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 | New York City Taxis Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 100 |  |
What trip to New York would be complete without a ride in a yellow cab!
We caught a cab from JFK to our hotel in Midtown Manhattan. There is a set fare for this trip of 35 USD, plus tolls....oh, and a tip of course.
This is actually pretty good value, especially when you arrive late-ish at night like we did.
We also caught a cab a couple of times at night after dinner.
Just make sure you catch one in the right location to enable you to zip down one of the avenues and get all the green lights. Leave a Comment |
I used to think taxis in Manhattan is such an expensive way of transportation that should only be used for emergency, and not until recently when I came to term with the cost effective aspect of the yellow cabs.
Taxis are well regulated in the city, from the outside appearance to the inside condition, from the metered rate to the quality of service.
All licensed taxis are yellow with a medallion and numbers painted on the door. All are smoke-free, incense-free, and music-free. All come with A/C.
Rate starts at $2 when the meter is turned on, 30 cents for each 1/5 of a mile, and 20 cents for each minute of stopping. The regular size taxi can only take four passengers since there are only four seat belts installed in the cab. The mini van size taxi can take five passengers.
Taxi drivers are not allowed to refuse a ride to any destination and they must treat passengers with respect. If you happen to be the recipient of a bad taxi service, you simply need to jot down the medallion number of the car and call (212) NYC-TAXI to report the incident.
Gypsy cabs are illegal and the drivers are unlicensed, they do not adhere to any regulations. If you must use them, do it at your own risk. Leave a Comment Theme: Other |
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It is advised you only ride in the official yellow licensed NYC Taxi cabs and not in the so called 'gypsy" cabs which often aren't insured properly and will basically charge you whatever they want.
From JFK : The flat fare is $45.00 as of May 2004, plus any tolls. The meter will not be turned on and the night surcharge will not be added.
(note there's no flat fare TO the JFK airport)
In New York : the NEW metered rate of fare as of May 2004 :
-$2.50 upon entry
-$.40 for each additional unit
The unit of fare is one-fifth of a mile, when the taxicab is traveling at 8 miles an hour or more; or 2 minutes (40 cents, i.e. at a rate of 20 cents per minute), when the taxicab is not in motion or is traveling at less than 8 miles an hour.
-Night surcharge of $.50 after 8:00 PM & before 6:00 AM
-New as of May 2004 is the peak surcharge of $ 1.00 between 4pm-8pm on weekdays.
-if the roof numbers are lit up, the taxi is available
-occupied cabs have their top lights switched off, taxi's that are "off duty" have the corresponding words lit in the sign on the roof
-taxi's can be flagged with a raise of the hand and a flick of the wrist
-a taxi will carry up to four passengers
-make sure the driver knows exactly where you want to go, as many drivers are newly arrived immigrants
-the driver may NOT ask you your destiniation before you've sat down and by law must take you anywhere in the city
-pay cash and tip the driver about 15%
-if the driver does not comply or is unreasonable, rude etc..., saying you will report him to the Taxi & Limousine Commission (which is your right) usually helps. The driver's name and license number are visible from the backseat. Leave a Comment |
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The NYC cab system is rather large and proficient. To have the option to just jump a ride when there is a group of you or you are in more of a hurry is great. The cabs are a lot safer than you generally hear and will get you directly to your destination. Leave a Comment |
Getting around NYC by taxi or cab as it is referred to is the easiest but not always the fastest way to get from point A to point B. Just stand by the curb with your arm stretched out and an available cab will stop. Leave a Comment |
Sometimes you can get into a cab with a crazy cabbi. Not always, some are very nice and willing to engage you in conversation and will offer travel information. But sometimes,
you get a kook, that is absolutely nuts, and drives like a bat a hell. I have actually had to have two taxi drivers stop and let me out of their cab. I thought I would die if I let them drive me to my destination. I'm not sure why some taxi drivers are like this, but just be aware of it and ask them to pull over if you feel uncomfortable.
check out the website below for more info Leave a Comment |
NYC Metro - The NYC Subway rivals Boston and Chicago for "mass transit stories." There's always something happening there, but it is cheap, efficient, and if you know what you are doing (hey, even if you don't - we didn't) you can get around for $2.00 where a cab would cost $6-10.
you can purchase all day "unlimited rides" for $7.00, but if you don't know how many trips you'll be taking, it's probably better to get the "multi-ride" ticket. Anything over $10 and you get a 20% bonus. So, a $10.00 card for five rides actually gives you 6. Leave a Comment Theme: Subway/MetroPhone: 1-88-NY?C-SAFE (692-7233)Other Contact: 212-638-7622 |
Taxis are a very convenient way to get around, particularly at night, BUT NOT DURING RUSH HOUR. Taxis are yellow - anyone who tells you he's a taxi driver in a car a color other than yellow is lying. If the light on teh top of the cab is lit in the middle, the cab is empty and in service. Most hotels have taxi stands, as do Grand CEntral and Penn Station. Hailing a cab yourself is easy enough. Stand just off hte corner,a little bit out in the street, and raise your arm. This is usually enough to get a cab to stop. Yelling "taxi" or whistling is unnecessary - the city is noisy enough as it is. Rate for taxis are:
$2.50 just for getting in
$0.40 for each 1/5 mile
$0.40 for each 120 seconds stopped in traffic.
$1.00 peak surcharge (4pm - 8pm weekdays)
$0.50 additional night charge (8pm - 6am)
Plus, tip in the range of 15-20 percent.
In the back of every cab there is a list of riders' rights, which includes "the right ot a receipt," "the right to be taken to any destination in the metropolitan area," etc. You also have the right to a seatbelt. It would be wise to buckle up, as taxis move fast and allow little margin for error. Taxi drivers sometimes try to rip you off by taking a longer route than is necessary, but if they think you know what you're talking about, they won't mess with you. Know where you're going and try to mention that you'd like to go via a certain street.
Personally, I think NYC taxi drivers are the safest on earth. Granted they don't drive like a tractor in a farm, slow and steady or whatever, but they get you where you need to go in one piece and quickly. And the whole whistling thing, shhh, but I do it! :-) Leave a Comment Theme: Other |
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There are probably cheaper ways of getting from LaGuardia (LGA) airport to Manhattan but none are easier than hopping into a cab.
I arrived on a Saturday morning when there was very little traffic and the ride was very quick, probably less than 20 minutes. I ended up paying $35 for the ride, the meter was $28, $4 for the toll and a tip.
There was a short queue outside the terminal, you'll be handed a fact sheet on taxi fares from LGA so that you won't get ripped off and have an idea of the fare.
Other options include hiring a car service which will be more expensive, Super Shuttle which will be cheaper if there is only one person traveling but almost assuredly will take longer as they stop at multiple hotels. Leave a Comment Theme: Other |
In the afternoon between 4:30 and 5:30 the taxi cabs in NYC have their shift change. It can be VERY difficult to get a cab at these times. If you are in absolute need of a cab to get to the airport or something like that arrange for a car service ahead of time. I use Diamond car service and really like them. You may see cabs with their light on above that says out of service yet they are picking people up still. This is done when they are near the end of the shift, they will lean over and ask where you are going to see if it is on their way back to their garage to drop the cab off. New Yorkers can be rutheless when it comes to hailing a cab. You may see people walk up the street in the direction of traffic to "cut you off" especially if you are stuck there with your luggage on the street. Leave a Comment Theme: Car/Motor Home |
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