About this project
PROJECT UPDATE:
Thanks to a set of wonderfully generous backers, I've reached my funding goal! The adventures in cabbing and curry wurst and blogging-to-book in Berlin are officially on. Any contributions made at this stage will go directly into more taxi adventures (where I get into a random taxi, ask the driver to take me to his/her favorite place to eat, and document the journey and the destination).
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Getting into random cabs in Buenos Aires and New York has done a lot more than lead me to restaurants off the radar - it's also opened the door to stories of some amazing people: priests, sculptors, ex-chefs, political exiles from Mauritania, DJs from Togo and many, many other remarkable characters I've found behind the wheel of a taxi.
My goal is to raise $2350 to travel to Berlin, Germany in July and August 2010 and go on a series of taxi adventures to gather the final research for a proposal for a book based on my blog: http://www.taxigourmet.com. The taxi adventures in Berlin make up the third act in a series of global culinary adventures that I'll write about in my book.
Why Berlin? While the cab culture isn't as well-developed as Buenos Aires or New York - there are only about 7,000 cabs in Berlin total - it will be a fascinating place to explore how taxi culture has developed in a city that was once divided. Case in point: once the Wall came down in East Berlin, taxi drivers had fewer difficulties taking passengers to the West, but for years West Berlin taxi drivers avoided accepting routes into East Berlin.
If I can raise $2350, I can get myself to Berlin, go on a series of 10-20 taxi adventures, interview cab drivers and get a taste of their city by traveling to their favorite places to eat. I'll be blogging as I go, but I'll also be researching people and places that go beyond the scope of the blog (and within the scope of the book).
Anyone who contributes $10 or more to this project will receive a signed copy of my book upon publication. (Note: I have a literary agent who is ready to shop the book to major publishers once it's written).
If you're curious about how these adventures have played out so far, here's a sample post from Buenos Aires: http://www.taxigourmet.com/2009/03/30/walter-rides-again/
And one from New York: http://www.taxigourmet.com/2009/10/19/souvlaki-and-a-second-strike-of-lightning/
Thank you for your support!
FAQ
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
56
Backers
$3,526
pledged of $2,350 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on June 15, 2010.
Pledge $5 or more Pledge $5 or more
$5 gets you a compilation of my totally subjective restaurant recommendations for Buenos Aires and New York (and Berlin, once I've been there).
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
A donation of $10 gets you a signed copy of the book plus the compilation of restaurant recommendations for Buenos Aires, New York and Berlin.
Pledge $20 or more Pledge $20 or more
A donation of $20 gets you TWO signed copies of the book (one for you and one for your favorite person) plus the compilation of restaurant recommendations for Buenos Aires, NYC and Berlin.
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
A donation of $50 gets you a signed copy of the book, plus the restaurant guides. I'll also offer you my feedback on a blog post and/or offer hints for writing effective blog copy.
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
A donation of $100 gets you a signed copy of the book, plus the restaurant guides, plus a free ride in my cab (to/from anywhere in Manhattan) and a snack from one of my favorite places to eat.
Project By
Connected as Layne Mosler (384 friends)
I'm a New York cab driver and freelance writer originally from California. When I'm off duty, I get into random taxis, ask the drivers to take me to their favorite places to eat and document the adventure. When I'm on duty, I search for cheap, delicious things to eat near taxi stands.
For the past three years, I've been writing about my adventures at http://www.taxigourmet.com, an award-winning blog that's been featured in The Washington Post, The Guardian, Budget Travel Magazine, and in major media outlets in Italy, France, Canada, Brazil and Argentina.
