I spent a few days visiting New York City last week. The weather could not have been better: high 60s to low 70s and with no humidity. I visited the Lower East Side, the West Village, Grammercy, the Upper East Side and watched “The Outsiders,” which is a must-see both for the music and the retelling of the classic story, in Times Square. But, what I will remember the most from this trip was the insane costs of every single taxi ride.
I previously lived part-time in New York City for almost five years, between 2008 to 2012. Basically, I commuted between Los Angeles and New York City for those years as my wife was a resident at Mt Sinai Hospital. During that time, I primarily used public transportation during the week, but I rode plenty of taxis too, especially on the weekends and to reach places that were not easily accessible via the subway.
Those years were pre-ride sharing companies, so the primary alternative to the subway was a taxi, and I think the costs were very affordable. Fast forward a decade or so later, however, and affordable is not the word I use alongside taxis.
Whenever I experience something that surprises me, I research it to determine if something is just “All In My Mind” (ala the Love and Rockets classic). And I’ve determined that, at least in this example, taxis are legitimately more expensive.
In 2022, NYC’s Taxi and Limousine Commission increased the costs of taxi rides by 23%. One of the reasons for the increase is for cabdrivers to receive higher compensation after they have been battling with ride-share companies. So, I do feel guilty complaining about the higher costs, as most cabdrivers are immigrants just trying to do their best to live their version of the American Dream, and I am the son of immigrants.
So, rather than complain, I will just say that the higher costs will make me think twice about jumping in a taxi if, time-permitting, the subway provides a viable alternative. Because, in the end, taxis may be more convenient, but they (at least the ones with combustible engines) do also contribute to adverse impacts on our climate.
If your curious about the actual rate breakdown of NYC taxis, check out this post.
One other observation from my recent trip is that while walking the NYC streets, please also look twice as you cross the streets by looking twice for cyclists, especially e-bikes. They are everywhere. And they go incredibly fast and don’t necessarily obey all traffic laws.
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