Every so often, particularly on TV shows about or in NYC,
I hear of “car services”, as in, “Why don’t you use the car service?”. It seems to be a NYC thing, though I have
seen a “Super Car Service” here in L.A. Here they look like
taxis but don’t have the rooftop symbol. What exactly is a car service and how does it differ from a taxi company?
And while we’re at it, what are these “livery cabs” that
were in the news a few months ago?
As I understand it, a car service exists specifically to pick up people who call and request the service to come and get them, unlike a taxi which just drives around looking for fares. I believe car services are what you use if you are in places like Staten Island.
Of course, I’m going on what I’ve read about such services when I visited NYC. I live in LA and cabs don’t cruise the streets here looking for fares. You almost always have to call in advance to get one here, unless you are at an airport or outside a major hotel.
In NYC at least, only taxicabs with medallions are allowed to stop for fares on the street–others must be called for (in theory anyway). A car service can be set up to come get someone regularly, be scheduled in advance, or be set up on account with a company and on call for them. The cars are larger, not limos, but nicer than your average cab.
Livery cabs I think of as “gypsy cabs” which are just regular cars without medallions which cruise around for fares. There is no rate structure but it’s understood how much is reasonable. You can identify them by the sort of sedan they usually are, the T, L & C* license plate, or how they beep when you are at the busstop, or walking anywhere near the intersection.
I believe all taxis, car services and gypsy cabs are supposed to be licensed through the *Taxi and Livery (Limo?) Commission but this doesn’t stop people from using their van on the down low for fares.
NOTE: I typed this while gigi was posting, so there is some redundency. My apologies. BTW, T&LC = "Taxi & Limousine Commission.
Bob and java (and gigi) are essentially correct, so I will merely add a few minor details for the sake of completeness.
Here in NYC only medallion (“yellow”) cabs may take street hails (but see more below). The medallion – an official plastic plate bolted to the hood of the car for all to see – is what separates it from anyone else wishing to taxi people around the city. The quantity of medallions is limited by law, thus making them scarce and very, very expensive to buy (and lucrative to own).
So-called “Gypsy cabs” act like yellow cabs, but generally operate outside of midtown Manhattan – where “real” cabs seldom cruise. I know that years ago the Gypsy cabs were outright illegal, though often ignored by the authorities. I think that that illegality MAY have been relaxed somewhat over the past decade or so because they provide a needed service in many communities where yellow cabs never go.
Car services, radio-dispatched cabs, livery cabs, and so-called “black cars” are all variations of the same thing:
non-street hail taxis; you call a dispatcher in advance and they pick you up and take you where you want to go. Usually there is a pre-arranged fee based on distance traveled or time hired (if the cab will be needed for hours on end). There is usually no meter in such cabs. As far as I know, unlike medallion cabs, there is no legal limit to these cars.
Car services operate in many cities, not just New York. Any “limo” company is likely going to also have “black car” service (they’re not really always black cars). These are usually a Lincoln Town Car or something similar, with a uniformed, or possibly suit-wearing, driver. Boston Coach offers this service worldwide. Sometimes even taxi companies will have a car service component - this way they can offer normal taxi service, but if someone wants to book a taxi pick-up at a specific time, the person can be referred to the car-service half of the business.
who has visited the city on occasion, I define the difference as this:
Car service:
Taxi:
I totally disagree on the quality of the car and driver though. The cabs are universally a quasi-clean with drivers in street clothes. Car service cars vary from nice to completely dumpy with drivers in suits or street clothes depending. I suspect most are just contracters who are paged to drive their regular cars and drive people around (possibly in exchange for a paid parking space)
Yarster said of taxis:
“1) Take your best guess fares that are usually overpriced”
Well, you’re half right. They are superoverpriced in New York, but all yellow cabs have to stick to standard fares, which are posted on their doors. It’s 2.00 just to get into a cab, plus .50 if it’s after 8:00 p.m. Then it’s a certain amount per fifth of a mile (I think 15 cents, but I’m not sure) or minute stuck in traffic.
The car service thing is what you use when the company is paying for your ride home. 
Oh, come on! Yellow taxis in New York are among the cheapest in the country! They seem expensive, but everything here is so compressed that the meter never gets very high.
About the only time you’ll pay less with a radiocar is for an airport run. And for that, you want the guaranteed reservation anyway.
Since I’m sure you actually LIVE there, but when I say the fares are unpredictable in a taxi, I mean to say that while you might theroretically be able to say what it should cost in terms of mileage, I:
don’t know how far anything is from anything else and thus, can’t easily compute this in my head in terms of cost (though of course one doesn’t use a car service for short hauls…in fact…why use a taxi either considering you have the subway?)
can’t account for any waiting time in traffic which is always unpredictable in NY.
I’ve usually found that a three-mile cab ride in West Los Angeles runs about $11 or $12 including a tip. Longer fares
usually seem to be a little cheaper by the mile. Waiting in
traffic isn’t usually a problem as most of us only use taxis
when we find ourselves, incredibly, away from home without our cars. This usually happens when we go out for an evening and have the good sense to leave the car at home and
leave the driving to someone else.