NYC's `Gabby Cabby' Better At Eavesdropping

Peter Franklin -- aka the `Gabby Cabby'-- is a streetwise New Yorker who's been driving a yellow cab around NYC for 30 years.

Monday, June 28, 2010 0:32 GMT

Peter Franklin – aka the “Gabby Cabby” – has been driving a New York City yellow cab for 30 years, talking to thousands of people along the way.

Franklin says he’s really only “gabby” sometimes, namely when he hosts special tours around the city, but otherwise, he’s pretty quiet.

Instead of running his mouth, Franklin actually prefers eavesdropping on passengers’ kooky conversations.

He rarely intrudes unless it’s necessary, like if a couple is on a bad date and the guy is being a jerk.

Franklin says the weirdest chatter can be heard in his taxi during the 5 PM to 5 AM shift, especially in the wee hours.

His back seat has seen tons of interesting individuals including politician Henry Kissinger – who he mistook for Arnold Schwarzenegger at first – and Mia Farrow, who he joked with by asking, “Isn’t Woody coming?”