Gypsy Cabs

«You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…”~Dr. Seuss~
I don’t do cabs. I do feet. After walking miles and miles in my 4 inch Ted Baker shoes, I broke down and hailed a cab to take me from the Meat Packing District to my «home» in the West Village. I got in.
It looked like a cab, It smelled like a cab, but it didn’t have a meter. Too late. We were on our way. I questioned the driver and he gave me some bullshit about it being broken. I asked him how much he was going to charge me to go 4 blocks. He said 7 bucks. I had a 10 in my pocket so I grinned and beared it. He drove like a maniac. He had no idea where he was going. He made a U Turn in the middle of a 4 lane road and I said my prayers. I got home in one piece and swore to myself that from this day forward, I will use the feet in my shoes and steer myself in any direction I choose.

These cabs are a RIP OFF! Don’t ever take one especially coming from the airport. I know someone from Europe who came to NY for the first time & was forced to pay $ 300 from airport to Manhattan. After telling the driver he didn’t have that much cash & that he works for the UN the driver brought down the fare for $ 150…still a RIP OFF! & after paying he was brought to a shady area somewhere near the east river, the driver left him there & told him that, that’s the address that he was supposed to be dropped off.

Who hasn’t been in a gypsy cab?!
We’ve all been in those town cars with dilapidated seats because of the incessant lack of legitimate yellow cabs.
I am usually okay with these overcharging unmarked towncars until this past Friday. There is beauty in brevity and all I’ll say is my friends and I had a near death grand theft auto experience.
Do yourself a favor and take a real yellow cab.

I mean I have taken them to random destinations and of course seen the unmarked black cars in manhattan offering to basically take any one somewhere for $ 25 almost no matter how near or far (20 blocks or a 40 minute car ride). I ended up getting in one gypsy at 86^th street 2^nd ave area with some friends and we went all the way to Austin St. in Queens (near one of the guys crib) all for $ 30. It was pretty cheap when you think about it, split 4 ways. I mean the subway runs like ass at 5Am and there was no way we were going to subway in the condition we were in, Very Very drunk. Been drinking since 8:30 pm straight up until about 3Am. Then late night rendezvous somewhere else then it was back to Queens the best way we could. Yellow Cabs suck too, they are generally expensive.

I used to ride in them as a badge of honor being a born New Yorker… On the other hand, after seeing «The Bone Collector» a few times AND how unlike yellow cabs, Gypsy will pick a brother up, I figured my luck was gonna run out soon…

$ 50 from Times Square to Harlem? Really? Eff you.

Got into one at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Was heading downtown to Canal Street. Told me it would be 45 bucks! Insane. Then he told me 25. We went a few blocks, I spotted a subway station, was out 12 bucks (and a life lesson).
Driver was pretty rude and desperate. Was antsing for cash, obviously, must’ve thought I was a naïve tourist. Not! Only yellow cabs from now on!

I’ve taken them to JFK for $ 30. I’ve been offered bootleg DVDs while being driven around Manhattan. I’ve just had one offer to take me from JFK to anywhere in Manhattan for $ 50, and refused to haggle down to a lower rate. I’ve had them offer a ride if my friend showed her tits.
You never know what you are going to get. It can be anywhere from a ride at a bargain to a story you can tell your friends, or maybe anal violation.