Cab Tips For Newbies

Now I would never pretend to be an expert in this area after just a few months but I can share what I have figured out up to this point. Much of this may be common knowledge but I don’t what to skip the basics.

First, know how to spot an available cab. Simply check the lights on the roof. If they are all dark the cab already has a fare, if the numbers in the middle are lit up it is available, if the smaller lights on both sides of the numbers are lit the cab is off duty. This will save you from appearing foolish trying to hail cabs that will never even look at you.

Next, pick a good spot to get picked up. Head for the nearest north or south avenue depending on your destination. If you grab a cab going north when you are heading south will take you through three unnecessary stoplights and cost you a few extra dollars. Getting a cab on any of the one way crosstown streets is a fluke. The drivers do not cruise east and west looking for fares so most of them you see will be in use. It is also hard to get a cab on the streets around the edges of Manhattan. These are generally higher speed areas and cabs use them after they have a fare rather than cruising looking for business. Still keep an eye out because you might catch one dropping off a fare.

Once you get to your avenue find a spot where the cab can pick you up without creating a bottleneck or a hazard. Ideally this would be an empty spot at the curb. Also, go just past the traffic light. You don’t want to start out before the light and have it go red as you get in the car with the meter running. It is also good to go to the left hand side of the road. The right hand side is the bus lane and there is a good chance there is a bus stop as well. If you and your cab block a bus lane you can be sure the driver will lean on the horn while you are trying to clamber into backseat. If you enjoy being the center of attention this is sure fire way to get it.

Once you are in your ideal spot simply hold your hand out. The cabbie will spot you, no need to do jumping jacks, that is his job. I have seen a woman in high heels walking on the street with her back to traffic, on a cell phone, at night, with her hand out and a cab stopped for her. Now that’s a pro. Hmmm…now that I think about it I believe she was a pro.

Be prepared to tell the driver where you are going. He won’t want the address, rather he will want the intersection. Tell him 42nd and 7th, that is 42nd Street and 7th Avenue. The east and west addresses are pretty simple with 5th Avenue being the dividing line. So 1 through 100 west is between 5th and 6th Avenues and 1 through 100 east is between 5th and 4th Avenues (only that 4th Avenue is actually Park Avenue). North and south numbering is pretty crazy and that is where you really need to know the cross street nearest to your destination. How crazy you ask? It is so weird that you might need a calculator. Check this link: Street Locator. Well…maybe you will need a slide rule. And that is why the cab driver probably won’t know where 1660 8th Avenue is.

Cab fares can add up quickly and the meter keeps running even if the car is not moving so you can save a lot, maybe half your fare, if you don’t go all the way from door to door. In other words if you can walk a little bit at the start to get to an avenue and then again at the destination to just get to a nearby intersection you should do so. The traffic on north and south avenues runs quickly and you can catch a wave going a mile or so without a red light. Crosstown traffic is where the congestion is. They are narrow and prone to gridlock and the lights only stay green about one-fourth the time that the avenues do. At peak times you may see only a couple of cars get through one green light cycle. So try to plan your trip to avoid the east west cross streets. If you cannot avoid going east and west try to use one of the major two way cross streets, 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd, 57th, 72nd.

All of the cabs now have video monitors in the back seat that will show your exact fare at the end of the ride. You use this for both cash and credit cards. It is a simple touch screen and you just follow the prompts including tip amount options in either dollars or percentages. Always get a receipt. This will include the cab number which you will need if you need to report a problem or if you find that you left or lost something in the cab.

One of my earliest posts was about the shift change. This is a late afternoon time when it is nearly impossible to get a cab. It is also difficult to get a cab between midnight and 1:00 AM. Normally buses run every five or ten minutes but at midnight they suddenly jump to just once every half hour or once an hour. This puts an instant increase on the demand for cabs and you will see nothing available during this time. However, this is when the gypsy cabs jump into action. They are not marked and they are not regulated and they are strictly forbidden from responding to a hail, the hand gesture. They will see someone who looks like they need a cab and slow down to make eye contact but you need to make the first move. They will linger a little but move on quickly. It is like a girl wanting you to ask her to dance. Don’t be shy… it ain’t Sadie Hawkins Day. Simply ask if they can take you to your destination and for how much. They know their stuff and will shoot back a price that will be about the same as the cab. There will be no meter and the car will be a bit more worn but that is what you get at midnight.

Now I much prefer to take the bus instead of a cab. They take about twice the time but the cost is a fraction of cab fare and I think it much more relaxing sitting up above the fray and getting bit of a tour. But when you need a cab you need a cab and nothing else will do.