Hey all, I'm flying into New York to buy a car. I have an address in Queens to pick it up but I'm wondering how a cabbie knows where to go. Does he have a GPS that he will punch the address into or do I have to tell him turn by turn directions? I'm asking now out of curiousity. Any information is appreciated. Thanks!
2007-02-18 12:14:34 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Commuting
The same way he knows how to drive. Experience.
2007-02-19 10:04:19 · answer #1 · answered by Trump 2020 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of the veterans use maps and lots of experience. I got lost in Queens, Newark NJ and Ithaca NY when I first started out. We recently got a few "young guys" who wanted to go the GPS way and they still had to call the dispatcher or one of the veterans for directions. GPS also does not tell you how to get around traffic during rush hour, accidents, construction or detours. We have a 25 year veteran who can get you to JFK in 30 minutes from New Jersey.
I tried a GPS system once and found out that not all of Chinatown's streets are on it. I went back to our good old maps and now that we have the Internet, Google Maps is working great too. We prefer Google Maps to Mapquest.
So, there you have it. Mostly experience, Hagstrom or Google maps and the New York City Taxi & Limousine Drivers Handbook. This can tell you where a street number is located and its cross streets but for Manhattan only.
-- From Your Local Taxi Driver
2007-02-19 14:47:28 · answer #2 · answered by elegall1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As a cab driver of nine years, it comes down to experience. I cover 200-250 miles a night in Kansas City Metro area. I cover five counties in two states. Even though I'm experienced, I also use a lap top and Delorme Street Atlas, as I find it helps me do my job better. It's the program that NASA used when they sent out the engineers to find pieces of the shuttle when it broke up. I bought all the programs and tried them before settling on it.
In New York things, addresses and streets have been pretty well set for over 100 years, plus there is a pattern to it. Here, every year we are seeing new streets, new addresses, and new businesses.
2007-02-20 04:25:11 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i went to new york a couple times and asked a cab driver that question.
he said they have to take some kind of test to make sure they know where everything is. ive never seen a cab with a GPS system in it. but you dont have to give directions, theyll know
2007-02-18 12:23:49 · answer #4 · answered by jellybelly 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most just know the city. If you have an address they don't know, they can call dispatch on the radio and get directions. Some use a Thomas guide, which is a comprehensive city atlas.
2007-02-18 12:21:35 · answer #5 · answered by J.R. 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Give the hack a address and he will find it. I go to NY all the time and use the cabs. I tell them where I want to go and they get me there. Very simple. I used to drive a cab part time.
P
2007-02-18 12:18:22 · answer #6 · answered by Peter G 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My chum, the taxi fare from JFK to huge apple, it quite is $40 5, purely applies to journeys from the airport to Midtown, huge apple. in case you going everywhere else in huge apple, for example the top West side, the fare is slightly bigger. My suggestion, take the subway particularly. At $2 a trip, its swifter and extra much less costly than taking a taxi. sturdy luck
2016-12-17 13:21:05 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
they are really good at knowing where to go cause they do it thousands of times a yr. so hell know when u tell him and they probaly get fired if they never know cause less monry. They also have to take a test on tv that 1 show he knows ask him or ask the cab driver.
2007-02-18 16:35:29 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
usually taxi drivers are drives that have a pretty good overview of where locations are in their city. if you give them the address of the place you are looking for, they can usually find it, and yes some taxi's use GPS devices...
2007-02-18 12:19:45 · answer #9 · answered by mcdonaldcj 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some use a GPS device if your destination isn't known to him, but most have simply learned the city. If you know the street names, and which numbers are on which block, it isn't all that hard.
2007-02-18 12:41:17 · answer #10 · answered by Me 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They just know. Just like you should know that probably isn't 1 NYC cabbie that is not an immigrant. Why aren't there any Anglo cabbies in NYC?
2007-02-18 12:24:19 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋