Since 2004, New York cabbie Ahmed Ibrahim has been collecting names and phone numbers of New Yorkers who are looking for the perfect match. He has organized more than 100 dates, and at least 30 of them have led to romances that lasted more than a year. Of course, Ibrahim doesn’t help just anybody who steps into his taxi. He draws the line at women merely looking for a “sugar daddy.” Like any wise matchmaker, Ibrahim has a few requirements, including two essential ones: the lonely hearts he helps must have a job and must not be a player. The cabbie listens to his customers’ conversations, throws out a couple of exploratory questions, and if their answers meet his standards, he mentions his free service and jots down their contact information. After years of experience in the field, Ibrahim has boiled matchmaking down to a single tip for his customers: "Don't box yourself in." By that he means don't be too picky, looking only for a Brad Pitt or an Angelina Jolie who will never come. Otherwise, he warns them, they'll end up once again in the back seat of some New York cab bemoaning their bad luck.
