4 tips and tricks for taking the taxi
The Uber app allows you to order a tax and pay your fare with the click of the screen.
By Aimee Heckel
New Yorkers may scoff, but not all travelers are taxi-cab savvy. There is taxi etiquette and ways to help improve your cab experience. Here are some tips and tricks to remember when you’re taking the taxi.
1. Use an app.
Uber is our favorite cabbie app, because it makes the process so much easier. Download the free app and use it to book and pay for your cab from your phone. Request a taxi and the app will automatically connect you with the nearest cab, based on your phone’s GPS; you don’t even need to know your exact address.
Uber even allows you to easily split the fare with friends, and view the the rates. No more surprise costs, and no more need to carry cash — or even a credit card.
2. Know the street rules. When the numbers on the top of the cab are illuminated, the car is empty. When they’re not, it’s full. If you don’t have an app, the best way to hail a cab is to stand at the curb and hold your arm straight up our out, according to NYCabbie.com. And make sure you speak loudly and clearly to your driver. It can be hard to hear through the partition.
3. Tip appropriately. It’s standard to tip 15 percent, plus $1 per bag up to five bags, according to tipping.org.
When traveling, know the country’s standard. This global tipping guide app will help you, or try Tipping Bird.
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4. Consider ditching a taxi for a “community driver.” The app Lyft connects you with background-checked community drivers who cost less than taxis. It’s like having a friend with a car wherever you go, the app website says.
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