# Have you ever hailed a taxi? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 15, 2022, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224 "2022-06-15T09:28:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/1 "2022-06-15T09:28:35Z")
Got to wondering about this, as I recently listened to “Taxi” by Harry Chapin: “A lady up ahead waved to flag me down/She got in at the light.” Have you ever flagged down a cab? I sure have, in New York City, as well as Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle, Chicago, Calgary, and so many other cities. So, have you ever flagged down a cab? ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/2 "2022-06-15T09:35:59Z")
Yes, but I’m in my 50s. My teenaged kid has never seen a cab hailed in real life. She has taken taxis numerous times in many cities and countries, but either from a taxi rank (e.g. at an airport or train station), via an app, or procured for us by a hotel employee. I think the last time I hailed a cab off the street was about 15 years ago in China. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/3 "2022-06-15T09:45:09Z")
Mostly at airports. I was quite confused one day when I flew into Tulsa. After I stepped out of the airport there were NO taxis around. I asked a fellow citizen where the Taxis were. That’s when I was informed that you actually have to call them to come pick you up at the airport in Tulsa So bizarre, I’ve never encountered that at an airport before. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/4 "2022-06-15T09:51:18Z")
I used to go to Tulsa a lot. And there were certainly taxis on a rank at the airport in the 1990s. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/5 "2022-06-15T10:09:49Z")
Sure, mostly in New York City (Manhattan) where it’s often pretty much essential. The infamous thing about taxis and Manhattan is how you can’t get one when it rains. One day I was shopping at some fancy schmancy place in Manhattan while visiting my brother, who lives in the midtown/Broadway area, and sure enough when I came out it was raining. I needed a cab to get back to his place. Cabs don’t actually disappear when it rains in Manhattan, it’s just that they’re always occupied. But across the street was a fancy schmancy hotel, the kind that attracts cabs and a doorman who aggressively commandeers them. I crossed the street and, pretending to be a guest of the hotel, got the doorman to grab a cab for me, even as the rain continued pouring down. It would have been impossible to get one any other way. I was quite proud of myself. 🥳 ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/6 "2022-06-15T10:11:47Z")
Yep. Hailed cabs fairly often back when I lived in Chicago. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/7 "2022-06-15T10:35:43Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > That’s when I was informed that you actually have to call them to come pick you up at the airport in Tulsa I’ve seen this system at a number of smaller airports in Europe. There’s a taxi stand, but there isn’t enough air traffic to warrant a constant queue of waiting drivers. The sign at the head of the stand will typically display the phone number of a common dispatcher, who relays a call at your request and sends the first available vehicle. One time (can’t remember where), the sign had an intercom that placed the call for you at the push of a button. It generally works pretty well; I’ve never had to wait more than 10-15 minutes that I can recall. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/8 "2022-06-15T10:46:16Z")
Sure. But probably not in over ten years. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/9 "2022-06-15T10:51:02Z")
On a slight tangent-I’ve always been envious of people who can do the famous two-finger “Taxi!” whistle. It’s going to be a skill to learn this summer. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/10 "2022-06-15T10:58:41Z")
I have flagged down a taxi on the street once or twice, but I’ve more often called the taxi company to arrange a ride to the airport. I don’t really consider standing at a taxi rank at the airport (or other busy disembarking point) as flagging down a cab. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/11 "2022-06-15T11:01:52Z")
Oh, yeah, relative to the original example, I’ve waved down passing taxicabs on three continents. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/12 "2022-06-15T11:02:48Z")
Back in the early 70s - I worked in my dad’s office and I was occasionally sent to DC (from Baltimore) to get consular documents signed. I’d take Greyhound to DC, then get a cab to the consul, then back to the bus depot to return to the office. (I didn’t own a car and there was no company vehicle, plus driving in DC is insane - even back then!) I hated hailing cabs - I was soooooo shy and socially awkward in those days, but one does what one must. And I think once I stole a cab that someone else had flagged down, but by the time I figured it out, I was opening the door, so I just kept going. I still feel guilty about that. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/13 "2022-06-15T12:31:22Z")
I have, but i may never do it again. If there isn’t a cab stand, I’ll probably use a ride share app. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/14 "2022-06-15T12:33:29Z")
Yes, sure ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/15 "2022-06-15T12:39:02Z")
I hailed one 5 days ago, in London in front of a Tube stop. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/16 "2022-06-15T12:47:20Z")
Many times. I just did it here in Boston a couple of weeks ago, when we were going to the Pops via the T, and the subway car had broken down. Got there just in time. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/17 "2022-06-15T12:50:04Z")
Hundreds of times, while working in downtown Chicago for most of the past 33 years, as well as occasional work trips to Manhattan. Haven’t done so in the past 2-plus years, but that’s entirely due to no longer going in to the office. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/18 "2022-06-15T12:56:58Z")
Mostly at airports, but it’s not really ‘hailing’, they’ll just be in a line. In cities where there are cabs I’ll hail them, but if I’m staying at a nicer hotel they’ll have guy in hat call them in with a whistle. So mainly it’s been in NYC where there are plenty of cabs cruising around and you can hail one. So in addition to NYC, Chicago, Boston, I think Detroit, but not LA. Otherwise it was easier to call for one instead of hoping a cab will come by. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/19 "2022-06-15T13:21:27Z")
More times than I can count in DC, although it’s been a couple decades since I used them regularly. Back then cab drivers were like vultures – you’d step off the curb and a half dozen would come charging at you from all directions, violating all traffic laws to get to you first. From a recent trip back, it seems like the taxi scene is much more subdued. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224/20 "2022-06-15T14:41:07Z")
We don’t hail cabs where I live. Too much of a hick town. We call them or the kids ping an uber with their phones somehow. The first time I remember hailing a cab was in Toronto about 30 years ago. The wife and I had been bar crawling down Queen Street and were tired and drunk. “How will we get a cab home,” Mrs. 74westy asked? “Like this,” I said sticking out my arm. A cab immediately pulled over. I felt like a super hero. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-hailed-a-taxi/966224.md?page=2)