What’s the greatest invention in travel since sliced bread? (Okay, maybe not quite.) The swipe-your-credit-card machine in a New York City taxi.
It used to be that, if you were on a business trip to New York, you had to stock up on $100 cash or more in the morning just to cover the cab fares. At $10 to $15 apiece, they added up quickly. Now, I just swipe my Amex and I’m done.
I tend to add a bigger tip, I find. But cabbies don’t seem to like the credit card swipes – mainly because they lose 5 percent (or so they say) on not only the fare but the tip and tolls. Still, it’s got to be a lot safer carrying just $30 or $40 in cash rather than a few hundred, no?
Oh, and they don’t keep a hand-written trip log any more, either. Now the GPS logs all of their trips.
Next up: An all-hybrid fleet of taxis by 2012, unless the next mayor changes the ruling by Mayor Bloomberg.
With fuel prices as high as they are, it seems like hybrids would be a no-brainer (if they can get ‘em).
