Wednesday, January 19th, 2011 - A Cab Driver's First Day

I am in the second day of a cold; I could feel it coming yesterday and it hit me full force overnight. I had a work event tonight and afterward all I wanted to do was grab a quick cab home. I hopped into the cab, gave him my address and he asked how to get there - not completely unheard of for those of us who live in the most confusing neighborhood in the city (duh, the West Village). Everyone gets confused in the West Village, including cabbies. No hard feelings. As we're heading south, he drops the bomb - "this is my first day". O. M. G. Wow. So I tried to be nice and tell him that he would get the hang of it, that numbered streets are easier. He seemed nice enough, and I gave him a good tip even though it took way too long to get home. Even though I live in New York, sometimes I don't want to be the first bitch that a poor cab driver on his first day encounters.

Verdict: Love New York Today (welcome new cabbie!)

Monday, November 8th, 2010

There are hundreds of reasons to love and hate New York cabs. Today we will focus on a positive: the mandatory credit card machines/screens now installed in every cab. As a person who never carries cash, these are a godsend. With a simple swish of your card, you're done. Cabbies don't get to complain about using credit cards anymore (and riders don't have to feel guilty) because they are everywhere and everyone uses them. Gone are the days when cabbies can claim "cash only, my machine is broken".

Verdict: Love New York Today