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"Awaiting their turn." Photo by V. Gribayédoff.

In Paris, London and elsewhere cab stands were often located down the middle of a street (as here) rather than at the curb. Business owners often objected to curbside stands because they interfered with customer parking and customer access to their premises.

Source:
Outing magazine, vol. XLIII no. 3, December, 1903, p. 248.

Vance Thompson's Cab Drivers / 8

The Paris Cabman / 7

"And what do you get out of it?" I asked.

"Les rhumatisses, M'sieu," said Pierre-Marie gloomily, "and nine times out of ten croak with it. You may believe it, being out in all kinds of wind and weathers, snow and rain, is a poor way of pulling through to ninety years or so. And for what one makes" –

"Come, how much?"

"Count it up yourself, bourgeois. In the morning one lays down his day's money – fifteen francs seventy-five, or sixteen francs sixty-five, or eighteen francs, or whatever it is. If we make four or five francs a day, we are mighty well content. On rare occasions – on the great fête days – put it down at ten francs; but these luck days are only three in the year. Ah, bourgeois, if you have any sons, never make cochers of 'em – my faith, no!" said Pierre-Marie, and he set his glass down.

Four francs a day – or five, at best – and your bourgeois growling and damning, the police growling and fining you, the patron growling, the good God knows why, the horse falling down – thesesacrés* canassons are worked so they can't stand up half the time – then the smash-ups that we have to pay – a broken window – is it trouble enough? And thesacrés bicyclists!"

Pierre-Marie's face as purple.

"And these sacrées automobiles!"

His face was violet.

"Ah, ma mère! if I had my way with them and their names of dogs of machinists!"

"You see life with a black eye, Pierre-Marie," said I; "put some cognac in your coffee and tell me the bright side of it."