Pink is the color for Saturday nights in Liz Bradley’s yellow cab. Her fur steering wheel cover, scarf, chain on wire-rim glasses, knitted sweater, frilly skirt and shoes are all variations of the color. Cool air from her cracked window blows her freshly curled, gray hair as she tears through the streets of an over-partied town.

She makes a dangerously wide left turn on the damp streets of San Francisco at 2:00 a.m. The front of her cab almost scratches the pavement of the hill she is racing up. Bradley is so entertained by the Brazilian music she’s blasting in her cab that she almost passes two happily intoxicated ladies up before slamming on the brakes. “Hop on in, gals!” she yells in a voice that would remind anyone of their sweet grandmother after a few cocktails.

The inside of cab #444 smells like Indian food, coffee and a little bit of French perfume which she sprays before each shift. Bradley pulls her glasses down, examining the girls as they get in. She winks at them, never missing a beat of the music, and speeds off.

Liz Bradley,57, hails from Detroit, MI, which she calls “Motor-City Motown.” At least, that’s where she was born, but it’s hard for her to pinpoint a real hometown since she bopped around from place to place; anywhere from Hawaii to Laguna Beach, CA. She says, “It was hard to settle a free spirit like mine in one place.”

For almost 10 years now she has called San Francisco her home. Bradley wore a yellow angora sweater to interview for the job at Yellow Cab nine years ago. “I figured, how could I go wrong with that outfit?” she says. She’s been a full-time cab driver since then. She sleeps all day, then begins her 10-hour shifts, five days a week, at 7p.m. Bradley says she still isn’t used to being nocturnal. “It’s hard on your body, but that’s where the money is,” she says, pointing out that night drivers make an average of 30 percent more money than day drivers.

Bradley realizes her appearance is definitely a plus in terms of tips. In addition to that, the fact that she’s a woman fattens her wallet. “Everyone gets in and goes, ‘Wow, I’ve never had a woman driver before!’” she giggles. Though the reactions she gets are repetitive, she never gets tired of hearing the compliments. “People can’t complain about a beautiful woman picking them up. I know I make people feel happy in my cab,” she beams, tossing her long ringlets over her shoulder.

It’s obvious that Bradley couldn’t imagine spending her nights any other way. “I adore my job. I have a great time!” she declares before adding, “And plus, I’m one helluva driver!”

Though she could be looking forward to retiring, sipping tea all day and catching up on years of lost sleep, Bradley prefers to mash down the streets of San Francisco, amusing all those she graces with a ride for the night.

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Not all cab drivers are as sweet as Ms. Bradley. Here is some advice on how to avoid getting hustled by a cabbie, compiled by a former taxi driver who boasts turning $20 rides into $400 rides.

1. Ask the cabbie what rate he’s running on

San Francisco County cab drivers are required to run their meters at rate one, which is .25 cents per tenth mile. Since most people don’t know that there are different rates, they never ask, so drivers usually set their meters at rate two, which charges .60 cents every tenth of a mile. The only time drivers are legally allowed to run at rate two is if they have to drive a considerable distance (usually means they cross city or county lines) with their cab empty to pick you up, then drop you off someplace else. Otherwise, request that the driver place the meter at rate one, and yes, they have to fulfill that request.

2. Pay in cash

Many people who drank away all their paper money opt to pay for the late night ride with plastic money. That’s a bad idea. It allows the driver blatant access to your card’s authorization number, your name and your expiration date, which is all he needs to scam you. The driver then is able to make a copy of your information before turning it in to the taxi base. Using a credit card relies solely on trust, which according to this ex-cabbie, isn’t the best policy considering that many cab drivers have spent time in jail and have connections who would be more than happy to have your credit card info.

3. Always check for the driver’s permit number

The cab driver is required to have a permit posted on or around the meter, in plain sight, so that if anything goes wrong, you can report his number to his employer. If the cabbie gives you any reason for not having one posted, simply get out of the cab. It may mean that he’s not licensed to be driving or in the worst case scenario, he’s not even a real driver but some creep trying to get drunk girls into his car.

4. Try to avoid cabs with dim lights

Cabs with dim lights in the cabin may be up to some currency switching games. It’s easy for a driver to “mistakenly” give you back the wrong change for your $100 bill when you can’t see what he’s handing you. Always count your change before getting out of the cab. And a word to those traveling abroad: make sure you know your host country’s currency. This ex-cabbie simply says, “You don’t speak the language, so I’m gonna make you think that your $100 bills are $1 bills. And that’s a wrap!”

5. Insist on taking the streets, not the back roads

Cab drivers will lead you to believe that they are helping you out by taking the back roads because there are less lights, which would seem better because the meter doesn’t stop running when the car is waiting at a light. However, taking the back roads will guarantee you paying a higher fare because the meter runs on time and distance, and back roads always are a farther distance, usually with more hills and turns, both of which up the fare.

6. And most importantly: Know where you are going and how you want to get there.

The most common, and the most avoidable way to get ripped off by a cabbie is to hop in and just tell them to take you to a certain location or name an intersection. This sounds like pure money to the cabbie’s ear because there are 30 ways to get somewhere, and the cabbie will always take you the longest way possible. Instead, tell them the way you know is the fastest. If you aren’t sure the quickest way, tell them no back roads, and no freeways for sure.

CONTACT SEWELL AT REMMUS@SFSU.EDU