In short, it's because of the language barrier and the fact that many immigrants who drive cabs are Muslim, which makes getting a job that much harder, says Ahmed Odawaay, 30, who drove a cab in Denver from 2003 to 2009.

Odawaay is a source in "Taken for a Ride," this week's feature story by Westword staff writer Joel Warner. (Think you could be a taxi driver? Take Odawaay's taxi driver test!)

Below are two clips from an interview with Odawaay, who says driving a taxi cab -- for him, anyway -- "is the worst thing you could ever do."

More from our Calhoun: Wake-Up Call archive: "Parking ticket Scrooge: Has the holiday spirit expired?"

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