7: Licensed To Drive, Washington, D.C. Cabbie Offers A Unique Ride

WASHINGTON - Hop into Ahmad Hassanzadeh's taxicab and see why hundreds of satisfied passengers from around the world say he is the most unusual driver they've met.

He greets people by asking them to call him 007, as in Bond - James Bond. And 007 is his Washington Flyer cab number, license plate number and the last three digits of his cab phone. He answers, "Hello, 007."

"What can I do to make sure people remember who I am? So I'm 007, a famous driver," Hassanzadeh said.

He wears a suit, tie and pocket handkerchief. Sometimes he offers passengers sandwiches from home or cookies and bread from a Middle Eastern bakery. There are cold drinks during the summer and, if there's time to stop, cappuccino in the winter.

He might spray you with Cartier cologne, which he keeps on the leather seat of his immaculate 1994 Chevrolet Caprice Classic.

In return, besides his fare, 007 wants a business card. Hassanzadeh has collected 5,000, which he has assembled in 55 small leather books. About half the books are in a Dallas Cowboys gym bag he keeps beside him on the cab's front seat as if they contained nuclear codes.

The cards are from all over the world, from chief executive officers of Fortune 500 companies, members of Congress and Parliament, ambassadors, bank presidents, actors, astronauts, professors and Secret Service agents. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor left her card. So did Gary Hart, Jesse Jackson and jazz great Stanley Turrentine. "Nightline" host Ted Koppel gave 007 his card, though Hassanzadeh professes to watch Letterman.

"These people run the world," said Hassanzadeh, 35, pointing to the cards. "In five minutes, they become friends with me."

People comment: "Most interesting and enjoyable ride ever, including limousines!" complimented one. Another scribbled: "Your service and companionship are first rate."

A Secret Service agent penned: "To 007. From one agent to another." Actor Steven J. Oliver wrote: "Forget Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton and Brosnan. Here's to the real 007."

Oliver is appearing on the soap opera "General Hospital." But the other day, at 7 a.m. Los Angeles time, he called 007 to check on Hassanzadeh's mother, who just had quadruple-bypass heart surgery.

"At first, the whole thing seemed very peculiar," Oliver said in an interview. "But he was sincere. He wanted to create this persona for himself, and he succeeded."

Hassanzadeh, who wears eyeglasses and 160 pounds on his 5-foot-7 frame, does not look like Bond. But one of his managers with the taxi and bus service at Dulles International Airport once remarked, "I don't believe you're a cabdriver. You act like James Bond or something."

Born in Afghanistan but now a U.S. citizen, Hassanzadeh and his wife, Zarlasht, have a 7-year-old daughter and 5-year-old twin boys. The boys have Down syndrome, which has required several operations. 007 says he makes less than $40,000 a year, and more than a quarter of his income can go for his car, fuel and maintenance.

"After the kids were born, a doctor told us to think about giving them up for adoption. I said, `This is a gift from God. I'm willing to spend my life with them,' " Hassanzadeh said. "Life is very short. We have to be friends and help each other. I always make sure my customers enjoy it until the last minute."

He has taken people to Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Once he called Japan from his car to check with a passenger's secretary where the man was to stay. He has helped passengers find lost keys and passports. They offer him gifts from London and Paris - and big tips.

"He remembers details; he never fails to ask about my own diabetic 7-year-old son," said Scott Chase, a publisher in Potomac, Va., and regular passenger. On Chase's first ride, Hassanzadeh showed his business-card books and asked for Chase's card.

Thumbing through, Chase recounted, "I found a friend from National Public Radio and another from the National Association of Broadcasters in minutes. I called one of them on my return home. She said, `If I can't get Ahmad to the airport, I don't want to go.' "