Jackson Heights Life

The livery cab drivers honk at me every time I walk down the street. Maybe they honk at everyone. I don't know. But they definitely honk at me. I'm assuming I always look like I need a ride. But the only things that can be discerned about me from a moving car are my gender, my clothes and the color of my skin. So based on any or all of those things, the drivers make a snap judgment that I may need a ride and then honk at me. They're quickly profiling me, just as they're quickly profiling everyone they honk at. And part of that is based on race. This doesn't make them racists. They're businessmen, and they're trying to get business. If honking at who they feel is a likely customer didn't work, they would do something else.

Just wanted to note that for some of us, the livery cab drivers provide a very useful service in a neighborhood that is generally under-served by yellow cabs.  I live about 15 minutes walking distance from the 74th Street station (the bus seems to take even longer) – which is usually not a big deal.  But late at night or when if I’m carrying a lot of packages, the ready availability of the livery cabs is a tremendous convenience.  Generally find drivers to be friendly/courteous – no better or worse than yellow cab drivers.

Yellow cabs hate outer boroughs, but I've always managed to find one when I need one (even though I do have to wait about ten minutes). And I agree that having the livery cab option is a good alternative, it's just that there are so frickin' many of them.

May I ask how much it costs you to take a car form the subway to your house? I sprained my ankle earlier this year and a livery cab wanted $7 to take me two blocks to the hospital.

We occasionally use livery cabs when we need to get our dog into the city. (She's too big to fit into a carry bag on the subway) But for us, since Mexicana Car Service has a storefront dispatch about a block from us, we just go there and they'll call one of their cars for us.

Since yellow cabs don't drive around or wait at the Roosevelt station, I wonder if some kind of livery cab dispatch near the station that managed the cabs and kept them from circling would help?

To me, they are just part of the neighborhood.  I often take the bus on 77th & 31st (not the M22 but the Q47 on the opposite corner) and when I'm running late I'm glad to see those cabs.  The same goes for coming out of the station at 74th, like if it's late at night or if I've been shopping & carrying bags.  All I'm saying is I have been in need of them at times and just ignored them at others.....kind of like a pay phone; not so much as a buzzing fly.

I also think the livery cabs provide a valuable service.  I've rarely seen them honk around roosevelt avenue station (that might be just me though).  Given that we don't get yellow cabs in the area, livery cabs are very useful.

look, i like livery cabs. no, i love livery cabs.

but the honking thing is buls#$%

would you accept a fishmonger chasing you down the street waving a trout in your face?

a taco truck lady running along side you tossing al pastor onto your head?

i've taken to throwing pennies at their windshields. though i think an air horn blasted at a red light might be better

Indeed, they do.

I do believe these cars are picking up passengers illegally. Only yellow medillions are, by law, allowed to pick up passengers off the street. And they do pay a lot for that privelage.Upward of $250.000 for that medillion on the hood. On the other hand, the Gypsy cabs are only allowed to answer calls that are phoned in. So, i think part of the reason their are no yellow cabs is that the illegal gypsy cabs are taking any buisness they might have away from them. I have seen the TLC do sweeps on Roosevelt ave, which i think their should be more of. Last night i saw the bus stop blocked by them, i saw them making illegal u turns, i saw them honking for no reason except the car in front of him wasnt moving fast enough, I saw them illegally idling, and i saw them illegallly picking up passengers.  So the laws are made for a reason, but i guess these Gypsys believe they are above them