From The Spoof : New Yorkers Select Mini Cooper for New Cab Platform funny satire story Tuesday, 16 November 2010 Following mayor Bloomberg's appeal to the cab riding public, requests for ideas on an adequate replacement for the Ford Crown Victoria cab standard were met with overwhelming agreement for a bright yellow Mini Cooper in a four door model. Requiring only minor factory changes to accommodate the rear doors and providing superior handling, performance and mileage, the Mini Cooper was a surprising but environmentally friendly choice. "And it hardly takes up any room on the road", says Bloomberg. "Just by removing the massive Crown Victorias from the road, we cut the cab congestion in the city down by 50% and we more than double up on the mileage, plus cutting the carbon footprint by 50% as well". Critics don't see how the Mini can accommodate Ney York's serious travelers or larger groups of riders. "But we'll offer minivan options in the city to handle those riders", says Bloomberg, "and the majority of passengers are single or double riders with no luggage. The Mini really makes the best sense." Early testing in the city has actually produced a few issues. Cabbies seem to enjoy racing the nimble little cars in and around traffic. Several early passengers were seen barfing on the side of the road as a result of being tossed around in the back seat of the Mini, while there were a few incidents of the cars riding up and down Time Square sidewalks. New cab drivers are expected to undergo a psychological exam prior to receiving the keys to the new Mini, though most could not pass the written exam. The questionnaire was printed in English.
What...no mention of driving down subway entrance steps or beating traffic jambs by running through sewer pipes :confused5:
Actually, I think the Ford Transit (one of the real finalists) would make an excellent taxi for that area. Small, manuverable, good mileage, sliding side door, good luggage room in the back..... the only thing it wouldn't do is accomodate large groups, for that they'd need some mini-vans or small buses. Here in suburbs where taxis are rare, they've just started a new cab company using nothing but a fleet of PT Cruisers and Chevy HHR's, all at reduced rates - $10 for anything up to 5 miles and $15 for anywhere they go in the county. Home Page
That's interesting as these small vans-with-windows have become very popular with taxi drivers in Britain (well, outside London, where things are different). They started with the French Renault/Peugeot/Citroen models that the Tranist Connect is a sorta copy of. But a few drivers I've spoken to hate the newer models that have rear sliding doors as so many passengers either don't know how to shut them properly or actually don't have the strength (or in some cases are too drunk to work out how it moves....), so the driver has to get out and close the door themself. I suspect their particular complaint is that with a hinged door they could make a point of slamming it like a petulant teenager in a huff, but with a sliding door that doesn't work....
The advantage of the sliding side door comes when you're in a city like NY or London with their crowded sidewalks and loads of peds walking by, you don't open the door into someone's legs or have to dodge around them as you walk. Not to mention the opening is usually larger and easier to navigate, especially if you're carrying packages or attached to a small child. And heaven forbid that a taxi driver would have to open the door for a paying customer! With the proliferation of minivans over the last 30 years, I find it hard to believe people don't know how to close a sliding door.....but maybe in Europe where they're not quite as many as here it's a different story.....