Photo Shoot Astoria cab driver poses for 2017 NYC Taxi Drivers Calendar By Angela Matua A 34 DECEMBER 2016 i LIC COURIER i www.qns.com Rodas said the first few minutes were a little uncomfortable but he was able to have fun with the process. “I felt a little awkward but at the same time it was fun and I guess it was also, it was around 7 a.m., there were a lot of other taxi drivers that passed by and smiled and gave me a thumbs up,” he said. Rodas has been driving a taxi for storia cab driver Michael Rodas was a little hesitant to show some skin for his 2017 NYC Taxi Drivers Calendar photo shoot, but the former health club manager graces both the October page and the back cover. Rodas, who was born and raised in Astoria, is friends with another Astoria driver who was featured in last year’s calendar and knew he had to be a part of the process this year. “I was kind of talking about this last year,” Rodas said. “I missed the boat.” The calendar is the brainchild of Philip and Shannon Kirkman. The duo created a “tongue-in-cheek beefcake calendar” in 2012 as a Christmas gift for Philip Kirkman’s older brother. They decided to feature taxi drivers to take some of the mystery out of the men and women who chauffeur city residents every day. eight years. He was laid off from his job as a health club manager during the recession and spent a year looking for other jobs. On his way to a job interview, he stepped into a taxi and struck up a conversation with a driver who recommended he apply for the job. “He planted a seed in my head,” Rodas said. “I fell in love with it. I should have been doing this 10 years ago.” The Astoria native said his customer service experience helps him
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