longtime friend Igor, and the conversation turns from immigration to loneliness to New York politics. Then Rustam, the owner, takes Kareem back into the steam room for a full Russian sauna treatment with veniki (oak branches). By the end of it, Kareem is convinced the banya beat the depression out of him. There is Russian food, root beer, herring and potatoes, a toast to America, and one of the strangest cab stories ever told: the time Eugene picked up a circus bear in his taxi. Final meter: $390.

In this episode of Keep The Meter Running, Kareem Rahma asks Hanny, an Egyptian New York taxi driver, to take him to his favorite place and ends up at the Taxi Clubhouse in Chelsea, Manhattan, to watch a Liverpool game, talk about fatherhood, and pray during Ramadan. Hanny came to New York from Egypt in 1985 and has spent decades driving a cab, raising kids, traveling America, and finding community with other drivers. At the clubhouse, Kareem learns why the space matters: a place where taxi drivers can rest, eat, pray, work out, watch TV, and feel human between shifts. The day turns into a conversation about Egypt, Arabic, family, religion, fatherhood, Mo Salah, and what Kareem wishes he could still ask his own dad. Then Hanny decides Kareem needs to move his body, fat-shames him with love, and takes him outside for a soccer lesson.

TAKE ME TO YOUR FAVORITE SPOT AND KEEP THE METER RUNNING! Kareem hails a New York City yellow cab and meets Khakendra Pun, a Nepalese immigrant and 10-year veteran of the taxi force, who takes him to Himalayan Restaurant & Bar in Jackson Heights to show Kareem a taste of home. Khakendra came to America from a small mountain village in Nepal and spent decades chasing a better life, working 77 different jobs, living at 94 different addresses, writing and self-publishing his own book, and driving a taxi through New York City. Along the way, he taught himself to find joy in the in-between moments, playing the flute at red lights, practicing kindness wherever he goes, and dreaming of one day becoming a comedian. The day turns into a conversation about immigration, creativity, resilience, grief, happiness, third eyes, handmade gifts, Nepali food, and what it means to keep going when life doesn't go according to plan. Then Kareem decides one dream should not wait any longer and takes Khakendra from the driver's seat to a real comedy stage for his very first stand-up performance at The Stand in Union Square.

TAKE ME TO YOUR FAVORITE SPOT AND KEEP THE METER RUNNING! Kareem hails a New York City yellow cab and meets Norman, a Filipino immigrant and longtime Queens cab driver, who takes him to Jib Lanes, the bowling alley where he met his wife and built a second home for his family. Norman came to America at 19 after spending much of his childhood helping raise his two younger brothers while living apart from both of his parents in the Philippines. After becoming a father himself, he started driving a taxi so he could have the flexibility to be there for his kids in ways he never experienced growing up. Over the years, bowling became more than just a hobby. It became therapy, routine, community, and eventually the thing that brought his whole family together. The day turns into a conversation about immigration, grief, fatherhood, resilience, emotional control, family, bowling leagues, giant tater kegs, and the quiet ways people learn to survive difficult lives. After a few games at the lanes with Norman's wife and son, Kareem takes Norman to a rage room to explore a very different kind of therapy and asks what happens when someone who's spent their entire life holding everything in finally lets go.

Kareem hails a New York City yellow cab and meets Homero, an Ecuadorian-American cab driver who has spent more than 30 years navigating the streets of New York. Instead of taking Kareem somewhere close by, Homero drives him all the way to his favorite Cuban restaurant on Long Island, a place where good food, strong drinks, loud music, and dancing all come together. Along the ride, Homero shares stories from three decades behind the wheel, raising three daughters, surviving divorce, finding love again, and building a life through hard work. What starts as a conversation about cab driving quickly turns into an unexpected lesson on relationships when Homero tells Kareem that getting comfortable is one of the fastest ways to lose the spark with the person you love. The day becomes a crash course in Cuban culture, salsa dancing, mojitos, spicy empanadas, matching suits, and the art of keeping romance alive. After teaching Kareem a few dance moves and helping him pick out the perfect outfit, Homero joins Kareem and his wife for a surprise double date before sending him onto the dance floor to put his new skills to the test.

Kareem hails a New York City yellow cab and meets Mark, a 72-year-old cab driver from Mumbai whose wild stories, rock-and-roll energy, and decades behind the wheel have made him a legend of the night shift. Instead of heading to a favorite restaurant or neighborhood spot, Mark invites Kareem to spend the entire night riding shotgun in his cab as they cruise through Manhattan searching for passengers, conversation, and whatever surprises New York has waiting after dark. Along the way, Mark opens up about overcoming heroin addiction, getting sober in his thirties, immigrating to America, raising two sons, and finding a new purpose helping others as a recovery counselor. What starts as a conversation about cab driving becomes a deeper look at second chances, loneliness, connection, and why some people never stop chasing the energy of the city after midnight. The night turns into a rolling portrait of New York itself as Kareem and Mark pick up strangers from all walks of life: a newly engaged couple, an aspiring singer who performs from the backseat, a veteran teacher hopping between gay bars, and a self-proclaimed legend searching for love, meaning, and one last great conversation. Between late-night diner stops, unexpected confessions, and stories from decades behind the wheel, Kareem discovers that sometimes the best way to understand New York is through the people climbing into the back of a yellow cab.

Kareem hails a New York City yellow cab and finds himself back in the cab of Irish John, one of the most memorable drivers from the very first season of Keep The Meter Running. John takes Kareem to his favorite butcher shop in his longtime Queens neighborhood, where stories of old New York flow as easily as the sandwiches. But what begins as a return visit quickly turns into something much bigger when Kareem decides it's finally time to make good on a promise he made years ago: producing John's one-man play for a sold-out audience... the very next night. John has spent more than four decades driving a yellow cab while quietly building a life as a playwright, radio host, and storyteller. His autobiographical play, Off the Meter, draws on a lifetime of unforgettable passengers, dangerous nights, and the strange, hilarious moments that only happen inside a New York City taxi. Although the play once found success, years away from the stage and the grind of everyday life have slowly worn down the optimism Kareem first admired in him. What starts as a casual lunch becomes a race against the clock to convince John that his story is still worth telling and that it's never too late to step back into the spotlight. 
 

John McDonagh is a New York City playwright, radio host, storyteller, political activist, and veteran Yellow Cab driver whose life and work have become part of the fabric of New York City. After serving in the U.S. Army in Germany during the Vietnam era, he returned to New York and began a forty-year career behind the wheel of a Yellow Cab, collecting the stories and experiences that would later inspire his writing and performances. McDonagh is the longtime producer and host of the weekly WBAI/Pacifica radio programs Radio Free Eireann and has also co-hosted programs with the late Malachy McCourt, bringing Irish culture, politics, and New York stories to listeners for decades.