Sam Levin

The new "apple green" Boro Taxi, unveiled at City Hall this morning.

It's not lime green, not key lime pie green, not sea-foam green, nor is it chartreuse. Nope. The city's new taxi for upper Manhattan and the outer boroughs, unveiled this morning, is apple green.

The mayor's office emphasized this specific shade of green at a press conference at City Hall this morning by having a basket of green apples on site and one prop apple at the podium that speakers could hold on to and toss in the air if they wanted, to emphasize that this new taxi is in fact "apple" green -- a topic of much debate among reporters in attendance.

In front of the steps of City Hall, the mayor's office took the cover off a model of the new taxi, which looks a lot like the yellow taxis, only it's (apple) green.

More >>

Sometimes the best ideas come to you while you're sitting drunk in the back of a taxi cab.

At least that's how it happened with three adventure-seeking buddies from England who are riding a taxi across the globe in an effort to break the world record for longest taxi ride ever.

More >>

In terms of taxi complaints, Taxi TV is pretty much up there at the top of the (lengthy) list, but Taxi TV has heard your woes over their blaring volume and general annoying nature. They will be turning it down! Or, at least, the two major software providers of Taxi TV technology, Creative Mobile Technologies and VeriFone Media, will be turning down the default volume in some cabs. They've also moved the volume button to a more user-friendly spot, and will give passengers "a quick tutorial" on how to lower or mute the volume, reports the New York Times. Of course, this indicates to us that you'll still hear, over and over again, their tutorial on how to turn down the volume. What about, perhaps, a default button of "off" and passengers having to choose to turn the TV on, an opt-in instead of an opt-out? Wouldn't that be lovely and post-modern?

More >>

You know how one of the signs that separates the tourists from the locals is an inherent understanding of how to hail a cab? For example, in New York, you know that if the off duty light is on, the cab is off duty. And therefore, you do not hail it, although you will tell the guy where you're going, and hope he says yes, if he stops to ask you. And then you will feel oddly rejected if he says no and drives off without you, and you will think to yourself, What an asshole. This is just how we do things. However, there are signs that the Taxi and Limousine Commission is at least considering maybe doing things differently down the road. Today we received a survey asking for input on the taxi roof light. Do we feel confused about it? Do we like it? Do we understand its varied uses and protocols? Would we hate it if the taxi roof light system changed?

More >>

The former Lukoil on Eighth Avenue between Horatio and West 13th.

New York City gas stations are fewer and farther between than ever, according to a Crain's article that reports there are just 41 remaining in Manhattan (there were 58 two years ago). There are 835 gas stations distributed throughout the five boroughs, with Manhattan's share counting for less than 5%. What do we blame for the disappearing gas station? The recession, plus ever-increasing costs of real estate and of delivering gasoline (meaning the stations that survive are at peripheral locations, on the edges of the city as opposed to the center, in Midtown).

More >>

A few weeks ago, we posted on comedian Mark Malkoff and his attempt to give out free cab rides to New Yorkers. Malkoff ended up driving around in that cab for 14 hours, and he filmed the entire day. "You can imagine how long of a shower I needed," he said. In addition to regular old cab rides (one of which lasted for over an hour), Malkoff managed to sunbathe along the West Side Highway, dress people up in dinosaur outfits, fill a cab with popcorn, and stop for some Shake Shack. Runnin' Scared talked to Malkoff to see how the experiment went.More >>

Mark Malkoff, the comedian/filmmaker known for various video projects -- he lived in his bathroom for a week, raced a bus on a Big Wheel, and brought a goat to an Apple store, among others -- has a new project, which he'll be filming tomorrow. And this one could benefit you in a monetary and transportational fashion! Malkoff has enlisted the help of a New York City cab driver, whom he's calling "Monty" (he tells us Monty has requested anonymity). Monty and Malkoff together will be attempting to give out as many free cab rides as possible tomorrow, in boroughs throughout the city, with, surely, humorous effect.

More >>

Speaking of crazy cab rides, what do you get when you put a possibly intoxicated, or maybe just very cheerful, singing cabbie with a so-called exotic dancer and her 6-month-long boyfriend-person, who are travelers to the big city? You get this rather awkward situation, recorded and put on YouTube for all of us to see. This is a healthy reminder to all of us: Conversations with cab drivers can be interesting, even revealing and fun, but everyone should probably bring earplugs, just in case. Also, don't drink and drive, particularly if you're driving other people for money. The poster of the video says, "We had just left the Katra Lounge lower Manhattan about 3am and this guy picks us up.....I think he was drunk off his ass." We've emailed to see if there's more to this New York City...love story? [@thisisjendoll]

According to a recent NY1-Marist poll, cab drivers are considered the worst drivers in the city, madcap hell-on-wheels vehicle operators who "don't care if they hit anything." Maybe they even like it! 80 percent of city residents polled say this, which means...it must be at least anecdotally true-ish. Last week we shared some of the worst experiences we've ever had (or read about, or heard tell through the omnipresent cab rumor grapevine of NYC) in getting a cab to Brooklyn. Today, in light of this recent survey, we're gathering our shared craziest cab experiences, barring any of those that pertain to a driver not taking us to Brooklyn, as well as any other crimes, like being threatened with violence, or actually being assaulted. Because those situations do happen, and they are not funny.

More >>

Since it is something of a precious and rare cabbie who will happily make the jaunt from Manhattan to Brooklyn -- much less pick up anyone he or she decides he doesn't want to pick up, for whatever reason -- it's really no surprise that a number of cabbies didn't look kindly upon a bleeding man who was shot in a Harlem housing project and tried to hail a cab this morning. The guy stumbled into the street and ran two blocks to try to get a ride to the hospital, yet was denied by four cabs in 15 minutes. Finally, an ambulance took him to Harlem Hospital. Fortunately, his injuries were not life-threatening. However, this should put some perspective on your next all-consuming and dramatic struggle to get a taxi to the airport in rush hour. (Note: some cab drivers are really quite nice!) [NYP]