Confession: I've never hailed a cab by myself in NY ...help
 

I admit it - I've never hailed a cab in NY before. I've been in cabs hailed by hotel personnel, I've used car services that were arranged in advance, I've ridden the subway, but I've never hailed a cab by myself in the city before.

Tips? Do you just try for the ones where the entire sign on top is illuminated?
Should I write down the street addresses in advance on an index card?
Any special info for the airport? I've heard about folks trying to lure tourists into unauthorized cabs. Don't you just stand in line at the taxi stand and take the next one?

Missypie: Cant help you much. But wanted to just share with you that I, also have not hailed a cab by myself in a large city. My experience is same as yours. In fact, recently I had an opportunity to use a taxi by myself and pondered on the same questions as you. Luckily, found an alternative, thus still am inexperienced in hailing a taxi by myself.
Will look for answers as it will help me too. Thanks for starting this thread.

If there is a taxi stand, yes, you can just stand in line and get in the next available one. However, I think they are only at major transportation hubs, like Penn Station or Grand Central. Otherwise, you just put your arm out when you see one who's open -- and that is signified by just the middle part of the light being lit -- it is occupied if there is no light on, and it is off duty if the side parts are lit. Usually, you don't need the address written down, but what you should know is where your intended address is -- it's much better to tell the driver, for example, "the northwest corner of Amsterdam and 87th" rather than "123 Amsterdam"

Taxis have a light on top. The light has the serial number of the taxi in the middle, and the words "OFF DUTY" to each side.

If the light in the middle is lit, the taxi is empty and it should stop for you if you hail it.

If no lights are it, the taxi is occupied.

If OFF DUTY is lit, the taxi is on its way back to the garage at the end of its shift. You can try to hail it, since the driver is allowed to pick up one fare that is headed in the same direction as the garage. (This is the only case where a driver can refuse to take you since you're not going in the same direction.)

Yes--at the airport, just use the taxis at the official taxi line.

Most New Yorkers tell taxi driver an intersection rather than a street address, especially if you're headed to a "street" address--traffic moves move slowly on "streets" compared to "avenues". For example, the Majestic Theater is at 245 W 44th in the middle of the block between Broadway and 8th Ave. We'd tell a driver "44th and 8th" or "44th and Broadway" depending on if we were coming from uptown or downtown. Then walk from the corner to the theater--not wasting time and money at the light to turn the corner and such.

Not rocket science guys....honest. A couple of tips would be to:

1. Stick your hand in the air and the next available cab will stop.

2. Hail the cab going in the direction you want to go, uptown, downtown, east, west ......easier to get where you want to go that way,,,,and cheaper.

3. Standing in line at the airport is the easiest way to go, or reserve a service car.

4. If the cab is available the light on top of the cab will be lit, if unavailable the middle light will be out, that means someone is in the cab or the driver is out of service.

CAB beat me to most of it.

Another thought--toward the end of your ride, if you haven't specified, the driver may ask you which side of the street you want. The other big question: "Before or after the light?" Sometimes after the light costs another click of the meter while you wait for the stoplight to change.

Thanks.

If I want to go someplace like Lincoln Center or the Guggenheim, can I just say that? (I remember one time in San Fransisco trying to call a cab to the Japanese Tea Garden and they had no idea where it was and I didn't have the physical address.)

Here's another question. I thought of reserving a car service to get from LaGuardia to our hotel. There are three of us, and the on-line form says we can't reserve a sedan because there are too many in our party - we must reserve a mini-van. What the heck?

If you want a cab, step in the street (stand between parked cars for protection) and wave your hand. You will see people waving at cabs, bicycles, trucks, anything that has lights, when it rains. When it is sunny, it is sometimes hard to tell if the lights are on or off. If you see a knot of people trying to get a cab, walking against traffic in order to get a cab before them.

I am not sure what the index card is supposed to accomplish. If you speak English, Hindi, or Urdu, you should be fine.

It is hardest to get a cab between 8:00-9:30 AM and 4:00-5:30 PM.

There are no queues besides the various terminals. The best place to get a cab at Penn is the cabstand on West 31, even though it is usually in the wrong direction. The satnd on 7th Avenue is usually a zoo.

Look for mosques and Halel restaurants for getting a cab if things are bad. There are a number of places the cabbies eat on Houston and Avenue A and First Ave and 13th Street.

Do not be timid, especially if it is raining.

Know the landmark AND the cross streets.

I would use the car service that says three people are too much unless you are bringing steamer trunks with you. A Sedan should be fine.

If you are going someplace wellknown like the museums, yes, you can generally just say "the Metroplitan museum of art" and they will take you there. When headed to a hotel I usually say both hotel and location "the Hilton at 57th and 6th...", that way they know to pull into the hotel door area.

hailing a cab in New York is generally very easy. Unless its raining after the theater, or during the shift change at 4:30-5.

You can also join the taxi line out front of hotels. You don't have to be a guest. It's correct to give the doorman $1 for fetching your cab.

Some other tips from my limited experience:

Don't be timid with your arm... Raise it high and wave your hand a bit. Make yourself visible to the guy so he'll be able to pull over for you.

Don't stand right next to someone already hailing cabs. Give em a few yards at least, but wave harder.

If you see no cabs on the street, walk around the corner or to the next street. Cabs tend to troll the same busy streets.

Get into the car quickly..the driver doesn't want to get hit or ticketed if he's not at the curb.

Tell the driver where you are going as posted above. Don't say things like "Do you know where the Rockefeller center is?" If so, there s a good chance you will be taking the scenic route.
Have your money or credit card in hand when the ride ends, so you don't waste everyone's time digging in your purse.


In NYC, drivers often ask which way you want to go (eg parkway vs city streets) It is good to know this in advance, but you can always say, "whichever is faster right now".

Not so much in NYC where drivers actually use their meters, but in other cities, I try to have a general idea of the price for my ride in advance, so I'll know if the fare is right.

Recently, we met a family that had taken a cab from the same hotel to the same restaurant as we did. Unfortunately, they got into a black towncar that pulled over for them rather than a yellow cab, and said, " sure", when the driver offered to go via Central park. Our cab: $20. Theirs: $60!

My daughters' favorite cab tip: If you feel uneasy alone in a cab, call someone (or just talk into your phone) telling them that you're in a cab and should be arriving in a few minutes. Talk loud enough for the driver to hear you. Turn your ringer off if you are just faking a call.

Do it like you see everyone do it on TV! With confidence.

If there's a taxi stand, then yes you just line up and get the next one.

missypie - re the car service. I usually use a car service from airports (I usually use Dial7) and I've never been told that 3 people required a minivan (unless you've got a huge amount of luggage). Most use cars similar to Town Cars so that doesn't sound right to me. Try another service.

Some advice, if you are a Penn Station, the airport etc., NEVER, EVER do the following:

1. Follow someone who approaches you asking if you need a cab to a remote location where they tell you the cab is "waiting";

2. Give money to someone who approaches you asking if you need a cab and then is supposedly going to go get the cab and "pull it around".

3. Give your luggage to someone who is going to carry it to the cab for you.

All typical scams used in every major city. Follow the other good advice above and you'll be fine.

It would be hard to mistake an authorized taxi for an unauthorized one since the legit ones are all bright yellow!
(and say "NYC taxi" in big letters on the sides)

It helps if you are on the proper side of the street, in the direction of your destination, unless you are on a one-way only street.

There are taxi stand only at the airports and train stations. Other than that it's every man for himself.

If the center light on top is lit the cab is empty and you hail it. do not stand on the curb. Walk out into the street (but not at the intersection - they can;t stop there) and raise the arm nearest the street to full length (some cabbies appear to be blind to anything less).

If the center AND side lights on top of the cab are on it means he is heding home but will take a fare headd in the right direction. He opens the window and you say - 75th and Third (or wherever) and he'll say yes or no, This usualy works only on cabs headed uptown - since many garages are either in the Bronx or Queens - and the driver only wants passengers going n the same direction.

If no light is lit the cab is full and ignore it.

If you are having trouble getting a cab you can consider a car service (dark sedan and the license will begin with a T) that stops for you. Tell him where you want to go and be sure to settle on a price before you get in. (Yes, this is illegal - for the driver, not you, but they are doing this more and more since the economic downturn has cut into their regualar ridership.) If you want to know a fair price, check it out on hopstop.com (but before hailing a car). And NEVER take these cars from the airport - since they are usually scammers, who sometimes try to hold your luggage hostage for a bigger fare.

Cabbies typically work either 8 or 12 hour shifts - so they may head back to the garage from 4 pm to 8 pm.

Also - pick a street going in the right direction and watch out for bus lanes (cabs can;t drive in those so most will be on the other side of the avenue).

If it's raining, or 10:30 pm in the theater district all bets are off.

Unlike Paris where you have to find a taxi stand - and good luck on that - here in NY you can hail a cab anywhere. I never could figure which lights should be on or off to indicate he has a passenger or off duty or what - I just stick up my hand when a cab approaches - if he is looking for a fare - he will stop. Generally in Manhattan - the cabbies know their way around. but may not be so in the outer boros. I used to live in the Rockaways and when I took a cab from JFK - invariably the cabbie had no idea of how to get there. Once when we crossed the bridge into Rockaway - cabbie says - are we in New Jersey?