Our local taxi service is horrible, if you need a cab you might get one in 45 minutes if they feel like it. What you will get is a POS Crown Vic with some arab guy driving who is rude.


Uber is 3 minutes out, cheaper, nice clean car, in my experience nice normal people for drivers; and if I wanted to pay more I could upgrade and get a nice car like a Mercedes or a Lexus.


The cities and towns can go pound sand, this is the way to go the traditional business model for taxis is dead.

I like the no cash set rate system, it is safer for the drivers and prevents the customers from getting ripped off. Taxes have set fees with meters because the drivers used to rip people off, they still do by taking longer routes. I have been ripped off in NYC. Uber plots the proper route and charges accordingly.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I prefer privacy over safety if the price of safety is surveillance. At least allow use of pre-paid cards that can be bought with good, old-fashioned, cold, hard, cash.

The NYC taxi system works because taxis are generally NOT 45 minutes out in Manhattan -- you can hail one on the street. I also always have my arm with me, but don't always carry a phone. As far as driver ethnicity, I actually love talking to some of the non-American drivers: it's more fun than dealing with a boring-ass American whitebread.

Being ripped off isn't a major issue, I've had a driver take me for a ride a few times. Since I was aware of it, I just paid him appropriately in cash at the end, told him why, and walked out on him. What was he gonna do, call the cops?