Video: A Veteran Detroit Cabbie Talks About Customers, Uber and His Favorite Mayor

Kevin McDonald, aka "Kmack," has been driving a cab in Detroit for 37 years.

He met his wife while driving, helped raise his children on his earnings and has seen plenty of changes in the industry, particularly with the advent of Uber and Lyft.

McDonald, 57, wrote a 2017 book, "Money Upfront in Detroit," about his life and views of Detroit. The title is also is his mantra: He insists customers pay before the ride. (He says he knows the city so well, he's able to calculate the fare before the meter shows the final tabulation). 

Deadline Detroit's Allan Lengel rode around town in his cab recently and chatted about his career. (Video and editing is by Deadline's Michael Lucido.)

Note: About a week after our trip, McDonald says the cab he was leasing from Countywide Cab, a small independent company, broke down on 6 Mile Road on Detroit's west side. He says the owner fired him for abandoning the cab there. So, he's looking to drive a cab for a new company or perhaps going independent.