Back to Keys to the City

Keys to the City. NYC Resourses. Your Guide to Services in NYC

November 2018 – Keys to the City is a newsletter featuring information about city services that are available to TLC drivers and their families.

Free this month   Driver Spotlight - Ali Ababakar
  • Driver Spotlight - Ali Ababakar
  • NYC Well – Free emotional and substance abuse support
  • Free Health Services at  St. Anthony’s
  • Free English/ ESOL Classes
  • Free Financial Services
  • Taxi Relief and Pickup Stands
  • Poe Park Visitor Center
  • Help the Environment by Recycling
  • Vision Zero Tips
 

TLC Commissioner Meera Joshi and Driver Ali Ababakar
 
Driver Spotlight - Ali Ababakar

Ali is one of 2018’s safest TLC-licensed medallion drivers. In over four years he has not had a single crash resulting in an injury, a single traffic violation, or a single violation of TLC safety-related rules. Ali is a father of six and lives with his family in the Bronx.

How many years have you been driving professionally?
15 years

What made want to become a driver?
I developed an interest in driving when I was little and used to wash my dad’s car.

How does it feel to be recognized as one of the safest TLC drivers in NYC?
I feel very excited and proud of myself for being one of the safest drivers.

Any advice for new TLC drivers?
When driving a taxi, always be patient, cautious, and focused on the road. Patience is the key to everything in life.

 
NYC Well – Free support   Free Services at St. Anthony’s

You don’t have to suffer alone. For free, confidential mental health and substance use support:

  • Call 888-NYC-WELL (888-692-9355)
  • Text WELL to 65173
  • Chat online

A counselor can provide short-term counseling, access to other mental health services, and appointment scheduling assistance in more than 200 languages.

For more information visit NYC Well. Talk. Text. Chat. 24/7

 

St. Anthony’s provides wellness visits for kids, immunizations, asthma care and education, physical exams, etc. Urologist services are offered on the third Saturday of the month.

When:
For adults: Saturdays 8am- 12pm
For kids: Tuesdays 9am-12pm

Where:
St. Francis Center
421 East 155th St, Bronx, NY 10455

For more information:

 
Free English/ ESOL Classes

CUNY provides free English classes for adults to improve their communication, reading and writing skills, as well as High School Equivalency/TASC preparation classes. Registration is ongoing throughout the year. Classes are available morning, evenings, and weekends. To sign up, call (718) 631-6363 or (718) 631-6371. To view center locations and for more information visit Find Classes — CUNY.

 
Free Financial Services Taxi Relief and Pickup Stands

Office of Financial Empowerment
Meet with a professional financial counselor to review your credit, loans, and bills, improve your credit score and understand your options and support you in reaching your financial goals.
Make an appointment by:

  • Calling 311 and saying “Financial Empowerment Center
  • Book an appointment
  • Text TalkMoney to 42033
 

Here is a list of taxi, SHL, FHV relief and pickup stands throughout the five boroughs. Information includes:

  • Taxi Relief Stands
  • Taxi/ FHV Relief Stand
  • Taxi Stands
  • FHV Only
  • Park Dept. Public Restrooms
  • Public Restrooms

Please note the accuracy of the map may vary. Click on Taxi Relief and Pickup Stands

 
Poe Park Visitor Center   Help the Environment by Recycling

Parents can take a fitness class (Zumba or Latin Dance), meanwhile kids can create holiday themed arts and crafts and table top activities.
Location: Poe Park Visitor Center in Poe Park, 2640 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10458
Date and time: 

  • Art class - Saturdays until Dec 29 9-11:15am
  • Latin Dance – Saturdays until Dec 29, 9-10am
  • Zumba- Saturdays until Dec 28  10-11am

For more information:

 

Help the environment by recycling electronics and appliances that are broken or unwanted (no microwaves or refrigerators). 
Location:
37th Avenue between 78th street and 79th street, Jackson Heights, Queens

Date and time:
Sunday, November 18 , 10am-4pm

For more information visit LES Ecology Center

 

 

 
Vision Zero Tips
  • Early Sunday, November 4 marks the end of daylight savings and we move our clocks back one hour, giving us more light in the morning, earlier sunsets, and evenings that get dark quickly.  It is important during this time to be vigilant about the potential for collisions when it is harder to see.
  • Vision drops tenfold as night falls.
  • People who drive 25 MPH or slower are better able to avoid crashes.
  • Turns faster than 5 MPH put pedestrians at risk.
  • Studies show that driving while fatigued (tired) can be as dangerous as driving after heavy drinking. Fatigue slows down your ability to react, resulting in a higher risk of crashing your vehicle.

Visit Vision Zero and Fatigue Driving Prevention tips.

 
Let us know what you think! Email comments, questions, suggestions to tlcexternalaffairs@tlc.nyc.gov