Across Indiana
Cookie Cabbie
Clip | 5m 59sVideo has Closed Captions
Indianapolis taxi driver makes baked goods for passengers.
In 1996, Indianapolis taxi driver Bill Pitzer earned the nickname “Cookie Cabbie” by offering homemade baked goods to his passengers. From chocolate chip cookies and blueberry muffins to banana bread and cheesecake, Pitzer kept plenty of fresh treats with him at all times.
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Across Indiana is a local public television program presented by WFYI
Across Indiana
Cookie Cabbie
Clip | 5m 59sVideo has Closed Captions
In 1996, Indianapolis taxi driver Bill Pitzer earned the nickname “Cookie Cabbie” by offering homemade baked goods to his passengers. From chocolate chip cookies and blueberry muffins to banana bread and cheesecake, Pitzer kept plenty of fresh treats with him at all times.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipDo you find that you can drive and eat a blueberry muffin at the same time?
Not very easily.
It's not polite for me to talk with my mouth full.
And sometimes you can't help it.
It's hard not to ride in the back of Bill Pitzers taxi cab and to eat at the same time.
That's what I call a lemon puff cookie.
He's known simply as the Cookie Cabbie.
This is a carrot cake cookie.
Wow.
Wonderful creation.
That is raspberry chocolate chip peanut butter cookie.
This is two loaves banana nut bread with dates and raisins in them.
Each day, Indianapolis taxi driver, Bill Pitzer, spends hours in the kitchen baking goodies to put in his cab.
I put, one cup of sugar of granulated sugar.
I put four eggs, and I blend them all together.
This cabbies culinary creativity began a few years ago.
Hold on a second.
Just about ran over somebody One day, while looking for something to replace his smoking habit, he came across a recipe for a pineapple upside down cake in the newspaper.
When I quit smoking thats when I started this pineapple upside down cake.
And what?
And then pies, and cheesecakes, and everything else.
He bakes for his passengers in Indianapolis, if you call for a cab and you're lucky enough to have Hoosier cab number 97 dispatched your way, then you're in for a treat.
And then I have, or lots of treats.
my blueberry muffins.
What's the first reaction that you get from people when they get in here and see all your goodies?
They're kind of taken back.
They're surprised.
Up in Minneapolis, do you have cabs that have upside down cakes in them?
No.
Well, listen, I don't know if you're hungry or not, but we do have some raspberry chocolate chip cookies.
Some carrot bread cookies.
We rode along with Bill as he took an out-of-town passenger over to the airport.
We've got a pineapple upside down cake.
Yeah, that's what that is.
We picked up this gentleman at the bus station.
He needed a ride over to a local topless bar.
And then, blueberry muffins.
Do you care for any?
No, thank you.
I've had enough to eat over the last couple of days.
Yeah, Well I might have one of these chocolate cookies.
You have one have a chocolate chip cookie.
You're a hell of a salesman.
Are you sure I can't talk you into one of these raspberry chocolate chip cookies?
Well, you might be able to on one of those carrot cakes.
Oh I knew it, I knew it.
Let's drive into the Westin and see if any of the Bellhops would like some goodies.
Okay, I think they would.
Okay.
Thank you.
This is the cookie man.
Chocolate chip Chocolate chip, my favorite.
The cookie cabbie is known to downtown bellhops, as he is to all the skycaps out at the airport.
You want some?
You want some banana nut bread?
Yeah.
And it's something you created, and people enjoy it.
And you know, I think more people enjoy it, the more you.
And to me, the more more I enjoy it.
So that's something I just I just love to do.
Best cookies in Indianapolis right here.
Best in town.
Chocolate.
Even the competition has a taste for Bill's cooking.
Would you like a cookie?
Great cookies.
I'd like to feel like I'm a at least a notch a notch or two above the average cab driver when I'm out here, you know, driving and, picking my fares and, dishing out my goodies to these people.
Well, it smells an awful lot better than, than some cabs.
Lemon Puff?
I'm not hearing you.
I wasnt paying attention.
Would you like to try a lemon puff?
No, that's all right.
All right.
I understand.
Hang on, I don't like to stop quick.
Would you like some banana nut bread?
No, im still working on that cookie Aside from the caloric intake, about the only downfall to riding in Bill's cab is getting powdered sugar all over your clothes.
Well, at least it tasted good.
You don't ever have a passenger get nauseous on you do you?
I've had two incidents where somebody got very nauseated.
Yeah.
They, both times, they were, you know, imbibing.
Oh, do you mean alcohol or upside down cake?
No drinking.
We do you got to drink?
You know what I've seen, I mean, I treat people the way I want to be treated.
You know, its worked out good for, you know, for 57 years.
For more Across Indiana Stories, go to WFYI.org/AcrossIndiana
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