One of the best-known icons of New York City, the surly cab driver -- the swerving, swearing, speed demon cab driver, who's as much a part of city lore as Broadway marquees and hot-pretzel vendors -- may be a thing of the past. These days when you pay your fare, the cabbie is liable to smile, return your change and wish you a nice day. The new persona is part of a plan by city officials to weed out rude and unsafe cabbies and reward the ones who make customers happy. One surprised tourist said as he stepped out of a cab on Fifth Avenue, "I guess you're sort of ... conditioned to expect this sort of near-death experience. Like they're monsters behind the wheel or something."
Nice Cabbie!
One of the best-known icons of New York City, the surly cab driver -- the swerving, swearing, speed demon cab driver, who's as much a part of city lore as Broadway marquees and hot-pretzel vendors -- may be a thing of the past. These days when you pay your fare, the cabbie is liable to smile, return your change and wish you a nice day. The new persona is part of a plan by city officials to weed out rude and unsafe cabbies and reward the ones who make customers happy. One surprised tourist said as he stepped out of a cab on Fifth Avenue, "I guess you're sort of ... conditioned to expect this sort of near-death experience. Like they're monsters behind the wheel or something."
