New York City Taxi vs. Uber and Lyft

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Which is better?An NYC yellow taxi cab or a share-ride like Lyft or Uber. Far from popular belief, taxi cabs in New York City are not as antiquated or irrelevant as many think. In this video, we are going to break down different scenarios when it's better to take a taxi and when it's better to take a Lyft or Uber. I'll also talk a bit about the situation of the taxi industry today and how it relates to app hailing share-rides like Lyft and Uber.
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Need an introduction to NYC? Start with these videos:
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CREDITS
Uber Lyft picture 1
Sundry Photography / Shutterstock.com
Uber Lyft picture 2
Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com
Taxi Medallion picture
rblfmr / Shutterstock.com
Chicago Cloud Gate
Ricardo, Pexels
Chicago streets
Adam Fackelman | Pexels
Manhattan seen from NY bay
otman lazaar | Pexels
Miami
Christopher Haynes | Pexels
Walking phone user
Darlene Alderson | Pexels
Stationery phone user
Gunjee Nyam | Pexels
Las Vegas Strip
Jake Heinemann | Pexels
Woman getting into taxi
Roberto Hund | Pexels
Taxis in traffic
Samson Katt | Pexels
Manhattan view from Brooklyn Bridge Park
Sarowar Hussain | Pexels
Taxis driving around Manhattan
Taxis parked at Grand Central Station
Taxi picking up man at night
Close up of taxi
Tim Samuel | Pexels
San Francisco
Tyler Francis | Pexels
Detail video of black car
We Star Money | Pexels
Busy street in New York at night
Michael | Pexels

[@richardritz8358]

Very informative as usuall Thea, I only use taxi's to and from JFK, but you have to be carefull, i had one cab driver try to charge me $163.00 from JFK to midtown, I remineded him of the flat rate, I guess he thought it was my first time

[@UrbanCaffeine]

What a rip off. Yeah, people should be aware of the flat rate.

[@UrbanCaffeine]

Hi there. The dispatcher at JFK airport told me the flat rate to Manhattan is $63 (fees and toll includes) In your experience, has that been the case or do you end up paying a little more than $63 because of added fees? I know there's a surcharge of $4.50 during rush hour which is added on top of the $63, not sure about other fees.

[@gparyani]

@@UrbanCaffeine As you'd later mention in another video, that $63 rate includes the $52 base fare plus tolls and 24/7 surcharges. To add, you can skip the toll charge by asking your driver to only take free roads

[@JamMaul]

What is the flat rate from laguardia to times Square

[@samiamLatina]

Tell me about this flat rate?

[@tombsofak]

Massive thank you for these videos! Incredibly informative!!! I plan on coming to New York City for my first visit in December! Aiming to visit all 5 boroughs and your videos have already been ridiculously helpful! This small town girl feels more ready already! Subscribed!

[@UrbanCaffeine]

Thanks! December is a fun time. There will be holiday markets and lots of decor. Have a great trip!

[@khrystyne92]

Wow! You really have good knowledge of the taxi business, wonderful information. (Former lady yellow cab driver and now Lyft and Uber driver)

[@AdventuresAhead]

Thank you so much for these informative videos! We are cruising out of New York in February and flying in before. Your videos have been super helpful! Thanks!!

[@BrandNewRun]

This channel deserves way more views and subs !!!

[@littlecookingtips]

HELLO YELLOW! Thank you Thea another amazing video that will make our NYC trip much easier when us from Europe are allowed again to visit. Have an awesome weekend ahead!

[@UrbanCaffeine]

🙌🙌 Thanks for watching! Have a great weekend as well.

[@pnaibayangel]

I'd love to find out about the medallions too pls. Sounds interesting. Great info, Thea!

[@joycer7]

Thank you for your informative videos!!

[@UrbanCaffeine]

You are so welcome! Thanks for watching.

[@katkogo4415]

She is delightful. A truly valuable and satisfying delivery of relevant information. I trust in her up-to-date info, and appreciate her very pleasing personality. Also her editing skills, which are tailored to the viewer's utmost user-friendly experience of practical advice. I can see much work put in to each video. Much gratitude from a huge new fan. Well-done, girl!

[@jennyhunt]

Taxi medallion video 👍👍please! Again very informative and I appreciate the maps.

[@UrbanCaffeine]

Thank you! I like the maps too 🙂

[@ColfaxMath]

Fantastic video, my son just started at Columbia and I'm trying to do my homework before I go visit.

[@UrbanCaffeine]

Congrats to your son! It must be so exciting. I hope you have a some great visits.

[@hansash2]

This is so helpful!! Could you share more about how tolls are paid for in these different options? My hotel is in NJ but my airport is JFK so which would be most affordable while having to cross a bridge? Thanks again for helping to make an NYC trip less intimidating!

[@juanenriquetoro5941]

Great job!

[@UrbanCaffeine]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@gildafontoura1340]

I needed this video.🇺🇸🇧🇷

[@pedroflores-hu9xx]

Thank you very much I am a taxi driver in Portugal and people here every time they come to my cab they say its because is way more cheap than uber . and people doesn't confirm the price to see how they are being fooled.

[@dolemite401]

Good video keep up the good work. My rule is if I’m in Manhattan hail a yellow cab on the street. If I’m in the outer boroughs Uber & Lyft.

[@UrbanCaffeine]

Exactly, that's what I do all the time. Thanks for watching!

[@dolemite401]

@@UrbanCaffeine even though this is not necessarily NYC related, when I’m outside of New York State uber and Lyft are better options than their local taxis. Mainly because outside of nyc uber and Lyft are cheaper and it’s regular people driving so the customer service is better.

[@charlesclark9627]

Tolls are added to the fare in most cabs! The driver has a transponder, tolls are taken from his account. Or he is billed by his license plate!

[@elhugo13]

I had to re watch the part where you mentioned Murphy multiple times to figure out who you were talking about. 😅

[@DC-oz4du]

Hi and thank you for your video! I’m traveling with my family of 4 from Newark airport to midtown Manhattan. Does it make sense to take bus/train or is Uber/taxi a better choice?

[@EscapingtheEmptyNest]

We tried hailing a taxi on time when we where there. No luck, it was dark, Henri just moved through and the Subways were all delayed, and we couldn't get a reliable estimate for a bus. Never did get a taxi and the bus eventually came, but what was weird was some guy in a large black car (older, unmarked) pulled up to the curb , said he was a private taxi and told us to get in. I told him to keep driving, we would wait for a yellow taxi or the bus.

[@UrbanCaffeine]

Ah that's too bad. When the subways are not properly running, all the other transport modes are affected. Glad you got a bus and didn't get stranded. Also, guess you got the full NY experience by getting offered a shady ride 😅

[@mcriskanda]

Hi! From Midtown to the JFK airport, may I ask for the flat rate, when picking up a cab on the street? BTW, loving your videos 🥰

[@UrbanCaffeine]

Thanks! It should be the same ($52 + fees, toll, tip). I would expect to pay $70-75.

[@emiliaberenyi3895]

Hi, I love your videos. Very informative. Just one question: What if I'm travelling with my family, we are 5 people altogether. Is there a possibility to choose a cab which is big enough for us? And just one more: What's the flat rate to Brooklyn from JFK? :)

[@UrbanCaffeine]

Hi there and thanks! Taxis are usually for 4 people. They can take 5 if the 5th person is 7 years old or younger. There's no flat rate for Brooklyn, just Manhattan. So you'll be going by the meter. You might want to check Uber or Lyft if they have larger cars. Normally they do but the pandemic changed the capacity rules. Restrictions might have changed by now.

[@ripi4057]

what are the rules abt transporting kids on a car? I'll be in NYC next June with my 5 years old boy, arriving at JFK. thank you and keep going!

[@elhugo13]

The taxi medallion video would be nice.

[@CraigLively]

I'll be staying at an AirBnb in West NY this October. Could someone possibly point me in the direction of some solid info about the best ways to get back and forth between Manhattan and my AirBnb? There seems to be conflicting information and a lack of concensus. For instance, I had to stumble across the fact that there are ferries that cross the Hudson because all the sources answering my query only ever mentioned cabs, walking or driving.

[@cicchiamichael]

Very important. 👍🥰🥰

[@UrbanCaffeine]

FORGOT TO MENTION - Short distances within Manhattan is cheaper than Lyft and Uber. I mostly talked about convenience. CORRECTION: From my last receipt I found that there were no tax on a taxi ride. But there are fees and surcharges which are the following: Congestion Surcharge $2.50 (if you are in Manhattan minus Upper Manhattan) Improvement Surcharge $0.30 State Surcharge $0.50

[@marinacastillo770]

Does anyone know if it’s safe to use Lyft carseat? I’m traveling with my toddler and I don’t want to bring my own car seat!

[@latenight11]

Doing an upcoming trip going from LAG airport to near MetLife stadium area……which do you think is better a taxi or Uber distance 14 to 15 miles ?

[@Aidan_Au]

I'm pretty sure more people are gonna visit NYC on this labor day weekend. Hopefully more will take taxi or uber or lyft or just the subway

[@UrbanCaffeine]

Here's hoping! All the tourists come in and all the locals leave 😅

[@bevstanley4955]

New subscriber and love your videos. We are coming to NYC in 2 weeks. In your opinion would a taxi be large enough for 3 adults and 3 large suitcases.

[@UrbanCaffeine]

I think so. There are also larger taxis and the price is the same. Have a great trip!

[@bevstanley4955]

@@UrbanCaffeine thanks so much. Just another question, we are flying down to Orlando from JFK. Is it a flat rate from manhatten to jfk, also a little worried as it will probably be around rush hour. Thanks again.

[@UrbanCaffeine]

@@bevstanley4955 Hi. Yes, Manhattan to JFK should also be a flat rate. During rush hour it won't hurt to build in an extra hour for travel. Good luck!

[@lethalwolf7455]

Professional cabs are way better than independent drivers in certain cities I visit(St. Louis, Chicago, Washington DC) it’s just a fact. Way safer drivers and they know the traffic flow at the time of day and are a much better option. I’ll use an Uber or Lyft in rural areas but the cabs are the better option in big cities

[@frednich9603]

So if a family of three was going to go from JFK to flushing, which method would you recommend? I thinking lyft or Uber based on what you said here.

[@LoganCharlesII]

She is cute. I'm thinking about staying at a hotel in Brooklyn but I plan on visiting Hudson Yards. I was wondering if a rideshare would be better than a taxi for this. I haven't ridden a taxi in years because rideshares are way better than cabs in most other cities.

[@kenchandrasena2070]

This video is very helpful. Can you consider making a video exploring the different apps that exist for taxis and the different ridesharing companies that are out there? There are some companies like Revel that seem interesting. Also, this would be an opportunity for you to get some promo codes out there to mutually benefit your channel and your viewers. (This is also something I'm looking for as I explore new ridesharing apps). Thanks.

[@UrbanCaffeine]

I was looking into Revel. There were were a few stations that I ran into and I'm seeing more and more of them on the road. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@vshah1010]

Revel has employees. I prefer to use a taxi, unless I had no other alternative. I prefer not to use Uber, Lyft, or other gig app companies. They exploit the drivers.

[@trock7542]

Please i am very curious about Medallions!!

[@trock7542]

Lyft and Uber came into existence in part because of the crazy medallion inflation. I’m also all about supporting small local businesses but government licensing is usually just protectionist lobbying… City has no right controlling what cars people can in and out of…

[@nlbhaduri]

Hello Yellow!

[@josesalazar370]

What if you’re traveling with more than 1 person?

[@kathychristopherson8077]

Should I take a taxi or urber from Newark to the city?

[@UrbanCaffeine]

Hi there. This is more from personal expereince... I prefer an Uber when coming from Newark. I feel there are more fees involves with the taxis coming from Newark and Newark taxis don't have a flat rate like JFK.

[@vincejm]

Taxis are fine if the fare is split between 3 or 4 people, but for one person I feel it's a bit of a rip off. How much is the tax on a taxi fare, is it the same as food and drink etc?

[@UrbanCaffeine]

Actually, I just checked my last receipt. No tax. Just the fees which in the cents. But if you are anywhere within Manhattan (except Upper Manhattan), there is a $2.50 surcharge. I think this same surcharge is $2.75 for Lyft and Uber.

[@vincejm]

@@UrbanCaffeine Those surcharges are not too bad.

[@UrbanCaffeine]

Yeah not bad. But you're right. Splitting a ride with people is a good way to go.

[@emeraldkimble7602]

Local cabs dc area take ash enhanced caller I’d gives exact pickup Address

[@almightykitty]

Hello yellow!

[@trock7542]

I drive Uber and a little Lyft in Miami. As long as you tell everybody Uber is best down here! ;)

[@UrbanCaffeine]

Haha, I usually us a share-ride outside NY. Within NY, taxis are usually cheaper and easier. But I don't see that outside NY.

[@trock7542]

@@UrbanCaffeine makes sense! Was just messin everybody should ride whatever suits their needs at that time.

[@49ersandrockets1fan9]

So it’s better taking a taxi from LaGuardia to lower Manhattan?? Or Uber??

[@UrbanCaffeine]

Personally, from LGA to Lower Manhattan I would take an Uber. If it's more than 2 miles, I take an Uber.

[@49ersandrockets1fan9]

@@UrbanCaffeine ok thanks I’m coming tomorrow wanted to see which one

[@gaminghobby1173]

Hello Purple

[@JLALALALA]

HELLO YELLOW

[@juanortega6067]

HELLO YELLOW!🚕

[@UrbanCaffeine]

🙌 Woop woop! Thanks for watching!

[@juliek.2354]

2:08

[@qraa1920]

Me arruma um emprego aí 💐👋

[@KeyserSoze23]

Pinay Pride.

[@jimmykucera8627]

“Hello Yellow” 🚕

[@UrbanCaffeine]

🙌🙌🙌 Thanks for watching!

[@user-kv4ms3py6b]

Sweetheart taxis are always more expensive Always.

[@kristiangomez95]

I drive a yellow taxi in NYC if anyone has a question, drop them here and I’ll try and answer them

[@UrbanCaffeine]

Hi there! The dispatcher at JFK airport told me the flat rate to Manhattan is $63. Does that include fees like NY State fees and others? Or will the total be a little more than $63? I know there's a surcharge of $4.50 during rush hour. I guess that is added to the $63 dollar too?

[@kristiangomez95]

@@UrbanCaffeine flats rate is still $52 the $0.50 state and $0.30 Tax still apply. Bellow 96, there is a congestion charge of $2.50. If there is a toll, the cost is $6.55. Also depending on the time of day there are rush hour surcharges (usually between 1$ and $3) and that’s it. Only more if you tip.

[@UrbanCaffeine]

@@kristiangomez95 Awesome! Thanks for the info. I'm making a JFK video.

[@49ersandrockets1fan9]

@@kristiangomez95 how much is taxi from LaGuardia to lower Manhattan gold street.. is taxi or Uber better

[@kristiangomez95]

@@49ersandrockets1fan9 about $40-45 depending if the driver takes toll road

[@vshah1010]

If I ever need to, I will use a taxi, not gig app rideshare like Uber or Lyft. I don't support exploitative companies.

[@michaelz.7140]

I am a millenial myself but I hate uber and lyft... its so..... like against all values: Do not enter a strangers car.

[@Markd315]

co-op ride is better because there's no middleman who screws over the driver.

[@Markd315]

it is harder to get one, there's usually only 10-15 available in the city at one time. but I always check first

[@UrbanCaffeine]

​@@Markd315 Is that like an Air BnB but for rides?

[@Markd315]

another correction: Lyft and Uber did not develop any "innovations". they are based on open source navigation libraries and well known matchmaking algorithms. There is no technical special sauce and the company offers no valuable proprietary technology. The only reasons for their valuation are deregulation and monopolistic anticompetitive practices. these companies thrive on abusing their immigrant drivers for often less than minimum wage.

[@Markd315]

@@UrbanCaffeine It's exactly like Lyft, but based on open source software. Because like I said, Lyft has no special technology. Anyone can copy it and run it in the public interest, and someone did. There aren't as many drivers or riders for this app, but that's the only disadvantage. Try it some time, the drivers like it better because they receive the entire fare.

[@marshahanson5870]

Uber near me lies. They will say their there and then stand you up.

[@ardeburrows2050]

Get ride of taxi's they suck

[@swifstart_7777]

You're not a NYker ... I am a NYker. You are transplant .. Nykers are people who were raised in NY 🗽

[@pnaibayangel]

Transplant or born and raised... the most important thing is she is the one giving us all this info so THANK YOU, THEA!

[@ninja_tony]

She’s a better New Yorker than you, with an attitude like that. By your logic, all the immigrants that came to the US and built their lives in New York “aren’t real New Yorkers” either, because they didn’t grow up here. But without those immigrants, there would be no New York in the first place.

[@miodrag0078]