How to hail a cab in different cities around the world – words Al Woods
There are many differences that you notice when you travel around the world. One of the more noticeable changes, and one which is important to be aware of, is how people hail a taxi.
Taxis are incredibly handy when visiting somewhere new but it is no much good if you do not know how to properly flag one down – here are a few methods for different destinations.
London, England
Unsurprisingly, the way to hail a cab in England is very polite in the form of a queue. You will want to make sure that you get in a black cab in the capital but it could also be a vehicle from somewhere like Cab Direct elsewhere – if the light it is on it is available. If you are at the front of the queue or there isn’t one then simply stick your hand out to notify the driver.
New York, USA
The iconic yellow cabs are everywhere in NYC but you might find it hard to flag one down. The key to success is knowing when they are available – if the centre light is on then it should be available, if there are no lights it is already occupied and if they are all lit up then it will be off duty. You need to catch their eye by sticking your hand out but be warned that people are unlikely to queue like in the UK.
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo also adopts a lights system which you should familiarise yourself with. The cabs themselves are easy enough to spot as they are bright green and you will want to look out for a cab with a red light which means that it is empty – wave to the driver and they should pull over.
Istanbul, Turkey
There are yellow cabs all throughout Istanbul but you want to make sure that you hail one which is official and you can tell which ones are because they will have a roof sign that reads “taksi”. They are easy enough to get by sticking your hand out but make sure that that it has a meter so that you are charged the right amount (keep in mind that drivers often carry little change).
If you are trying to hail a cab in any of these destinations then this advice should help you to do so as they are places that are trickier than other areas around the world.
