Taxi to the Heart

Catching a cab in New York City often requires a very specific set of combat skills. Curbside battles for taxis are not uncommon, as are aggressive pedestrian advances up or down one-way blocks to flag a ride before rivals stationed on street corners.

We’ve also had two Very Worst Dates featuring NYC taxis (the Union Square to the Lower East Side hop and the downtown Manhattan to Williamsburg version). So when we heard of a plan to encourage the metropolis’ denizens to share cabs during peak hours last week, we only considered the dollar-saving sense of the move. It turns out there might be an upside for the love life of New Yorkers as this letter to The New York Times from a man (and stand-up comedian), who’s twice dated women he met after sharing cabs with them, suggests. 

So if you are single-and-looking in the city (and the near-bridge parts of the outer boroughs), survey your surroundings for fellow flaggers. He or she might be a potential date. Think of it as another gift of the recession. Even if it does not work out, at least you’ve saved a few bucks. And there’s always the next journey…