That headline is supposed to suggest trying to hail a cab. But in the city where I live, there’s rarely a problem of finding one. The problem starts when one glides over to the curb, and you have to decide whether you want to get in.
I’m not talking about any evaluation of the looks of the driver—I’ve had good and bad experiences with all sorts of cab drivers. No, my concern is the condition and cleanliness of the car, and secondarily, if the driver will know how to reach my destination efficiently.
I live in a neighborhood that’s at quite some distance from the airport I use. So when I arrive back home from one of my frequent flights, I give the driver my address and then wonder if I should ask if he or she knows the way or wants some help. I’m not questioning the driver’s professionalism, but I also don’t want to be taken home by some circuitous route. Obtaining a taxi driver’s license in this town isn’t the most rigorous of tasks. And there are ways—not quite legal—of making it even less rigorous.
I love to use London as an example of the "right" way to assure knowledgeable taxi drivers. Everyone’s probably heard of the process of "Doin’ the Knowledge," which requires the would-be taxi driver to bicycle around the city’s 18,000 or so streets until he or she knows how to get to each of them efficiently from anywhere in the city.
I’ve been told that driving a cab in London was, and perhaps still is, a respected profession that allows someone with only a small amount of capital to be in self-owned business. Too often here at home, driving a cab is thought of as a bottom-of-the-ladder way of making some money, and the person forced to accept that job hasn’t highly motivation to do it well.
So what’s to be done about the taxi situation in many of America’s biggest cities? In my opinion it all comes down to the enforcement of the rules that presently exist, and the addition of a few more.
First, create a more comprehensive process of testing license applicants’ knowledge of the city’s streets. (The current examination consists of knowing how to make the trip between 200 named buildings, landmarks or institutions.)
Next, limit the number of hours a cab can be driven in any 24-hour period, and enforce the rule.
Renting a taxi from a medallion owner gives the driver the right to work the cab for 24-hours, and that’s just what some drivers do, sharing one cab with one or two other shift drivers, or in extreme cases, sleeping in the cab for a few hours, and then rolling out with it again.
Finally, assign professional inspectors (perhaps retired drivers) to ride as passengers and report their findings, with enforcement penalties for violations when found.
While taxis are great for spur-of-the-moment transport, every time I ride in one I appreciate the times I can schedule a town car for airport transit and, really, it's not much of a splurge considering the way taxi fares have risen in the last couple of years.
But as far as taxis are concerned, I’m probably talking about the way things would be done in Oz. Nevertheless, one can wish, and while I’m wishing, let me add that it would be nice if all drivers were required to wear a clean, simple uniform, perhaps just dark trousers or shorts and a specified-color shirt.
Do you have cab stories (winners or losers) to share with us? Please do.
Paula "More Gripes" Gifford