For starters, in that restaurants in most locations don’t have signs prominently displayed saying that the passenger can request for the music to be turned off or changed.
The few times I’ve asked the cabbie to change the channels or switch it off, they had on some talk program that was grating on my nerves; either the Jackass type of humor, or Tea-Party-style political comentary. Yeah dude, the housing bubble was totally the fault of undocumented immigrants, gotcha.
Those are common areas and a taxi is not.
“ETA: Anyone think it would be wortwhile writing a book about my experiences?”
Not unless you are a good writer…
That said, the SF Chronicle had a regular column called, “Night Cabbie”. It wasn’t too bad. So cabbies to acquire decent material.
That said, in my experience they act mostly insane (in the colloquial sense, not the clinical sense). So with regards to the OP, I find it best to humor them. I remember one guy screaming at the top of his lungs how Coca Cola company was screwing everybody over by selling 2 brands of Coke (how so? beats me: I just nodded).
Another ranted about the politicians. When I asked whether he voted, I swear he shut up for a full second. 
Driver, cashier, waitress, or anyone who has to come into contact with the general public for all or most of his/her shift every working day.
I rarely ride in cabs, and I’ve never had to ask the driver to adjust the music or temperature. I have to say that the cab drivers I had in Chicago were very, very nice people, all of them. I HAVE occasionally asked that the music be turned down in a restaurant, and I’ve left if I’m told that corporate wants the chain to play THIS music at THIS volume.
Now, I’ve gritted my teeth about the radio selection a couple of times, when I took a courtesy cab in a medical complex. I didn’t say anything because I wasn’t actually paying directly out of my pocket. I did resolve to go elsewhere for my medical needs, though. The medical complex takes up about 10 city blocks with just the buildings, and the parking lots are even larger.
I’m not sure what the law is in Melbourne but generally they comply with a reasonable request.
If someone has something on the radio I don’t particularly like, I usually just tune out and don’t listen. Sometimes they don’t have it on so I’ll ask them to please put it on and tell them what channel I like so I don’t have to have a conversation.
I’ll also over ride the GPS if I want to go a different way. I just say “left at the next lights” or whatever, never got an argument, they can see on the GPS where we are compared to the destination I gave.
Last bloke was excellent. Late Saturday night, didn’t have the GPS or the metre turned on. I told him where I wanted to go, offered a flat fare, he agreed and I gave him directions. Sweet.
Who pays the piper calls the tune. Even when the tune is silence.
Everyone in Chicago was sooooo nice it was almost a little scary. They are not that friendly in NYC, I can tell you that, though they are usually not mean, just brusque.
But you buy a churro - the young lady behind the counter is sweet as pie.
You get in a cab, the guy listens to you, he talks if you want to talk, he’s quiet if you don’t. Music’s low. He takes the shortest, fastest route.
You buy tickets to the aquarium, the counter lady takes time to explain what you can see and what the different shows are.
You ask someone for directions on Navy Pier, they stop what they are doing to explain to you very carefully.
You ask the bus driver “Is this the right bus to the mall?” Not only does he say yes but he drops you off directly in front of the doors to the mall, and tells you, “Don’t get off at [the previous stop], I’ll drop you right in front.”
I was flabbergasted and amazed - and very, very impressed.
Let us know when you wake up from your nice dream.
Remember, it’s being compared with NYC. I find Chicago tons more outwardly friendly than NYC. I like to think of Chicago as friendly and polite (and for the most part, it is), but on my last visit to Nashville, I was struck by how that city made Chicago look crabby in comparison.
Oh, get off. Honestly? I was there, this summer. These are my experiences. This is not some kind of dream. Those are all factual things that happened.
I don’t understand why people feel the need to barge into threads and essentially claim you are living in a fantasy world or maybe even deluded or something.
Nashville is super duper nice on the visit, too. They are sooooooo friendly to tourists it’s kind of amazing.