# How did the mechanics of "Cash Cab" work?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-mechanics-of-cash-cab-work/924509
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Tags:** reality-or-game-show
**Created:** [November 1, 2020, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-mechanics-of-cash-cab-work/924509 "2020-11-01T21:54:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2020, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-mechanics-of-cash-cab-work/924509/1 "2020-11-01T21:54:08Z")
By “mechanics”, I mean the selecting and screening of contestants, getting their consent to be recorded and broadcast on TV, etc. How do they know that the passengers will be good TV guests? Of course, they could simply not air the duds, but that is pretty expensive time wasted.
So, are the contestants really as random as they appear to be?
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### Author:  [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2020, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-mechanics-of-cash-cab-work/924509/2 "2020-11-01T22:04:21Z")
IIRC for the first set they showed Ben getting permission and for the others, it is assumed that they got it on film but didn’t air it. If someone said, “No, I really need to get to my destination in a hurry…I don’t want to be kicked out and have to look for another cab,” then they couldn’t air it for lack of permission. At least that’s what I guessed.
I always wondered how they got the street shots. They could pace the cab in another vehicle for shots as they roll. He could target a particular block for a pickup, have a camera guy there in advance.
I just googled and found this article.
> **[Is Cash Cab for Real? 7 Contestants Speak!](https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/23656/cash-cab-real-7-contestants-speak)**
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> If you're reading this post, you probably love trivia and game shows as much of the rest of us \_flossers. So chances are you've watched at least one episode of Cash Cab on Discovery Channel, right? And chances are you've wondered whether it was...
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### Author:  [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2020, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-mechanics-of-cash-cab-work/924509/3 "2020-11-01T22:06:06Z")
> **[Cash Cab (American game show)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cash_Cab_(American_game_show))**
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> Pages for logged out editors learn more
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>
> Cash Cab is an American game show that began airing in 2005, on the Discovery Channel, hosted by stand-up comedian Ben Bailey. The original run ended in 2012, but the series was revived in 2017. It moved to Bravo in 2019. It is part of the global Cash Cab franchise that originated in the United Kingdom.
> According to Variety, Discovery Channel initially ordered 40 episodes from Lion Television and taping of the initial run was completed in Novem...
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### Author:  [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2020, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-mechanics-of-cash-cab-work/924509/4 "2020-11-01T22:40:57Z")
I love ol’ CA$H CAB; Ben Bailey is a hoot (if you can find his stand-up special, it’s well worth the time) and it’s no wonder he’s won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Gameshow Host 3 times. I’m silly, yes, but I was on tenterhooks when the one guy won the $6200. It’s very good TV – a masterpiece of editing, which is the only reason I can watch Guy Fieri programs.
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### Author:  [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2020, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-mechanics-of-cash-cab-work/924509/5 "2020-11-02T13:22:56Z")
I’ve heard Ben Bailey on a number of podcasts (he’s a fairly regular guest on Doug Loves Movies) and I’ve heard, I believe directly from Ben Bailey on one of those podcasts, that the part where the passenger gets in the cab, the colored lights in the ceiling of the cab start flashing, Ben says “You’re on Cash Cab!” and the passenger acts all surprised, is faked. They’ve been vetted and clearances signed before that point. So the “random passenger” shtick and element of surprise is all a put-on, and after that it becomes a fairly ordinary game show on wheels.