Typical cabs in Brooklyn.
Great conversation about Uber today here at 'work.' Putting aside the issues of how they treat their workers and avoid proper regulation and taxes, the conversation here was mostly about how awful and expensive the service is compared to using a regular cab. But many visitors or new arrivals, one among us, simply do not know any other way to get a cab in Brooklyn. They don't see yellow cabs that often, except near the neighborhoods nearest the bridges, and therefore assume there just are no cabs. This is in fact, untrue. I get cabs quick and easy, but there are some things you should know.
1. Know where you are going.
I dont just mean the address, but the cross streets, nearby arteries, and optimal path. There are mulitple ways of getting anywhere and a map app wont tell you anything about how the lights run, where the traffic is, if there is construction along the way, or other impediments. But dont get in a cab and act like you have no idea where youre going and you simply are going to trust the cabbie or GPS to get you there in a timely fashion. Know where youre headed and the optimal and alternate paths. Learning any of the other Boroughs is easy. Learning Brooklyn is hard work, so if you want to be a real Brooklynite then woman up and learn the streets.
2. Know what a cab looks like.
Generally, its some model of Lincoln Town Car, Ford Crown Victoria, or other fleet type cars designed for endurance and heavy usage. You will usually see stickers or markings on it indicating the car sercvice operator. The number of stickers varies from discreet to plastered all over the place. It may or may not have TLC license plates. Just generally look out for this type of car or something similarly generic. Hail just like you would a yellow cab in Manhattan and then get in. Do not be shocked if you do not a dividing partition and all the jazzy stuff you see in a Yellow Cab. That may or may not be there.
Also, you can hail these new lime green cabs allotted to the outer Boroughs. I dont use them because they cost too much, but youll find this to be a similar experience to a yellow cab.
New green cabs for the Boroughs. They have meters.
3. Keep Car Service numbers handy and know how to talk.
Theres an abundance of car services, so just store them in your phone or keep the cards handy. Most cater to specific neighborhoods but will gladly take you anywhere in the City. I use Myrtle, Malcolm, Bed-Stuy, New Bell, and a few others i cant remember. Use Elite for clients or professional travels.
Be brief and to the point. The person you will be speaking to will be the dispatcher who will radio your car driver and he or she does not have time to have a lengthy conversation with you. Get right to the point.
A converstion will go like this:
Dispatcher: "New Bell."
Me: "224 Madison between Marcy and Thompkins. " (current location)
Dispatcher: "Going?"
Me: "East 18th and Cortelyou. "
(At this point the dispatcher will stop talking to you and begin speaking into the radio. What you hear may not be in any way intelligible or even in English. Just shut up and wait.)
Dispatcher: "4 minutes."
Me: "Thank you."
Go outside your house and wait for your cab. Sometimes they can come in 2 minutes. On a few occasions ive had them say "go outside right now." So be ready to go when you call because they will not wait around for more than a few honks.
Get in and be quick about it.
3. Know how much you are going to pay in advance.
Here's where it gets tricky, especially for the inexperienced. There are no meters in a Brooklyn cab so you will need to know what youre going to pay as soon as you get in. After you tell the driver where youre going, which you should repeat even though you told the dispatcher, just ask bluntly how much. There are no hard rules to this thing, it somewhat of a test to see how much of a real Brooklynite you really are. Because if you know how much it costs to go from A to B, then you'll both agree to whats fair. But if you don't you might get an honest cabbie or you might get beat. You'll learn with experience.
Generally, youre going to pay $7 to go anywhere at all. Including one block from your house. But, you generally wont pay more than $8 to go anywhere within your neighborhood. Or to its borders. After that, its kind of... well... negotiable sort of. Generally, nowhere except a long long trip across the entire borough should cost you more than $15. A good rule of thumb is going from the Borough Hall to Broadway Junction is about $15, give or take a buck. So you need to get a sense of it with practice. Do not be afraid to challenge a ridiculous price. And if a cabbie says "How much do you usually pay?" dont be afraid to lowball. Youll agree to a fair price quickly. I usually go ahead and pay up front to settle the matter.
Tipping. Generally do not tip if there is no meter. Just pay the price and thats it. But, an exceptionally fast, efficient driver who knows the streets well and has a tidy, clean car, good conversation and good music... Go ahead and throw in a buck or two. Or $5 if its Christmas.
4. Don't be a ballbuster.
If a guy is talking on the phone using the hands free while driving, dont be a jerk. As long as hes getting you there, let him talk. Hes in the car all day for chrissake. If you dont understand the language all the better. If you do, dont tell him. He may not say a word to you the entire trip. That always suits me just fine.
5. Correct failure.
Youre the boss in this situation. But dont be an asshole boss. If you dont like the route, make him change it. If the car stinks, tell him so and get out. If theres no heat or ac, dont be afraid to knock off a few bucks for it. If a driver is new and needs guidance, then you tell him how to do it better. We all have to get a foothold somewhere in life. That guy is a cabbie, not your personal chauffeur.