Did you know: In NYC, yellow cabs are required to take you anywhere in NYC.

I think more people need to be aware that in NYC the yellow cabs are required to take you anywhere you want to go in NYC (any of the 5 boroughs). They cannot refuse to to take you. As long as they do not have passengers and are not 'off duty', they have to pull over and take you.

"It is against the law to refuse a person based on race, disability, or a destination in New York City. A taxicab driver is required to drive a passenger to any destination in the five boroughs. You can make a refusal complaint by calling 3-1-1." - http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/passenger/faq_pass.shtml#21

What does this mean? This means you don't need to ask the driver if they go to a certain destination in NYC. They are required to. Don't make the mistake of standing and talking to the driver outside of the cab. Get in and then tell them where you want to go. If they lock the door and/or drive off, remember their cab number (on the sides/back) and file a complaint.

Why do they not want to take you to a destination? There are any number of reasons. One of them is probably since it's a long route and they make more money taking people to shorter and more profitable routes. However, it's illegal for them to refuse.

Cabs are supposed to make your live easier and get you to your destination quicker, but yet I still see people make the mistake of accepting that a cab does not go to their destination. In NYC, all of NYC can be your destination!

Why am I posting this? Yesterday I saw a guy (non-threatening, white, well dressed) get refused by a cab and it seems like he probably got refused by a couple of cabs prior to that. I didn't take the opportunity to share this information with him as I was in a hurry. I figure to make up for it, I'll share it with NH since some of you guys may be in NYC too and are not aware of this information.

The last time I had trouble I was trying to get a ride from the Javits to Queens. Having a friend helped. First we would take a picture of the cab as it approached, getting the number on the roof and proof that he was on duty.

What guys will do who refuse you, but know they aren't allowed to, is switch their on/off duty light. If you tell them you are going to report them and have a picture, they might suck it up and give you the ride.

If they refuse, call 311.

On a moderately related note, did you know that it is a violation of a merchant account agreement for anyone who accepts a credit card as payment to have a minimum charge or to charge you a different price because you chose to pay by credit/debit? If someone is giving you trouble, call the number on the back of the credit card to report them.

Reasons why cab drivers could not pick you up: 1.) shift change in 15 minutes. So they can take you 15 minutes away but they can't drive an hour into Brooklyn and miss their shift change. 2.) Car maintenance, refueling. If the car is running low on fuel they can pick people up on short drives towards the gas station but it wouldn't make sense for them to go the opposite way.

I am all for dialing 3-1-1 and think people should, however sometimes knowing the full context will take you from being upset at the cab driver to being understanding.

Also, be aware that they have a counter-strategy if they don't want to take you. One time, my girlfriend and I got into the cab, told him where to go in Brooklyn, and within 60 seconds he had "car trouble". I was pretty sure sure he was bluffing and called him on it, and he said either (can't quite recall) he needed to go to a shop immediately, or he needed a tow. We sat in the cab for about 30 seconds, and then got out. He pulled away, almost certainly to find another fare.

Next time, I will get the details and file a complaint. If he really did have car trouble and a record of service, he should be able to have it dismissed.