# NYC Dopers: Cab situation?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-dopers-cab-situation/641023
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 14, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-dopers-cab-situation/641023 "2012-11-14T20:09:48Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)
#### Post date: [November 17, 2012, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-dopers-cab-situation/641023/21 "2012-11-17T07:41:34Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#):
>
> Question answered, so a hijack. What exactly happens if you accept a ride from one of those guys offering illegal rides? Ive seen them and avoided them, but I’m curious.
When my dad did it, the fare suddenly doubled at the end of the trip when the credit card came out. And IIRC the fare even before that was still substantially more than what a cab costs.
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### Author:  [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)
#### Post date: [November 17, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-dopers-cab-situation/641023/22 "2012-11-17T15:22:11Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#):
>
> I live ten minutes from LaGuardia. Lemme help a bit here.
>
> 1. The NYC Council was considering legislation to permit non-yellow cabs ( “car services”, usually Lincoln Town Cars ) to pick up fares on the streets. Not sure this passed yet-
It passed, but it’s being contested in court so it hasn’t gone into effect. And car service cars themselves are regulated in most of the same ways as taxi cabs, they just don’t have meters.
Regulated cab drivers lose their license for being present drug users, violent criminals, exceptionally bad drivers, discriminatory/offensive conduct, refusing to take passengers where they want to go, overcharge, and other prohibited conduct. Moreover the vehicles are subject to regular safety inspections, must accept credit cards, have onboard maps, etc.
With an unregulated cab you get what you get. [Like these French tourists did](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/24/french-tourists-in-nyc-po_n_220048.html).
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