Side missions

Taxi Driver

Maybe this is the first job you'll try. You need a taxi vehicle (I think you're better off with the new kind, the boxy one). Start the mission (it's caps lock for every side mission, for example). After you accept, a green dot shows up on the radar, which is the passenger. Pull up next to them, wait until the passenger gets in, take them to the place, and that's it. After they get out, go somewhere busy where there are enough pedestrians. Careful, if you run someone over, quickly find another passenger.

Tips

• If you get the passenger to the place they wanted really fast, you get an extra tip.
• If you drop the person off before the time runs out, the time you saved is added to the next round.
• After every 5th, 10th, etc. fare you get a big bonus, which is measured in money.
• If you wreck the machine too badly, people won't get in.

After 100 successful fares (not in a row, in total!) a new type of taxi (the Borgnine) appears in Harwood.

Ambulance Rescue

The doctor is in action. Ingredients: an ambulance, and two steady hands to drive this vehicle, which is fast by default but easy to tip over. Once you're in, accept the mission. You can recognize the sick people by the green dot on the radar, the blue arrow above their heads, and the puddle of blood. Take them to the hospital, as fast as you can. It's lame that on the first level you only have to take one person, but after that as many as the level you're currently on, in an incredibly short time. It's not easy, but the reward is nice: after 50 injured a health icon, and after 100 injured an adrenaline icon. And after you finish level 12, you can sprint until the end of time, you'll never run out of breath. I think Portland is the best place for ambulance work, but definitely early in the game...

Patrol Duty

If you feel like it, you can tip over to the bright side. As a guardian of order you have to keep a sharp eye out for whatever crime is happening on the streets of Liberty City. It's a bit funny that you start the mission by stealing a police car, but never mind... The goal is to catch 20 criminals on each of the three islands. After every 10 criminals you put behind bars (or send to the afterlife), a star appears in front of your hideout. After sixty criminals, escaping is quite pleasant. I recommend the "usual" LCPD police car, although the braver ones can go for an FBI Kuruma too...

Cheat: If you're not very good at driving, when you've caught up with the criminal, press ESC, then resume game. Look, the criminal pops out of the vehicle, you can even run him over...

Firefighting

In really hot situations you have to think with a cool head, and with water. Steal a fire truck, activate the mission. You have to put out the burning cars, and the burning little people who pop out of them. The water cannon can be aimed with the 4, 5, 6, 9 keys. If you've put out 20 vehicles/people in each of the three parts of the city, your reward will be a flamethrower, which you can pick up at your hideout.

Cheat: When you see the burning vehicle, quickly press the replay button, then once more: the fire is out, you can go on to the next location...