This Map Will Change How You Look At NYC Cab Drivers

Cabbies are probably the busiest New Yorkers around. They can zip through traffic like nobody's business and always seem preoccupied and crunched for time. With this new interactive data map, now we know why.

In a project called "NYC Taxis: A Day In The Life," programmer Chris Whong visualized the ground covered by a single taxi in 24 hours. For this research, the data enthusiast sampled 30 random drivers' work days from the 170 million provided by the Taxi and Limousine Commission.

The journeys — mapped out by Google's Directions API — are downright dizzying. In one case, a car shuttled from Little Italy to JFK, then to Newark Airport, and back to lower Manhattan — all within the span of a few hours. Whether all that hustling is worth it is up to you: After servicing a staggering 126 passengers, said driver netted $720 in 24 hours — the cost of gas and taxes not included.

Check out Whong's infographic of rides, and be prepared to feel a newfound respect for these folks — it ain't easy being a cabbie.