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Wednesday, February 16, 2011

In Search of a Cab, on Fifth Avenue

Hailing a Cab, Fifth Avenue
Photo by myself somewhere on Fifth Avenue, in Midtown.

A woman struck a pose very familiar to New Yorkers.

Generally, it's easiest to get a cab in the mornings. After about 3 in the afternoon, it starts becoming tougher.

Weather matters. In the rain and severe cold, taxis are harder to find.

Here are a few things that are required by law:
1. Passengers must enter and exit a cab on the sidewalk side. You may be fined, otherwise!
2. Taxi drivers cannot use cellphones while driving, though many do use headsets.
3. Taxi drivers must drive anyone to any address in the five boroughs of New York City. That means that drivers need to know how to generally drive anywhere you ask, and they cannot discriminate against you for any reason.

It is very common for a taxi driver to ask you where you're going and pretend he's going on a break if you wish to go outside Manhattan, where he might not get a return fare. This is against the law. You can report a driver by calling '311' and citing his badge number.

For more trivia about NYC Taxis, check out the Taxi and Limousine Commission site, here.

Related posts: Hailing in the Rain, Midtown, Stuck, on 8th Ave and Hailing a Cab, in Times Square.

9 comments:

Olivier said...

faut avouer que les taxis new-yorkais ont fait de très grand progrès depuis quelques années, a une époque c'était assez folklorique, on était pas certain d'arriver a la bonne adresse ;)

Beatrice B. said...

hehehehe good to know ;)
www.seitenstrasse.blogspot.com

Leif Hagen said...

I hope Barbara was able to catch a taxi without waiting too long!
I missed some of your great, recent postings! Fun to catch up this morning!

Terry at Blue Kitchen said...

Very informative, Kitty (and great shot too!). Now here's some news for you: If you want to bring Manhattan-style taxi service to the other boroughs--metered cabs that look like cabs, paying set fares with credit and debit cards, hailing cabs instead of calling car services--respond to the survey here at the NYC Taxi Commission & Limousine site you linked to in this post.

Pierre said...

Hi kitty

Thanks for this lesson of life. On how to use a cab in NY

You are a great guide during all this posts.

Pierre

Ken Mac said...

that cop could total any NYC cab!

dianasfaria.com said...

I love this street scene, so much to look at.
Another great NYC portrait.

Kitty said...

Thanks everyone!

Hi Olivier
I can relate...yes, cabs seem much more dependable nowadays. Many also have GPS's so they can't get lost

Thanks Beatrice and welcome!

Hi Leif
Thanks, I seriously need to catch up w/ you, too.

Thanks Terry
Ha, I have mixed feelings about livery cabs. They are people trying to make a buck, too. They are good for areas that don't have cab traffic.

Thank you, Pierre!!

Ha, Ken.
We have the same sense of humor.

Hi Lily!
Thanks so much. I wish I could walk around a lot more often than I do nowadays. It's sad.

Andrea said...

Such a great photo kitty, her face tells a thousand words!