In Search of a Cab, on 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.