Tag Archives: cab

The Best (and Worst) Taxi Moments of 2016

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best and worst taxi moments of 2016This year we all heard a lot of news happening with taxis, both good and bad. We wanted to record and share some of the best and worst taxi moments of 2016!

  1. Some taxis went driverless! Still in testing phases across the world, these driverless taxis have been all the buzz this year. We’re expecting to hear even more as we enter the new year! best and worst taxi moments 2016
  2. New on demand taxi companies like Grab started challenging the big rideshare players, and they’re still fighting!
  3. Women are getting involved in the industry all around the world, breaking the stereotype that taxi drivers always have to be male, and hoping to prevent more sexual assaults. #WomenEmpowerment best and worst taxi moments 2016
  4. We saw some of the coolest taxi decorations. Ever. Guess how many light bulbs this taxi driver used to light up his cab? Over 8,000!top taxi moments of 2016
  5. Several taxi companies filed for bankruptcy in the midst of the rideshare takeover. In general, the number of taxis overall has been declining for these same reasons.
  6. 12 New York City taxi drivers were caught in a credit card scam, stealing almost $50,000 from passengers through fraudulent transactions.
  7. Taxi Driver of the Year: This Boston taxi driver returned almost $200,000 in cash after it was left in the back seat of his cab. He knew the money would change his life, but returned it to the police instead. best and worst taxi moments 2016

Wow, what a year! That’s all we got for the best and worst taxi moments in 2016, be sure to tune in next year to see what’s in store!

Oh La La! Taxi Drivers Strip Down for a Good Cause

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ali_march-0Looking for a unique gift to give your NYC dwelling friend this holiday season? If you want to send a laugh, look no further than The 2017 NYC Taxi Drivers Calendar. Yep, that’s right, firemen move over, the taxi cab drivers are baring all and ready for their close up.

In all seriousness, this calendar was made for a good cause! A portion of all proceeds will be donated to University Settlement, a settlement house that serves over 30,000 immigrants, working individuals, and families every year with services like education, housing, wellness opportunities, and literacy programs.

The calendar is available now for purchase for $14.99.

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Yellow Cabs Disappearing in NYC

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taxi graveyardHave you been in NYC lately? Have you noticed a difference in the types of cars transporting people around? According to a video by Interrobang, the yellow cab is disappearing in New York City and is becoming dominated by rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft.

In Brooklyn, you can see the “graveyard” of yellow cabs parked along the side of the streets. Many of these cabs are full of drivers sitting on the side of the road waiting for people who are looking for a ride. The price of medallions issued in the city has also been in a steady decline in the past few years.

The number of taxi medallions in NYC was 13,587, and since 2013 the value of the medallion has also been in decline since it reached its high point of over 1 million dollars in 2013. The number of Ubers has now surpassed that of yellow cabs in NYC. Some people find the technology of Uber to be more convenient and easier for them to use.

For other people, however, yellow taxis remain their first choice for transportation, and the yellow cab medallion is not dead yet. As Uber expands to highly technological adaptations such as self-driving vehicles, taxi medallion owners will just have to adapt and change to adhere to the current trends in the industry in order to stay alive.

What is your opinion on taxis versus Ubers in New York City? Or anywhere, for that matter? Is the taxi medallion dead? Let us know what you think!

Top 5 Places to Take a Taxi This Fall

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Summer is over and it’s no longer perfect weather for the beach. Have no fear, there are still so many places to go this fall! No matter what city you live in, there is a place for you to take your taxi. So hop into Fall and enjoy the ride!

apple-picking

  1. Apple Picking: ‘Tis the season of fresh crisp apples! Even if you’re from the city, there is bound to be an apple orchard nearby, and a taxi can always take you there! Enjoy the fruit, and don’t forget to grab a cider donut on your way out!hot-air-balloon
  2. Hot Air Balloon Ride: Although this is not your every-day fall activity, riding in a hot air balloon ride is a once-in-a-lifetime experience you will want to try this fall. Make a day out of it and enjoy the beautiful view! tailgate
  3. Your local football game: Even if you’re not a sports fan, make sure to at least stop by your local football game and tailgate, if only for the food. This is a staple event of fall and a can’t-miss experience. potluck
  4. Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner: Come one, come all! A potluck dinner is an awesome event to have in the fall, so talk with your friends and plan a group gathering! And don’t worry about driving through the city with your mashed potatoes — grab a taxi for a no-worry drive!foliage2
  5. Foliage at the park: Last but not least, make sure you take some time to enjoy the changing scenery around you! Fall is everywhere, and it goes by quickly, so make sure you don’t miss it!

Wherever you go this fall, know that TaxiFareFinder is there as a resource.  Find your fare on our website and enjoy!

Finding Lost Items in Your Uber or Taxi

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lost item in uber Did you have a rough night on the town and realize you left your iPhone in the backseat of your Uber?

What do you do next? Luckily, if you’re in an Uber, retrieving your lost item should not be difficult. Rideshare companies generally make it easy for passengers to find the items they accidentally left behind.

Follow these steps to figure out how to get back your lost item from your Uber!

  1. As soon as you realize your item is missing, contact your Uber driver through the Uber app. The app will prompt you to enter your phone number and report the lost item.
  2. Next, the Uber app will connect you to your driver’s cell phone number, you will be able to speak to the driver directly to see if he/she has your missing item
  3. Coordinate with your driver to meet up and exchange your missing item.
  4. If the driver never answers your call, wait 24 hours and let Uber know — they will contact your driver directly for you to ensure you get in contact.

Unfortunately, it is not so easy to retrieve your lost item from a taxi. Taxi services such as the NYC taxi company have a “lost and found” where drivers are able to give any items left in their cab, however there is no obligation for the driver to return any lost items. Most taxi companies also encourage passengers to call their company to report any missing items as soon as possible. Remember to always know the name and taxi number of your cab to make this process easier – getting a receipt is the best way to always ensure you have your taxi drivers information!

Have any horror stories of lost items in your Uber or taxi? Comment below to share!

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How to Become a Taxi Driver

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taxi-sxf_16x9_460x250Thinking about becoming a taxi driver? We have compiled a list of the steps you need to take in order to land the job you want as a taxi driver. The process differs depending on what country you live in, but here we will talk about the process in the United States.

1. Obtain a driver’s license. This one may seem obvious, but it is the first and one of the most important steps you will need to take. Being a taxi driver is a lot of responsibility so it is vital that you are a safe certified driver.

2. Make sure you are old enough. In most states the law is that you need to be 21 years old in order to be a taxi driver, however, depending on the city it may be 18 years of age.

3. Obtain a taxi medallion. This is not required for all cities, but in some it is required that you purchase a taxi medallion in order to operate as a taxicab. This is typically expensive to obtain, so you should consider the cost when deciding if you want to be a taxi driver or not. If obtaining a taxi medallion is not in your budget, you can work for an existing taxi company and use their licensed cars for your shifts. If you choose to work for an existing company you will only get a portion of the fares that come in.

4. Take a health test. A good majority of states will require that you pass a good health test to make sure you do not have any conditions that could potentially endanger a passenger. This may be dependent on the state and taxi company that you are choosing to apply for.

5. Go through a training course. There is no amount of formal education that is required to be a taxi driver, however depending on the city you may need to participate in driving training courses. They could last either days or weeks, depending on the city, and typically cover general driving and safety rules.

6. Go through a background check. In order to be a taxi driver you must go through a criminal background check that may include fingerprints, a medical examination, and drug tests.

7. Decide if you want to be an independent driver. As a taxi driver, you could work for an existing taxi company and receive a percentage of the fares that come in, or you could operate independently and take in 100% of the fares, but also incur all the expenses that come along with operating a business.

As you can see, the process to becoming a taxi driver requires a lot of steps to be taken. This is not something you can accomplish overnight. However, it is a great opportunity to get into the work force, especially because most taxi drivers have the ability to maintain a flexible work schedule, and work when they want to work.

 

 

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7 Unusual Taxis You Don’t See Every Day

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  1. A bike taxi painted and decorated like a piece of artwork!colorful small
  2. A high-speed Mercedes taxi cab with a futuristic look futuristic
  3. Hello Kitty decorated taxi! Whiskers and all! hello kitty
  4. This taxi that operates on land AND water!land and water
  5. A taxi with a sound quality like this one!

speaker6. This can’t be a time traveling taxi.. can it?

time travel

7. This trendy taxi makes me want to take a ride to the mall! trendy

The Best and Worst Cities to Take a Taxi

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Attention travelers! We compiled a list of the best and worst cities to take a taxi in based on the reputation of the taxi service. We used factors including the quality of driving, quality of vehicles, cleanliness, safety, friendliness, knowledge, availability, and value.

Do you see your city on the list? Have you taken a cab in one of these cities? Let us know!

Which is Safer, Ubers or Taxis?

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uber-vs-taxi

In the news we often see headlined stories about passengers who have been assaulted by their Uber and Taxi drivers. Sometimes people even report being abused more than once. With all the media that the news covers around these incidents, we wanted to see if one of these options (Taxis or Ubers) would be safer to use than the other.

Tracking Police Reports

The first step of this investigation might be to check with the records of reported assaults, and compare how many occurred in Taxis and how many in Ubers in different cities across the U.S.. However, according to this article in The Atlantic, when an incident is reported to the local police surrounding an assault in a cab or Uber, the police report does not include the location of where the offense occurred. So, police departments in major cities have no way to track historical records of assaults that have occurred in taxis or Ubers, which complicates things just a bit.

Background Checks

Now to the topic of background checks. This is a sensitive topic because of course, Uber thinks that they have more intense background checks than taxis, using the example of some drivers who failed Uber’s check but passed the city’s background check to drive a taxi. On the other hand, taxi companies believe that taxi drivers have to undergo more intense background checks than Uber drivers do, because Uber’s records only go back 7 years and they do not use fingerprints. Uber left the city of Austin just to prove that they refused to fingerprint their drivers.

The conclusion on this topic might be that no background checks are perfect, and each of them contain their flaws. And, of course, even a seemingly perfect background check may not catch a potential offender of sexual assault because the person may not have a history of criminal behavior, but humans are also flawed.

Incident Reporting

When an incident is reported in the Uber app, Uber suspends the driver’s access to the app while they are investigating the claim, which means they are not able to drive any passengers. If they find the person is guilty, Uber will deactivate the driver permanently. Taxi commissions have similar processes if a driver is accused of assault, however there is no standard procedure that all taxi drivers undergo when accused.

According to these factors, we cannot come to the conclusion that Ubers are more dangerous than Taxis, or the other way around. The fact of the matter is that assault incidences occur in both, and the best way to insure your safety while riding in an Uber or Taxi is to be aware of your surroundings, travel with a buddy, and be sure to report any incidences that may occur.

The Ups (and Downs) of the Taxi Medallion

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NYC-Medallion-Prices-InfoGraphic

Up until 2013 yellow taxis held a clear monopoly in New York City, and the value of the Medallion grew exponentially from 2009 to 2013. Credit Unions poured their money into investing in these medallions, because they were seen as a highly profitable investment.

However, as Uber entered into the market the value of the medallion took a strong hit. In 2013 yellow taxi medallions were valued at $1.32 million. Since then, the value of what used to be seen as a “golden” investment has more than cut in half. In 2016, the value of the medallion could be worth as little as $650,000!

So, what does this mean for taxi drivers? Many of them struggle to make ends meet and keep up with the competition that Uber and other rideshare companies have created with their e-hailing of cars. Some taxi drivers have switched to Uber, which could potentially offer an increased earning potential, flexible work schedule, and even improved driver safety.

The future is not looking up for the price of medallions, and for the future of the NYC taxi industry. We expect this downward trend to continue to decrease as even more rideshare companies enter into the market and pose a potential threat to those yellow taxi drivers.