New York City: A lab for Taxi Experiments

Everybody wins, could be the motto for the plan Mayor Michel Blommberg requested to the TLC (Taxi & Limousine Coomission) to experiment with taxi stands in  New York's city streets. The taxi "group rides" will start the pilot program this Friday February 26Th, 2010. The firms involved in the case studies were based in GPS collected data and the goal is to decrease traffic during peak hours, which means less toxic emissions, also taxi riders will save money, and more important for others,  like the taxi drivers, would be the translation for more money per group rides.

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NYC Taxicab Passenger Enhancement Program: Too good to be True?

New York Mad Driver Taxi drivers to have their cell blocked is the hope of many passengers whom dream to scream: "shut up- Shut up Shut up Man!!!"

Part of the program proposes a device which would block taxi drivers cell phones but it will allow passengers to use their phones with not restrictions, by reversing the roles we might see in the future the mad minds of the drivers saying: "Shut up shut up man!!!" but of course they wouldn't  jeopardize their hard earned tips.

Who stole the real cover ?!

taxia-social-history-book-o

While doing a little research about taxi history I came across a book which probably too many already know: “TAXI! A Social History of the New York City Cabdriver”. Written by Hodges, Graham Russell Gao. The book was published in 2007 by Johns Hopkins U. Press and believe me, I can't wait to get my hand on a copy!! However, what triggered my interest was the mismatch of cover art the publisher chose for this book: A contemporary full color night shot of a caravan of taxis clearly displaying their European style rooflight!!! c'mon, you can do better than that!! Any New Yorker knows very well how their cab's top-lights look like. They could have used a truly New York Icon, a Yellow Checker Cab, which by itself represents better the city, the drivers and their taxi history. The title, however, made me research deeply about the book, and I found amazing references as the ones found in Google-book and the New York Times.