DC Cab
Washington is a first-world city with a third-world taxi cab system. In this town, anything with four doors and a driver potentially willing to take you somewhere for money can be a hack.

This is a documentary of the vehicles, the drivers and the experiences that make up what it means to cab around DC.

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July 5th, 10:25am 13 notes
I’d like to blame the rise of cats as America’s most popular pet for the demise of shag carpet. Sure, it feels great under your feet, but have you ever tried to vacuum feline fur out of it? And then there’s the clawing—what cat can resist trimming his or her claws in some nice, soft, deep shag? Thankfully, you can still find shag in some unusual places, like this Honda Odyssey taxi. It’s got shag on the carpets, on the front seats, even on the dash—with fringes no less! But what really makes this cab a shag tour de force is the shag-covered driver-side grab handle. Clearly, this hack takes his shag very, very seriously.

I’d like to blame the rise of cats as America’s most popular pet for the demise of shag carpet. Sure, it feels great under your feet, but have you ever tried to vacuum feline fur out of it? And then there’s the clawing—what cat can resist trimming his or her claws in some nice, soft, deep shag?

Thankfully, you can still find shag in some unusual places, like this Honda Odyssey taxi. It’s got shag on the carpets, on the front seats, even on the dash—with fringes no less! But what really makes this cab a shag tour de force is the shag-covered driver-side grab handle. Clearly, this hack takes his shag very, very seriously.

July 3rd, 2:45pm 7 notes

I miss the zone system. Oh sure it was corrupt, and you had to fight with your cabbie constantly to make sure he wasn’t going an extra two blocks just to make an extra buck, but it was just so DC.

— A friend visiting DC again after several years abroad
June 29th, 10:38pm 4 notes
Tonight’s cab was a Toyota Avalon, which old people buy because it’s comfortable like an old Buick. That’s not to confuse it with the Toyota Yaris, which old people buy because they are on a fixed income. Frankly, after riding in the back of the former, I’m not sure that the latter could be any worse under hack duty.

Tonight’s cab was a Toyota Avalon, which old people buy because it’s comfortable like an old Buick. That’s not to confuse it with the Toyota Yaris, which old people buy because they are on a fixed income. Frankly, after riding in the back of the former, I’m not sure that the latter could be any worse under hack duty.

June 17th, 7:36pm
Well, it’s bright green, that’s for sure. At least when your Ford Freestyle taxi shows up, you’ll know it’s for you.

Well, it’s bright green, that’s for sure. At least when your Ford Freestyle taxi shows up, you’ll know it’s for you.

June 9th, 6:11am 5 notes
What’s special about this cab? That’s a credit card reader. You don’t find these devices in many cabs in DC, which can be a pain when you don’t carry a lot of cash, like most Washingtonians. It’s also a pain when you want to get to Dulles Airport, which is—check it—a $70 ride from downtown DC. Thankfully, there is Washington Flyer, which exists to fill this void, taking DC residents to and from IAD and equally remote BWI. Unfortunately, they’re also a bit inept, which makes their monopoly somewhat frustrating. The cab I’m riding in this morning? A current generation Chevrolet Tahoe.

What’s special about this cab? That’s a credit card reader. You don’t find these devices in many cabs in DC, which can be a pain when you don’t carry a lot of cash, like most Washingtonians. It’s also a pain when you want to get to Dulles Airport, which is—check it—a $70 ride from downtown DC. Thankfully, there is Washington Flyer, which exists to fill this void, taking DC residents to and from IAD and equally remote BWI. Unfortunately, they’re also a bit inept, which makes their monopoly somewhat frustrating.

The cab I’m riding in this morning? A current generation Chevrolet Tahoe.

June 7th, 12:16pm 4 notes
A “Two for Tuesday” offering of a Ford Freestar minivan and a Chrysler Pacific crossover. In general, minivans make excellent cabs, but the Freestar is the exception to that rule. Seemingly built to fail, these vehicles apparently began falling apart immediately as they came off the assembly line, and years of use in hack duty certainly haven’t helped. Creaky and rough-riding, only the large interior room saves it. I’ve never ridden in a Pacifica taxicab, but I’d imagine it’s a far cry better than the Ford. When new, the second row of these vehicles was one of the nicer places to spend time when on four wheels, and I’d like to imagine that extends to vinyl-clad hack duty.

A “Two for Tuesday” offering of a Ford Freestar minivan and a Chrysler Pacific crossover. In general, minivans make excellent cabs, but the Freestar is the exception to that rule. Seemingly built to fail, these vehicles apparently began falling apart immediately as they came off the assembly line, and years of use in hack duty certainly haven’t helped. Creaky and rough-riding, only the large interior room saves it.

I’ve never ridden in a Pacifica taxicab, but I’d imagine it’s a far cry better than the Ford. When new, the second row of these vehicles was one of the nicer places to spend time when on four wheels, and I’d like to imagine that extends to vinyl-clad hack duty.

June 6th, 11:39am 1 note
Ford Escape Hybrids are fairly common to New Yorkers, but around here, the only time you see one is when it crosses over the river from Virginia to drop off a fare in the District. Small and cramped, only the halfway decent ride makes it acceptable taxi transportation.

Ford Escape Hybrids are fairly common to New Yorkers, but around here, the only time you see one is when it crosses over the river from Virginia to drop off a fare in the District. Small and cramped, only the halfway decent ride makes it acceptable taxi transportation.