Jun 24th, 2009 at 2:30PM: In what is probably one of the worst ways to start your trip in the United States, five French tourists took a seven mile ride through several New York neighborhoods while being chased by cops. The tourists just arrived at JFK and had been directed towards a waiting van for hire by a "steerer", who waits for unsuspecting tourists arriving at the airport, sending them to unauthorized taxi cabs and ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
taxi posts
Seven mile airport van ride from hell ends with guns pulled
Jun 24th, 2009 at 2:30PM: In what is probably one of the worst ways to start your trip in the United States, five French tourists took a seven mile ride through several New York neighborhoods while being chased by cops. The tourists just arrived at JFK and had been directed towards a waiting van for hire by a "steerer", who waits for unsuspecting tourists arriving at the airport, sending them to unauthorized taxi cabs and ...London Black Cabs voted best in the world - Parisian cabbies the rudest
Jun 3rd, 2009 at 11:30AM: A European survey of 1400 tourists has revealed where you can find the best taxi cab service. 33% of the votes went to London, followed by New York (17). London cabs were also given high marks for friendliness and knowledge of the routes. They do lose marks for being exceptionally expensive. New York came second in almost every category, except safety. In fact, New York cabbies were voted "worst ...Photo of the Day (5.30.09)
May 30th, 2009 at 5:30PM: Add one more thing to my growing list of things to do before I die: be a contestant on the Cash Cab. What could be more quintessentially New York than an endless row of New York taxi cabs? This photo, brought to us by ultraclay, not only captures the perfectly organized chaos that is New York City street life, but he brings these yellow cabs lined up in a row into vibrant life. Those of you like ...Photo of the Day 3.2.09
Mar 2nd, 2009 at 6:00PM: I've spent a large part of my day today checking in with friends of mine who live on the east coast of the US -- my HEAVENS, but you guys are getting dumped on with snow! It's for this reason I couldn't resist posting this great photograph of New York taxis lined up and buried in the white stuff, shared by Global Voyager in the Gadling Flickr pool. Hang in there, guys. Spring is just around the ...Improve your chances of getting a cab
Feb 19th, 2009 at 4:00PM: Sometimes, it's easy to catch a cab. Three or four pass by, and all you have to do is get the attention of one of them. Contrast that, however, with a rainy day in Manhattan at 5:30 PM. You and the rest of the world want 35 blocks of yellow car bliss, and most will be disappointed. Fortunately, there are now a few ways you can take control of your transportational fate. I remember taking the train ...To summarize getting to and from London...
Mar 7th, 2008 at 10:00AM: ...I would default to the much overused Mastercard lingo:
Airticket from London to Prague: $100
Taxi to the airport: $250
Leaving for the airport early enough to take the train next time: priceless. (Well, not completely priceless, but about $230 cheaper than taking a cab.)
The good part is that I actually made the flight with two minutes to spare. The bad part is that it would have been ...Cockpit Chronicles: Taken for a ride in Panama City
Mar 4th, 2008 at 9:00AM: I called my friend Captain Dave the day before our trip. "Dave, we're going to hit the ground running in Panama City so we can check out the canal. I've got it all figured out. Just get to bed early," I said. Dave was up for this. He actually traded one of his Barbados layovers to fly this trip with me. Sometimes it's worth it to fly an ugly trip with a good friend. We've been flying together ...Newark/JFK to Manhattan via Helicopter for $99
Sep 13th, 2007 at 9:00AM: How much does it cost to take a cab from JFK or Newark to Manhattan these days? US Helicopter -- an "8-Minute Airport Shuttle" -- says it's a cool $60, but that seems pretty high. Regardless, the company is offering a helicopter ride from either JFK or Newark for only $99 one way, which seems pretty fair considering regular helicopter tours of Manhattan can cost almost $200 per person for less ...Choose Your Russian Taxi Carefully!
Aug 29th, 2007 at 11:00AM: I'm not sure I ever had much of an interest in visiting Russia before I started reading EnglishRussia.com. I mean sure, I'd go if the opportunity presented itself, but once my favorite Russian blog hit the scene and they started covering all sorts of "largest country in the world" oddities did I realize this was truly a place I wanted to go. Take this video for instance, simply titled Moscow ...
The Truth About Taxi Drivers in Prague
Jul 27th, 2007 at 8:00AM: The cab drivers in Prague really are that bad. The problem has gotten slightly better after the Prague mayor dressed up as an Italian tourist and saw for himself how much they rip off foreigners. But it is still not nearly good enough.
The thing is, they don't only overcharge foreigners. It occasionally happens to locals, too, if they don't pay attention to the hyperactive meters. Sadly, a lot of ...NYC's Taxis go Hybrid: Yellow Can be Green
May 22nd, 2007 at 11:50AM: NYC's Mayor Bloomberg announced a plan to have the entire NYC fleet of taxicabs change to hybrids within five years. With 13,000 cabs, this is a tall order.
There are about 400 hybrid taxis currently in use now, and they've had good reviews from riders and drivers. Taxi models include the Toyota Prius, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, the Lexus RX 400h, and the Ford Escape. Expect the number to ...Hail a Burro in Mijas, Spain
May 16th, 2007 at 10:15AM: New York has yellow cabs. Bangkok has tuk-tuks. And Mijas, Spain has extravagantly-decorated burros.
Is it just a way to entice money from tourists? Maybe. But it's still totally cool. ...
Garden in Transit: New York City in Full Bloom
May 11th, 2007 at 5:55PM: New York City, get ready for some color. Garden in Transit is a city art project organized to paint colorful flowers on weatherproof panels that will be placed on tops of approximately 12,000 taxis in the New York City area. Non-profit organization Portraits for Hope are organizing this "groundbreaking motivational art, education, and creative therapy project" which will use the artistic talents ...Beijing Cabbies Not Allowed to Dye Hair Red
Apr 18th, 2007 at 12:01PM: Yesterday I posted about tickets going on sale for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Understandably, China wants to make a good impression on the hordes of international travelers who will descend upon their country. In an effort to control that impression, the government has made a 12-item self-improvement list for cabdrivers.
So, if you travel to Beijing for the games, you can be sure your ...New York Couple Takes 2400-Mile Cab Ride
Apr 9th, 2007 at 1:51PM: Betty and Bob Matas are retiring from NYC to Arizona. Though the next big hurdle for them will be the move, the couple has already hired movers to haul their stuff. But wait: how will they get their cats to Arizona? Though they could've shipped the cats via airliner, the Matas didn't want to force their cats to endure a trip in the cargo hold. They'll just drive, right? Well... no... they don't ...NY Cabbie Gets Crappy Tip, Still Does Good Deed
Feb 9th, 2007 at 9:20AM: If you believe in karma, then you know Chowdhury Osman just guaranteed himself countless rewards. First, the Bangladeshi-born Queens taxi driver accepted a passenger's 30¢ tip on an $11 ride. (That alone is worth some karma points, in my book.) Later, when he discovered that she had left a small bag in his back seat, he spent hours hunting for her so he could return it. What was in the bag? ...Taxi Drivers in Minneapolis Say No Trip If You Sip...
Oct 13th, 2006 at 1:22PM: Heads are butting in Minneapolis between Muslim cab drivers and passengers trying to get a ride. USA Today has a story on the situation saying many Muslim drivers are refusing service to passengers carrying wine, spirits, or any type of booze what-so-ever. Many of the cab drivers in the Minneapolis area are Somali Muslim and have stated that driving passengers with alcohol is against their faith ...Philly Taxi Drivers Protest Use of GPS Tracking Plan
Aug 20th, 2006 at 9:36AM: NPR has an audio listen on the taxi situation in Philly, where cab drivers are protesting a plan to place GPS (Global Positioning Systems) in their vehicles. The GPS devices would allow the cab dispatchers to know and pinpoint the exact location of a driver, but the driver's are saying this is a violation of their privacy. Hmm... Personally, I think it is a great plan. I don't catch cabs too ...
