After driving an old, beat-up car for years, I finally made the decision to upgrade my transportation. I had set aside a little money every month to use as a down payment, and I was ready to make a new car my own. I searched loads of car dealerships in my area, but one business stood out to me in particular. The salespeople were kind and not pushy, and they had a reputation for fair deals. I worked with them to find the right car, and the paperwork was a breeze. This blog is all about upgrading your transportation, and why you shouldn't be afraid to take the plunge.
Upgrading My Transportation
Not Just Yellow Cab Anymore: Identifying Taxis In The U.S.
Lauri Kivela
At one time, when cabs were horse-drawn vehicles for those that could pay to ride, the "cabs" were all black. Fast-forward about seventy years, and now your taxi cabs are yellow. There was just one problem with the iconic yellow cab; you did not know which taxi company the cabs worked for. So, cabs and cab companies began to diversify and personalize their vehicles. Now, taxi cabs could be any color at all. Here is how you can identify a cab regardless of what U.S. city you visit.
Checkered, Two-Toned, and Stamped
Some cabs incorporate a checkerboard pattern onto the cars. It makes the cabs easier to identify in a sea of traffic. Other cab companies have their cabs painted with two or more colors, such as a black-and-white cab company where the cars look like old-school police vehicles. Still other cab companies stamp their cars with company information on the side so that tourists and riders know exactly what to expect when they climb into the cab and ride the distance to their destinations.
Specific Make and Model of Vehicle
High-end airport taxis are black and often luxury model cars. There are even some airports that will not allow anything but black car service and/or coach buses near the exits of the airports. As such, the only taxi cabs you may see are black Lincoln Town Cars or some other well-known luxury vehicle. If you see these vehicles with no other cabs around and there are no riders or chauffeurs waiting, you can safely assume that these are the local "taxis."
Odd Color Choices
In order to stand out from a sea of white, red, black, blue, and gray or silver cars, some taxi companies opt for custom paint jobs for their cabs. The colors they choose are very atypical for most passenger vehicles, which not only helps their cabs stand out, but also makes them really memorable. Bright Kelly green or neon orange, for example, are just some of the more unusual cab colors you may see when you visit other major cities in the United States. If the vehicle stands out and sticks out, see if you can catch a glimpse of the side of the vehicle for any lettering or advertising which would clearly identify it as a cab.
Working/Not Working Cab Signs
Most importantly, see if a cab has the "working/not working" sign on the roof. Not all companies have these, but for those cabs that do, it is a dead giveaway, regardless of what the vehicle looks like. It also helps you avoid that awkward moment of getting into a cab only to be told that it is "off duty."
Contact a taxi company like City Cab to learn more about taxi service.
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