NYC cabbies don't have to know NYC geography

[SidS1045]

The New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission introduced a new test for NYC cabbies, in which no knowledge of NYC geography is required.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/09/nyregion/the-best-route-once-sacred-cabby-wisdom-takes-a-back-seat.html?ref=nyregion
(Behind a pay wall, but you get ten free articles per month without paying.)

If you want to test yourself, they have an interactive quiz in the article.

Almost more illuminating than the article are the comments.  Just about everyone has a story about having to tell the driver where and how to go where they're going, and not to obscure places either.  All too many NYC cabbies apparently can't locate LaGuardia Airport, Yankee Stadium, Washington Square, the Empire State Building, Lincoln Center or any of dozens of other famous locations.  By contrast, The Times ran an article a few months ago about the geography test for London cabbies, known as "The Knowledge."  Studying for that test takes months and lots of people fail it...but those who pass it are extremely knowledgeable about London geography.

[Zeffy]

Remind me to never hail a taxi in New York City again... not that I ever have in the first place.

[Pete from Boston]

If you spend enough time in Manhattan you'll have to.  It's the most reasonable alternative too much of the time.  Fortunately no one here should have to worry about being able to give directions. 

[ixnay]

Remind me to never hail a taxi in New York City again... not that I ever have in the first place.

I did.  Three times on the same vacation.  Two of those rides were from the hotel to the hospital and back (I'd fallen in the shower and thought I'd cracked a rib, turned out it was bruised), and from the hotel to Penn Station to catch Amtrak home (the hotel was close enough to Penn to walk to but the rib was still painful - and it was raining at the time).

ixnay

[ixnay]

If you spend enough time in Manhattan you'll have to.  It's the most reasonable alternative too much of the time.  Fortunately no one here should have to worry about being able to give directions.

Don't forget the subway, dirty as it is.  I use that for my sightseeing, even with a bruised rib.  That rib didn't stop me from taking the B train to 72nd and CPW, the site of the Dakota, where was felled the man who spread "The Word" to that part of the world that agreed with him to "Imagine" that "All You Need is Love", no matter "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night".  I'm content, though, to be "Watching the Wheels" rotate (when I'm not "working like a dog").

ixnay

[dgolub]

If you spend enough time in Manhattan you'll have to.  It's the most reasonable alternative too much of the time.  Fortunately no one here should have to worry about being able to give directions.

Don't forget the subway, dirty as it is.  I use that for my sightseeing, even with a bruised rib.

ixnay

For those of us who live in the city, it's our primary way of getting around.  It's generally faster than driving, at least in Manhattan, since you don't have to deal with parking and don't get stuck in traffic.  Also, taking a taxi on a regular basis quickly gets unaffordable unless you're really rich.

[dgolub]

By the way, if anyone's interested in testing their NYC geography, they have a practice test at http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/industry/sample_exam.shtml.

[empirestate]

I would hope drivers are learning geography because it's good business, not because the regulatory agency requires it.


iPhone

[hotdogPi]

I walked from 86th to 36th (numbers approximate) in the rain. No need for a cab.

[jeffandnicole]

If you spend enough time in Manhattan you'll have to.  It's the most reasonable alternative too much of the time.  Fortunately no one here should have to worry about being able to give directions.

Don't forget the subway, dirty as it is.  I use that for my sightseeing, even with a bruised rib.

ixnay

For those of us who live in the city, it's our primary way of getting around.  It's generally faster than driving, at least in Manhattan, since you don't have to deal with parking and don't get stuck in traffic.  Also, taking a taxi on a regular basis quickly gets unaffordable unless you're really rich.

Or you're on business and the company is paying for it.

I took a taxi for the first time in NYC last fall, late at night, because the subway train I needed wasn't operating.  It was an OK experience, although the Taxi driver may not had known where the hotel was because he asked if he could drop us off about 5 blocks from it (hey, it saved us a few bucks).  We actually didn't mind - we walked by a 99c pizza place, got a few slices to soak up the alcohol we drank, and stumbled back to the room. 

[JakeFromNewEngland]

I was in NYC last Saturday and walked most of the time. We got a cab once to get to the Empire State Building.

[Duke87]

If you spend enough time in Manhattan you'll have to.  It's the most reasonable alternative too much of the time.  Fortunately no one here should have to worry about being able to give directions.

Meh. Not once in my life have I ever hailed a cab, and I have no intention of ever doing so. No way I'm paying $15 for a cab ride when I can pay $2.75 for a subway ride that's never that much slower and sometimes faster. Think of it as city shunpiking.

[Pete from Boston]

If you spend enough time in Manhattan you'll have to.  It's the most reasonable alternative too much of the time.  Fortunately no one here should have to worry about being able to give directions.

Meh. Not once in my life have I ever hailed a cab, and I have no intention of ever doing so. No way I'm paying $15 for a cab ride when I can pay $2.75 for a subway ride that's never that much slower and sometimes faster. Think of it as city shunpiking.

You've never strayed far enough from the subway and needed to get somewhere urgently (the subway, perhaps) in a jam, then.  I admire your preparedness, but shit happens to a lot of us and cabs are there.  Also very sensible when out at all hours with a few people, and the intoxicated slog home via the subway is hardly worth the meager savings (or better yet, when you are urgently looking to get somebody back to, well, whichever of your places you choose).

I get that cabs are not a universal solution, but I feel like there's some misplaced pride from some folks about rejecting them.  They have their place, and it is not simply to ferry the lazy and/or rubes.

[empirestate]

If you spend enough time in Manhattan you'll have to.  It's the most reasonable alternative too much of the time.  Fortunately no one here should have to worry about being able to give directions.

Meh. Not once in my life have I ever hailed a cab, and I have no intention of ever doing so. No way I'm paying $15 for a cab ride when I can pay $2.75 for a subway ride that's never that much slower and sometimes faster. Think of it as city shunpiking.

You've never strayed far enough from the subway and needed to get somewhere urgently (the subway, perhaps) in a jam, then.  I admire your preparedness, but shit happens to a lot of us and cabs are there.  Also very sensible when out at all hours with a few people, and the intoxicated slog home via the subway is hardly worth the meager savings (or better yet, when you are urgently looking to get somebody back to, well, whichever of your places you choose).

I get that cabs are not a universal solution, but I feel like there's some misplaced pride from some folks about rejecting them.  They have their place, and it is not simply to ferry the lazy and/or rubes.

It just depends on various circumstances. I've lived four years in the Bronx now, and I seldom use cabs. Even with the advent of hailable "boro taxis" (green cabs), my use of them has increased only marginally. We do have a car, but we use it primarily for out-of-city trips that wouldn't otherwise be cab territory. Otherwise, the bus and subway go most other places I need to be.

But this isn't because I reject cabs on principle, I'm just never in the market for a taxi ride, is all. I use them most on the influence of other people, frankly: parents and in-laws who aren't quite as mobile, friends living nearby who prefer them to a late-night subway trip, and employers paying me to be somewhere (such as an airport).

[Duke87]

You've never strayed far enough from the subway and needed to get somewhere urgently (the subway, perhaps) in a jam, then.  I admire your preparedness, but shit happens to a lot of us and cabs are there.  Also very sensible when out at all hours with a few people, and the intoxicated slog home via the subway is hardly worth the meager savings (or better yet, when you are urgently looking to get somebody back to, well, whichever of your places you choose).

This concept of a cab being a quick ride in a pinch is an odd one to me. In my experience cabs are typically used by people who have some aversion to using the subway in that circumstance or in general, by women wearing ridiculous high heels who need to be driven from one front door to another because they can't walk very far, or up and down stairs very well, or by people who just hate walking.

I am totally comfortable in the subway, I know it in and out. I don't wear heels and don't make it a point to hang out with people who do. And I have no qualms walking for miles if I have to. But there is nowhere in Manhattan that's anwhere near that far from a subway station, soo...

[NE2]

But there is nowhere in Manhattan that's anwhere near that far from a subway station, soo...

I had to look this up

http://iquantny.tumblr.com/post/99544282749/found-the-manhattan-apartment-thats-the-farthest

[KEVIN_224]

Is this for the borough of Manhattan only though? Fun idea to look up!

[dgolub]

You've never strayed far enough from the subway and needed to get somewhere urgently (the subway, perhaps) in a jam, then.  I admire your preparedness, but shit happens to a lot of us and cabs are there.  Also very sensible when out at all hours with a few people, and the intoxicated slog home via the subway is hardly worth the meager savings (or better yet, when you are urgently looking to get somebody back to, well, whichever of your places you choose).

This concept of a cab being a quick ride in a pinch is an odd one to me. In my experience cabs are typically used by people who have some aversion to using the subway in that circumstance or in general, by women wearing ridiculous high heels who need to be driven from one front door to another because they can't walk very far, or up and down stairs very well, or by people who just hate walking.

I am totally comfortable in the subway, I know it in and out. I don't wear heels and don't make it a point to hang out with people who do. And I have no qualms walking for miles if I have to. But there is nowhere in Manhattan that's anwhere near that far from a subway station, soo...

Well, not quick, but a little bit faster than the subway if traffic cooperates, especially if the subway ride would have involved a transfer.  If traffic doesn't cooperate, it may wind up being slower.  There was one time when I was going on a business trip and decided to take a cab that morning to reduce how far I would have to lug my luggage.  It would up taking significantly longer than the subway usually does, and I wound up getting out and walking the last few blocks because the traffic in Times Square was so bad that it was faster.

[D-Dey65]

I had to look this up

http://iquantny.tumblr.com/post/99544282749/found-the-manhattan-apartment-thats-the-farthest

Yeah, even those don't seem that far. Not that I haven't had to take a cab in the city myself, but I've never really been that afraid to take the subway.


FYI, I still can't help but think about that African cabbie who gives Justin Timberlake a ride in "Friends With Benefits."

Taxi Driver (in non-descript West African accent): "Welcome to New York! Go and fuck a dick!"

Is this for the borough of Manhattan only though? Fun idea to look up!

Yes, it is. The distance is a lot longer in Eastern Queens. Take it from someone who takes the crowded Q27 to get to the crowded IRT Flushing Line.

[dgolub]

Is this for the borough of Manhattan only though? Fun idea to look up!

Yes, it is. The distance is a lot longer in Eastern Queens. Take it from someone who takes the crowded Q27 to get to the crowded IRT Flushing Line.

Certainly true.  The eastern parts of Queens are effectively a suburb within the city limits.  The same can be said for most of Staten Island.

[bzakharin]

Or people with disabilities maybe? In fairness, my disability is nowhere severe enough to warrant taking a cab in Manhattan. The one time I've actually done so was while on a date, where showing off my huffing and puffing trying to walk somewhere would have showcased my disability to my date to the fullest extent. I've taken the bus once, though. Didn't feel like hiking from Penn Station to to the Javits Center and back when walking within the two buildings was enough of a strain. I imagine if I actually lived in Manhattan and needed to go somewhere that far from the subway at night, I'd need cabs a lot more.

You've never strayed far enough from the subway and needed to get somewhere urgently (the subway, perhaps) in a jam, then.  I admire your preparedness, but shit happens to a lot of us and cabs are there.  Also very sensible when out at all hours with a few people, and the intoxicated slog home via the subway is hardly worth the meager savings (or better yet, when you are urgently looking to get somebody back to, well, whichever of your places you choose).

This concept of a cab being a quick ride in a pinch is an odd one to me. In my experience cabs are typically used by people who have some aversion to using the subway in that circumstance or in general, by women wearing ridiculous high heels who need to be driven from one front door to another because they can't walk very far, or up and down stairs very well, or by people who just hate walking.

I am totally comfortable in the subway, I know it in and out. I don't wear heels and don't make it a point to hang out with people who do. And I have no qualms walking for miles if I have to. But there is nowhere in Manhattan that's anwhere near that far from a subway station, soo...

[jeffandnicole]

You've never strayed far enough from the subway and needed to get somewhere urgently (the subway, perhaps) in a jam, then.  I admire your preparedness, but shit happens to a lot of us and cabs are there.  Also very sensible when out at all hours with a few people, and the intoxicated slog home via the subway is hardly worth the meager savings (or better yet, when you are urgently looking to get somebody back to, well, whichever of your places you choose).

This concept of a cab being a quick ride in a pinch is an odd one to me. In my experience cabs are typically used by people who have some aversion to using the subway in that circumstance or in general, by women wearing ridiculous high heels who need to be driven from one front door to another because they can't walk very far, or up and down stairs very well, or by people who just hate walking.

If someone doesn't have a fare card and is only in the city for a day, just going outside and hailing a taxi could be easier.  Or they have work to do and/or a need to be on a cell phone, which can be troublesome in the subway.

Plus, a LOT of people are up there on business, and it's simply easier to hail a taxi and get a receipt to be reimbursed later.

[dgolub]

Or people with disabilities maybe? In fairness, my disability is nowhere severe enough to warrant taking a cab in Manhattan. The one time I've actually done so was while on a date, where showing off my huffing and puffing trying to walk somewhere would have showcased my disability to my date to the fullest extent. I've taken the bus once, though. Didn't feel like hiking from Penn Station to to the Javits Center and back when walking within the two buildings was enough of a strain. I imagine if I actually lived in Manhattan and needed to go somewhere that far from the subway at night, I'd need cabs a lot more.

Very valid point.  I've seen plenty of people with major disabilities travelling on the subway or bus, and I imagine it must be very difficult for them.

[The Nature Boy]

I've only taken a cab if I'm out in DC after the subway shuts down*

*I realize that this is not a problem for NYers.

[empirestate]

Yes, it is. The distance is a lot longer in Eastern Queens. Take it from someone who takes the crowded Q27 to get to the crowded IRT Flushing Line.

Longer still in the outer parts of Staten Island. The point in NYC farthest from the subway has got to be Tottenville in that borough. However, Staten Island has its own little transit system, so if you include that, then eastern Queens (probably Little Neck or Fort Totten) might still win, or perhaps the northwest corner of Staten Island (where few people live anyway). But of course, if you include SIRT you have to justify not including the LIRR, which does serve eastern Queens, as both systems are railroads proper and not rapid transit systems.