very simple

I actually ended up in one of these taxis the other night (mine was the NBC version), and I really liked it – not the news feed/commercials so much (but you could turn the volume down or turn it off, unlike the old version), but you can actually follow your progress on a GPS map.  Since I love maps, this was pretty awesome.  Also, while the meter up front divides up your fare between the basics and the extras (rush hour surcharge, night surcharge, etc.), there’s a second box on the screen that actually gives the “real” total of your cab ride so far.  Very neat.  Particularly useful when you’re, say, drunk at 3am and no longer have the capacity to add $1 + $1 + tip to make sure you’ve got enough cash (which, as the article points out, you no longer need because they take credit cards).

I’d still prefer to pay cabs with cash though, as the credit card companies presumably take a bite out of whatever transactions they’re a part of.  But it’s nice to have the option not to spend 20 minutes wandering around the east village looking for an ATM that won’t charge me $3.

Tags: new york city, technology