Patch Portrait: Riding With Ethel

This week's Patch Portraits was produced and edited by Casey Cora, Phillip Downie and Natalie Kaplan. Check back on Mondays for the next installment.

Also showcased, and a .

Cab driver Ethel Ashford doesn't do regulars: short trips result in lousy tips.

Ashford, 52, of Maywood, has been a driver with the Forest Park-based Blue Cab for the past year and a half. Usually, she spends her shifts hauling local commuters to train and bus stops or cruising Madison Street as the bars empty.

And while she doesn't do pick ups from the city, she'll take you anywhere once you're in her cab — and you'll probably have a few laughs during the ride.

Oak Park-River Forest Patch tagged along for a recent ride while Ashford dished pearls of wisdom about the life of a local cabbie.