I am a San Francisco cab driver. We do not get 1/2 the fare here. every city is different. We pay a certain amount each shift for the cab. Then we must tip the dispatchers and cashiers at the company both when we leave and when we return. We pay our own gas. When the economy is good, it's good for us. When it's bad. it's really bad. Last nite the city was a ghost town. I took home 30 bucks. Thanks for the 15 bucks in tips I got folks!