Talk:Taxicab

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[edit] Picture

http://www.picturestation.net/images/picture_detail.asp?pictureid=4136 This is a good picture of yellow taxies, but I'm not sure about the copyright status. The author's are from Italy, and so if someone who spoke Italian could email them and ask for permission, it would be great. JesseW 00:35, 3 Oct 2004 (UTC)

And the picture that is said to be of an Austin FX4 is of an LTI Fairway. Maybe someone clever can change?

Fixed, thank you. TerriersFan 02:08, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Etymology

also taxi as in the verb, taxing.. you know the thing planes do... they like drag em around the run way when they are taxing ... and in venice they are boats and sometimes in europe they have motorcycle taxi's too... i'm sure it's not just cars...

That would be taxi-ing... on the platform or taxi way.

"The word 'taxi' comes from the Greek ταχοσ (pron. 'tachos'), which refers to movement,..."

I beg to differ: "taxi" comes from "taximeter." It cannot come from "tachos," because the Greek letter χ (chi) is romanized as "ch." The word "tachos" is used in "tachometer." --Sewing 09:31, 21 Dec 2003 (UTC)

Well Tax is not what the user pay - I think this is a fauls translate of this word. Think that TAXI-DEUO, TAXI-DI, 'ΤΑΞΙΔΙ' is the Greek words for traveling !

Also the old card here in Greece write "ΤΑΞΙ" and not 'TAXI' on the top of the cab.

I know that this is the roots of this word!

So, why is the word "taxi" the same in so many languages? One of the reasons may be that there is no need for translating the word, since it is a family name.

In the 16th century the family Turm und Taxis had a monopoly on postal services within the Hapsburg empire and neigbouring states, and providing transportation for people in their coaches came naturally. I removed the following folk etymology--

The word taxi comes from Thurn and Taxis, a noble german family which had the monopoly of German Empire's mail system from 1490 to 1867. Their italian ancestor was named "Torriani" like Torre and had a badger (Italian = tasso) as coat of arms. The tower (Italian = torre) became Thurn and the badger (Italian = tasso) became the name Taxis.
Taximeter is the official name for the device which measures the distance travelled and time taken in order to calculate the price to be charged for the journey. The name comes from Greek metron = "measure".

OED says: I. 1. a. Colloquial abbreviation, orig. of TAXIMETER, and hence, more usu., of TAXI-CAB. ad. F. taximètre, f. taxe tariff + -mètre = -METER. The form taxameter, used a few years earlier, was from German: cf. med.L. taxa tax. (An earlier German name from c 1875 was taxanom.)

If etymol is needed, it should be under Taximeter. mervyn 13:53, 7 January 2006 (UTC)

Yellow Cabs. 21Jan2006 Below is from "http://www.barrypopik.com/article/997/taxi-the-word-taxicab-and-the-yellow-color" Taxi (the word "taxicab" and the "yellow" color) It has been said that Harry N. Allen coined the word “taxicab” in the fall of 1907, and that he also introduced the color “yellow” to his vehicles. I think that’s wrong on both counts.

Paris and then London both had “taxicabs” before they were introduced to New York in October 1907. The word “taxi” is short for “taximeter.”

[edit] Taximeter

Re invention of the taximeter, I've seen a souce indicating it dates to anc Rome... Trekphiler 18:09, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Livery

I believe that the black and white checker patterns you can see on many taxis are also a legacy from Turm und Taxis: that pattern was part of the family coat of arms.

Oh, please. It's for hi visibility. Or is the o/all yellow on the coat of arms, too? Trekphiler 18:09, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Re livery, I've read somewhere Rome taxis are a hideous purple & green by law. Any truth in it? Trekphiler 18:18, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Harry Allen’s cabs were red. The W. C. P. Taxicab Company introduced the yellow cab in New York in the spring of 1909." Fortunately sources are quoted and the 1909 date does pop-up elsewhere and conflicts with main article. CJ.

Gilbert and Samuels give Herz in Chicago as the first to paint cabs yellow after a University of Chicago study (Gilbert, Gorman and Robert E. Samuels (1982) The Taxicab: An Urban Transportation Survivor. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.). His Yellow cab company was franchised, which is why there are so many Yellow cabs in various places. Checker was his competitor, also based in Chicago.

See also Hazard, Robert (1930) Hacking New York. Charles Scribner's Sons, NY, for a fun story of NYC cabs continuously changing colors to compete for business. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.38.40.54 (talk) 06:34, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Ronald Reagan Airport

I corrected Ronald Reagan National Airport to Ronald Reagan Airport; can somebody correct the red link? (RRA is the correct name, since it was changed from Natl...), much as I hate to admit it. Trekphiler 18:48, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Mercedes-Benz cabs

In Europe Mercedes-Benz cars are generally less expensive the in US and are available with smaller engines and less luxury features. I don't think there use in Europe is because cab providers are willing to spend a more money; rather it's just differences in the local automobile market.

[edit] Article separation

Shouldn't "Taxicabs around the world" section be separated from the "Taxicab" article? It makes the article too long, but still is a relevant and useful section. It can be the same way as DSL and DSL around the world. --pptudela 08:27, 13 May 2006 (UTC)

Agree with the comment above, if every countries taxi cab syatem was listed in the details of australia this article would be huge, I have no syntax capability, someone please separate these articles, thanks.
I have now carried out this split. TerriersFan 22:14, 2 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Medalions on US cabs.

I thought New York was the only city that used medalions. --Gbleem 02:59, 28 June 2006 (UTC)

Most Major cities in the USA have medallions, I live and Drive cab in Portland, Orgeon. My company has 88 Medallions allocated to it, and of the six licenced Livery and for hire businesses there are 550 city wide

[edit] Too much Australia info

There is a disproportionate amount of coverage given to Australian taxicabs, considering the country's population of only 20 million. This is in violation of Wikipedia's policy regarding undue weight, and I ask other editors to help rectify this imbalance. -- WGee 02:53, 2 July 2006 (UTC)

Agreed. I have followed the suggestion above and split this article into two and have taken the scissors to the Aussie section. It's still big but not as overwhelming as before. TerriersFan 16:47, 3 July 2006 (UTC)
Thanks, it's an improvement. I couldn't do it myself because I was (and still am) extensively involved in trying to bring an article to FA status. -- WGee 02:20, 5 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Ethnicity

Thank you for uploading the excellent Prius photo. On the ethnicity paragraph, it reads as OR and is unsourced (but then much in this article is). However, a number of the sentiments and implications are very contentious. I think that there are some solid ideas here but because of their nature they do need sourcing. TerriersFan 01:45, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
I have copied the section below in case anyone wants to work on it. TerriersFan 17:42, 29 July 2006 (UTC)

'Some residents of areas with high crime rates complain that they are not served by taxi drivers. Taxi driving is one of the more hazardous occupations in the US. Others complain that drivers are less likely to pick up residents of some communities, while sometimes even drivers from those same communities may be equally wary of customers that look like them. In North America by the early 20th century, South Asians, often wearing head dress have become recognized as specialists in this profession, in other areas or nations, Africans or other nationalities may make a niche out of the profession. It characterized by long hours, and pay can be low if business is slow.'

[edit] Where is the information about British London cabs?

Start at Hackney carriage and try UK cabs. TerriersFan 17:37, 29 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] MyGlobalTaxi.com and Libertycab.com

I have removed this link. Links advertising specific taxi services or, as here, a limited range are not appropriate to Wikipedia. TerriersFan 22:24, 1 August 2006 (UTC)

As above. TerriersFan 18:43, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Taxi futures

I have moved this section from the article. It is speculative, unsourced, unverifiable, in breach of WP:NOR and possibly WP:NPOV. It is here in case an editor wishes to develop it into an encyclopaedic, sourced section. TerriersFan 18:41, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

"While taxis are most often thought of as tied to their present long standing modes of operation (single passenger), in part because of the inherently conservative nature of the industry in place after place around the world, their future in cities at least is almost certainly to involve major changes in their operations.

These changes are likely to come about as a result of (a) the increasing need for new and more space efficient forms of transport in cities offering levels of service much closer to those traditionally associated with private cars than public transit, combining with (b) the new logistics and communications technologies that are already available but thus far not being integrated into most taxi operations.

The resulting new transport form will be in effect far closer to [share taxi]s and other shared small vehicle systems such as most often are seen in the cities of the developing countries than the traditional single occupancy taxicab. In most places this risks to be an uneasy transition, but it is already very much in the cards."

As author of the taxi futures section, I have to say that I do not like seeing it go, but your point is well taken. Hmm. I have to think about this. The fact is that I, as somewhat respected and rather widely known expert observer of international developments of transport in and around cities, as well as someone who has worked quite a bit with taxi operations and technologies, the fact is that I am not able off the top of my hat to “verify” this as you suggest. It is in fact a fairly original and largely unknown trend – but if you look at the evidence and trends there it is and you can be sure, this is the face of the industry in the future But as you say, this is probably not the stuff of an encyclopedic, unless you are talking about the Eleventh Edition of the Britannica which did leave place for this sort of thing – with articles coming from people recognized as worth reading on their topic. Hmm. ericbritton 17:56, 13 August 2006 (UTC)
I don't like striking out obviously authoritative contributions such as yours, particularly since you are probably right! Unfortunately, Wikipedia follows events rather than lead them. There are several articles that you may wish to take a look at, that are arguably more relevant, such as New Mobility Agenda, Share taxi, and Sustainable transportation. TerriersFan 21:27, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

In general there are very few citations here....Why?

[edit] Proposed restructuring

Please see discussion at Talk:Taxicabs around the world#proposed restructuring. TerriersFan 03:04, 21 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Navigation: SatNav in London cabs

Satellite navigation is now allowed to be used and installed in London taxis. However, it's seen as an aid, not something to be relied on and most cabbies don't bother with it. I've updated the first line of the Knowledge reference. Sir Arthur 15:25, 20 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Racial Rumors?

Is it true that people of color are less likely to get a taxi? Especially in big cities, such as New York?—Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.22.244.119 (talk)

Funny you should ask... You might be interested in locating the following article: Calvin Sims, "An Arm in the Air For That Cab Ride Home," New York Times, Sunday, October 15, 2006. Excerpt: "In fact, after living overseas for nearly a decade, I have noticed that in New York, it is much easier for me -- a black male in my 40's -- to get a cab." Cheers, --Mabuse 02:08, 23 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] History and etymology

Why isn't there any etymology of the cab suffix? I heard it is short for cabriolet.--Jcvamp 20:07, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Chronometer cab?

Paul Henningsen Irgens (1843-1923) is credited with designing a 4cyl cab in 1883. His first car ran 1898; in 1899, he built a sole steam bus. (Georgano, G.N. Cars: Early and Vintage, 1886-1930. London: Grange-Universal, 1985). Trekphiler 03:37, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] See also: Crazy Taxi

I added a link to the Crazy Taxi article in the "See also" section, but TerriersFan removed it. I think this is a fair addition to that section, since the game is about taxicabs, although a very fantastical representation. By the way, it was also a featured article on 1/24/08--Section8pidgeon (talk) 09:36, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

I don't think it's relevant. Crazy taxi is a great video game but this article is about taxicabs as a mode of transportation, not about references to taxis in popular culture. For that matter, there was once a whole TV series about cabdrivers called "Taxi", but again, taxis are so common that if we start listing every book, show or game about them we'd have an almost endless list. SONORAMA (talk) 12:36, 10 March 2008 (UTC)
Well, what is your opinion of Automobile and Hybrid vehicle being listed in the "See also" section? Those seem to have even less connection to the subject at hand than Crazy Taxi. --Section8pidgeon (talk) 08:00, 17 March 2008 (UTC)
Taxis are automobiles, FYI. A lot of fleets are converting to hybrid vehicles so there is a relevant connection there too. The game "Crazy Taxi", the TV show "Taxi", songs about taxis, etc. can be included in relevant articles about video games, TV shows, and songs, respectively. SONORAMA (talk) 09:24, 17 March 2008 (UTC)
I can live with Crazy Taxi not being included, but I find your argument for inclusion of Automobile and Hybrid vehicle rather weak. Can we have a consensus from other editors whether those two terms should be included in the "See also" section?--Section8pidgeon (talk) 21:46, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Unlicensed Cabs?

I came here from over at the page for Hack- nowhere in Wiki do I find mention of the use of the word Hack to denote an unlicensed cab or taxi which is ran in a metropolitan area. That was the common usage of the word when I lived in Baltimore, MD. There were even reports in the news of hack drivers being preyed on, as people knew they would carry money and be unwilling to involve authorities....{Edit- just found it under "Illegal Taxicab Operation." Would it be possible to link the "Hack" definition or this article to that one?)Trickster74 (talk) 17:44, 9 March 2008 (UTC)

Hi Trickster74, thanks for your comment. This article is linked to "Illegal Taxicab Operation" from the "See Also" section. We could also add another reference to it from elsewhere in the article. I hadn't seen the "Hack" or "Hacker" disambiguation pages before, but I agree they should be updated. Seems that a lot of people don't even realize the phrase originated in the transportation industry and rather than computer hackers. Also, in some areas "hacks" are illegal cabs, but other cities issue "hack licenses" to legitimate cabbies.SONORAMA (talk) 12:44, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Unlicensed cabs in western American cities (e.g. Vegas) are referred to within the taxi subculture as "gypsies", in my experience. But maybe they do call them "hacks" in Baltimore.9eyedeel (talk) 11:11, 25 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Page title

This page was moved to taxi without any discussion here. This is a long established title and the taxicab terminology is used down a whole hierarchy of pages. If there is a good reason for a page move then every page should be moved for consistency (and all references to taxicab within the pages fixed) and because of the major implications should not be done without agreement at WP:RM. TerriersFan (talk) 22:11, 7 June 2008 (UTC)