NYC Cabs Getting TV and Location Tracking
- December 18th, 2006
- 7 Comments
If you live in NYC like some of us, you know that cabs are nothing exciting. They’re just fast transportation (well, sometimes at least) from one point to another for when you’re drunk as a skunk. All that is about to change though, thanks to a new touchscreen the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission showed off last week.
Set to debut in the next few weeks, the touchscreen features news, weather reports, restaurant reviews and shows the current progress your cab is making to your destination. Those who lose personal items in the cab will be able to call the cab company up and track down their items much quicker. You’ll also be able to start paying with credit cards thanks to the new system (about time). If the sounds emitting from the device become annoying, you can just mute it for a calm ride crosstown. New Yorkers should thank the heavens and keep their eye out for these during the holidays.
New NYC taxis to have TV and tracking [Silicon Valley via Digg]
Amit (Who am I?)
1 year ago
Oh my god. Its about time they started doing this. As a new yorker, I have had frequent problems with not having cash on me to pay for the cab. I also have lost 2 wallets, and 3 cell phones in a cab and my virginity… ok just kidding about the last one.
I am assuming that there might be less interaction with the driver with the whole paying by credit card method which would be wonderful for their safety. I can see cabs with signs that say… sorry no cash, credit card only when they are operating late at night.
Once again, I am sure the service will be polluted with advertisements. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. You get data in your cab, the cab driver is getting a cut to host the thing and the company installing the product gets ad revenue and the advertisers get exposure. This is a win-win situation.
I can’t wait to be confused like crazy when I am drunk and trying to focus on the monitor as the cab drives like he is playing Crazy Taxi.
Ah, I love New York.
Amit
Ryan Stickney (Who am I?)
1 year ago
Seattle has some credit card availability in cabs but i’ve found trying to use one will usually get the driver pissed off at you.
Hopefully the system will make it easier to get a reciept, I hate trying to get cabs expensed without reciepts and often have to pay out of my own pocket for them.
The restaurant part is genius! finding hashbrowns at 2:30 will never be a problem again!
drdrew (Who am I?)
1 year ago
Ahh, the power of CG. Someone was listening. We said this waay back on the 1st… :)
bpm2000 (Who am I?)
1 year ago
@Ryan
Ditto on the Seattle cab sitch. I usually resort to not telling them beforehand that I don’t have cash - then they can only get mad at the after I’ve arrived at my destination. They HAVE to take cards AFAIK so even pissed, they have to concede.
Adam Kalsey (Who am I?)
1 year ago
What would be slick is if the TLC would open up the aggregate data of taxi locations. Then people could build mashups that would show things like the hardest place to get a taxi at 2am on Thursday. Or commuting patterns.
Imagine if you knew where every taxi was in NYC over time. Think of the cool uses for this sort of data.
Jon (Who am I?)
1 year ago
Although the “mute” option is nice, I would prefer a “power off”… would be nice to be in a cab like this and actually take a break from all the excessive advertising that is bombarding us on a daily basis. Then again, I don’t live in NY but I know if it works there, it’s bound to be rolled out around the world in no time :-(
Jon
Peter (Who am I?)
1 year ago
Yes, those damn itty bitty tiny receipts are ridiculous with cash to expense. Sometimes the ink wears out in your jean pocket, and half the time you lose them. Credit card ease is gonna be sweet.