|
|
East Village (Cooper Union)
Queensbridge, Queens
Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
Above: I believe the Lincoln is doing pick-ups, drop offs, street hails, all of the above without any certification from the Taxi and Limousine Commission. It's just a regular civilian car, but just like all the other car services, he has the right car and it's painted the most common color. Since it's Bed-Stuy, where you can't usually find a yellow cab, I don't mind illegal street hails of 'black cars', but this one is a bit much since he's not certified for any chauffeuring at all. Recently the T&LC said they were cracking down only on car services, (or 'black cars') focusing all their effort on that. So if I were this guy, I'd watch myself.
Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Above: Overly cautious, you think?
NoHo (North of Houston)
Times Square District
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Above: awaiting real estate development.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Herald Square
Shots from 5/18/08
I took a couple home after the bars closed, up to 99nth and Madison Avenue. After going around Mount Sinai Hospital to head back downtown on 5th Avenue I saw this thing-
The size of a cat, but it walked like an untamed savvy creature of the night. Its tail dragged on the ground rather than sticking upwards like a cat's. I thought Maybe it was an opossum, or some other disgusting gigantic version of an urban rat.
5th Avenue Raccoon Turns out it was a raccoon. I was so excited to take a close picture, I almost drove into the parked cars to get it. This is officially the most high class wild animal I've ever seen, living in Central Park and searching for grub from one of the finest hospitals in New York, and crossing 5th Avenue no less, to have a pre-dawn snack.
Stranger things have happened when it comes to spotting wildlife in New York.
There are several Red Tailed Hawks who moved on up to the 5th Avenue rooftops along the park, as well as other neighborhoods with both tall buildings and a relative abundance of greenery. The Hawk has been very successful here, perching itself in trees and sky-rises watching the ground for weak squirrels to prey upon.
But even stranger is the wild turkey. It is best not to look for the wild turkey, you're not going to find it. However, in a less populated section of Central Park I heard it squawking like a fire alarm, never saw it though. And along the unkempt greenery along the Harlem River Drive in Washington Heights as I rode my bike through the overgrown trail, a large bird flew from my right side to my left. I had no clue what it was, and I'm gonna go with the turkey. Perhaps your thinking that I'm kinda dumb, because turkeys don't fly, or, at least, they don't fly too far. But this is New York City, where everyone who moves here, including turkey, needs to adapt to the harsh environment. The New York Times has an article of a wild turkey that visits an apartment regularly on the 28th floor!, this was a while ago, and I don't ride my bike as much now, so I don't know what the turkey situation is anymore.
Two key factors are accomplished with this police car
- The element of surprise
- Bragging rights for the coolest idea in police tactics
Seriously though, they could be more secretive about it. The NYPD views the police as more effective as a noticeable presence, rather than undercover. I am sure they have multiple levels of undercover officers, and this car with multiple sirens and the casual pullovers and busts that vehicles of this type pull is on the low end of 'undercover.'
elmblog wants to know what makes it noticeable as a police vehicle. And I guess that's important information so:
- The license plate is 8 consecutive digits, usually beginning with 'T8OO", while most civilian plates for New York State are 7 digits with a space between the first three digits and the last four, and more importantly most taxicabs in New York City have only four digits on their plates which match the medallion number on the roof light.
- On the trunk lid, there is an extra black thing protruding about 4 inches. This is a police radio antenna or something like it.
- The black trim on the side doors, door in this case, is rarely ever on a real New York City cab anymore.
Other features on the police car that are not shown in this picture: - There is no partition, and while there are a few taxis without partitions, the front seats are made of cloth rather than the leather like material mandated by the taxi commission.
- Sometimes an on board shockproof laptop computer is mounted between the two front seats.
- The Police-cabs are often driven in groups of three very police looking people.
- And the most obvious reason, is sometimes that the car is parked on the same block as the police precinct and the bulb siren is sitting on the dashboard.
Tada, the Chevy Malibu Hybrid- Complete with the "Greenyc" sticker on the C pillar, along with countless other stickers from its garage.
All Hybrid taxis in New York City get the "Greenyc" sticker, a badge of honor and intelligence showing the public that very soon, New York's taxis and even our car services will be eating less gas per mile, and less gas per minute while idling.
But while we're investing in a different taxi, why don't we do it right?
Of all the cleaner vehicles to choose from, the Chevy Malibu has the second worst city gas mileage. The only car with lower M.P.G. on the approved list is the Saturn Vue Hybrid Sport Utility vehicle; both vehicles are made by General Motors. Now, it is wonderful that General Motors has finally joined the band wagon, and is now mass producing hybrid vehicles, these vehicles are significantly reducing our "Dependence on Oil", but still, G.M. should be making even more fuel efficient vehicles than they already are.
Toyota has the most hybrid models. These models are exceptional in their gas consumption in the City, using the battery to power the car at low speeds and while idling. Toyota's technology has also been transferred over to the Nissan Altima hybrid, which gets the second best gas mileage only bested by the tiny Toyota Prius.
Most recently the VW Jetta clean diesel has just been approved.
The Toyota Highlander S.U.V. hybrid taxi The Highlander is the biggest hybrid taxi available. And even with four wheel drive it has a comparable M.P.G. rating to the midsize sedan Chevy Malibu.
And let's not forget the fabulous job Ford has done at making an affordable and durable Ford Escape Hybrid, which gets 34 M.P.G. in the city, making it 3rd best rated Mileage in T&LC approved taxicabs. Its S.U.V. character gives it more trunk room than the Crown Victoria, a higher commanding view of the road, suitable legroom, and easy exit and entry for passengers. The detriments though are a small width providing less ass room for passengers.
Want to see all the New York City Taxis? Click the link below (NYC taxi models) to see all the blogs posted of each taxi.
Hey, so funny how it works. Turned out okay yesterday. The weirdest ride I got yesterday was a couple looking for specific motel/hotels . I took them from 125th and Broadway to a HoJo's in the Bronx, yeah I know, they still exist? Then when that one turned out 'no vacancy' they asked to go back over the Macomb's Damn Bridge to a motel, yes, an actual MOTEL in MANHATTAN! the ride was very efficient at 14.50 and they gave me a 20 and told me to keep the change. It was a very lucky ride to get 20 dollars and still be in Manhattan. Plus I learned a lot from that ride. I now may have more knowledge on how to go crosstown to Yankee Stadium, and if anybody wants a cheap motel, I could mention that place.
I saw a raccoon today crossing 5th avenue. I got a blurry picture I'll show you later.
This shit sucks! Guess what everybody, I've gone 3 hours without a fare! Like an idiot I waited at a hotel, for an hour, and right when I was number two, it took another fricken' hour, I was boxed in, but there was no way I was wasting anymore time, while the limo drivers took everyone and we watched!!
Some jerk had the nerve to tell me that I should get off the waiting line, because he made 80 bucks in the time I waited. I guess I should have given him a fucking prize. You win some and you lose some. I am pretty sure when he has a bad day, I'll be making a boatload of cash. The world always balances out, that's my philosophy.
I should really switch to nights. It was all good till' the sun came up. I have a lot on my plate right now. I am starting to think about going back to school to study urban planning, and also a few friends and I are planning to form a wedding photography company. It all requires money, which I'm kind of short on.
NW Corner of Driggs Street and Manhattan Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Brooklyn was always the cool borough in New York City, but lately the influx of money, coupled with so much real-estate being turned over in hopes of much larger profits has been shocking. This particular corner is one of the best examples of the gentrification in Williamsburg. On one corner a brick building with peeling paint holds a sign that appears to be older than the average age of the neighborhood population. Around noon, the establishment is full of patrons eating and drinking out in front. By night at the northeast corner, people chat with cigarettes in hand while their drinks grow less robust inside. And of course, at the southeast corner, people watch it all from their new apartment's floor to ceiling windows. Once again, the coolness of a neighborhood is attempting to bring in people who pay to be cool, and yet rather than living in such a lifestyle, they seclude themselves in private fortresses.
SE Corner of Driggs Street and Manhattan Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
It was getting past late, and on to early, in other words, it was morning. I hadn't realized until I stopped at my favorite pick-up dinner, that the sun had already been progressing upwards in the sky. Everybody had gone home already for the most part, but I lucked out and got a fare all the way to Far Rockaway, Queens, or somewhere in the area.
When you get this far out to the limits of New York's borders, things start changing, and it doesn't look like the New York so many are familiar with. The Rockaways are a set of neighborhoods on a finger peninsula, on one side of the peninsula, the lower New York Bay, pretty much the Atlantic Ocean. On the other side is the smaller Jamaica Bay, where I have visited a bunch of times to look at wildlife.
Averne, Queens
A smooth dark freshly paved road surrounded by new, I'm assuming affordable, houses. Seemingly miles from civilization, but not a mile away, the elevated subway line:
Averne, Queens
However, it wasn't running that day, the subway doesn't always run as predicted here.
Averne, Queens
On either end of the main road, the salt water is only steps away, and the breeze is strong. The Housing, affordable, due to the inconvenience of travel.
Holland, Queens
Broad Channel is a small patch of houses on stilts in between the Rockaways and Howard Beach. A lot of fishing here.
Broad Channel, Queens
Cross Bay Bridge, Jamaica Bay, Queens
Starbucks, Howard Beach, Queens
This Starbucks Coffee house may look common to you, but for this New Yorker, to see a Starbucks in its own suburban house with parking on either side is super rare. So with such easy parking I had to stop, go to the restroom of course, and then order the smallest coffee I could.
South Conduit Boulevard, Ozone Park, Queens
Yes folks, still making my way back to Manhattan, and not a building in sight.
Van Wyck Expressway, Jamaica, Queens
So the lack of train service to the Rockaways, meant at least one person's route to JFK Airport was derailed. This is what he told me when he got in my cab at Columbus Circle, so I got a quick trip to JFK, thanks to the unreliable Metropolitan Transit Authority. In all truth, the subway system is way better than it was, but there is always room for improvement. Above the Van Wyck is a monorail designed to transfer from both the 'A' line, and the 'E' line and bring people to the airport for a fee of another 3 bucks I think. The problem with this, is that people going to the airport would much rather a direct transit, without any transfers.
Midtown
A long while back I had this customer:
He came in, and sank in to the usual back-seat corner.
"9th and 30th street." I don't remember where exactly, but that's a good example. Then he told me this.
"Where'd Alan go?"
"What?" I said, after I looked back and saw him staring right at me.
"Where'd.. Alan... GO?"
"Uhh.. I don't know... What you're talking about sir?" I didn't know weather I should laugh, cry, or shit my pants.
There was a long pause, about a minute. He looked at me, slumped further in his seat and said, "Fair enough."
I guess I won this round of, am I crazy or just messing with ya.
I got some bachelor shenanigans to attend to, all weekend I think. So I'm off this weekend, and I don't think I'll have much time to edit more pictures or write another journal entry. I got 12 more to edit, but this is the only one I've done along with the large one up top, both from the edge of New York City's universe:
Far Rockaway, Queens
Oops I forgot to post the old pictures of Ford taxis in movies. So again from the site IMCDB.org, the Ford in NYC taxis from the 70's to the 90's  73' Ford Custom 500 "Taxi Driver"
 75' Ford Ltd"Nine and a Half Weeks"
 79' Ford Ltd Crown Victoria"Night On Earth"
 90' Ford Crown Victoria"As Good As It Gets"
 92' Ford Crown Victoria"Thirteen Going On Thirty"
Alright bare with me here, I can't stop surfing the internet finding examples of old New York taxis. I promise this will be my last post of old taxis, but promises are made to be broken. All the pictures were found on IMCDB.org. Can you believe there is an entire site dedicated to finding the cars used in movies and naming them all!!! Did I die and go to heaven? I know a lot of movies get their history wrong, or they just don't care about history, so if you see any car I posted, and want to add some info about how it really looked, or it never being a taxi, don't hesitate to comment.
Again I must remind you if you don't know already, that the NYC taxi wasn't always yellow. Each cab company would choose their paint scheme. The yellow dominance was introduced by John D. Hertz, a national taxi company owner (Yellow Cab Co.), and later of rental car company fame. He believed that yellow was the most noticeable color.
By the way I just saw my first Chevrolet Malibu hybrid taxi yesterday, I think it was owned by a fleet, so there should be a handful of them within the year.
 72' Dodge Polara"The Seven-Ups"
Nothing says, I live in the era when everything sucks, quite like this car. 
Everything about this car is genuine. the red number 83 indicates this as the 83rd car of a particular taxi company. The taxi fare decal on the front doors and even the medallion number on the roof-light are very accurate.
 57' Dodge Coronet"The Best of Everything"
 77' Dodge Coronet"Murder She Wrote"
Could this be the ugliest car ever made?
 55' Dodge Coronet"North By Northwest"
80' Chevy Impala "The Confession"
In the early 80's the Impala and the Caprice were virtually the same.
 59' Checker "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
Note the green and yellow colors, beautiful.
 37' Buick Special"The Natural"
I wonder if cabs ever had white wall tires?
36' Buick Special "The Pantom"
This roof sign seems very accurate. I don't think any taxi was satisfied with a simple "Taxi" sign. I wish more movies would get this right.
 36' Cord 810 Westchester
"The Shadow"
This car is amazing! Pop up headlights inside the wheel well?!!! How cool is that!!!!!??? Again the roof-light is very comparable to the DeSoto Skyview taxis, very historically acute.
Right when aviation was getting started, everyone wanted to be a pilot. That dash makes the driver feel as though he were flying. I wouldn't be surprised if it had an altimeter.
But my main question is: Was this ever really a taxicab?
 42' DeSoto Skyview"Saboteur"
The Skyview was aptly named for a glass roof in the back. Both the glass roof, and the ample room in the back made it the most desirable cab.
 46' Plymouth De Lux"The Shadow"
 53' Plymouth Cambridge"Funny Face"
Location: Washington Square Park. that's right, 5th Avenue went right through the arch and around the fountain.
 65' Plymouth Fury 3"Blindfold"
 57' Plymouth Plaza"Breakfast at Tiffany's"
55' Plymouth Plaza "Funny Face"
37' Pontiac Delux "The Natural"
 57' Studebaker Scotsman"The Best of Everything"
|
|
2 ... 2 ...
