The first paid New York taxi journey took place 111 years ago this week – and it wasn’t cheap
Taxi! How one man’s cab ride in early 1907 led to the launch of the New York Taxicab Company
THE yellow taxi cab is part of the furniture in New York, as familiar as the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and greetings of “have a nice day”.
Enter a New York taxi today and you’ll be charged the standard fare of $3.30 (£2.60), which includes a 50 cent (40 pence) state surcharge and a 30 cent (20 pence) improvement surcharge.
After that you’ll pay 50 cents for every fifth of a mile, 50 cents for every minute the taxi travels at less than 12 miles per hour, 50 cents night surcharge for travel from 8pm to 6am, and $1 (80 pence) for travel from 4pm to 8pm on weekdays.
In the early 20th century, things weren’t as transparent, which led to the first paid taxi journey 111 years ago this week.
Businessman Harry N. Allen had taken a taxi ride home from Manhattan, following an evening at a restaurant with a lady friend.
He was charged five dollars for the privilege of taking the three-quarter mile trip – the equivalent of around $127 (£100) in today’s money.
Incensed by the huge price, Allen vowed to establish a new taxi service with a fair and transparent pricing structure, charging New Yorkers on a cost-per-mile basis.
The fare was 50 cents a mile – far cheaper than the Manhattan transfer that had so enraged Allen, but a taxi ride remained the preserve of the relatively wealthy.
With funding secured, Allen travelled to France in search of vehicles, and returned with a fleet of 65 red and green Darracq cabs, which were paraded along Fifth Avenue.
Within a year, Allen’s taxi rank had swelled to 700 cabs, each one repainted yellow to make them more distinctive on New York’s streets.
Although subsequent events are less rosy for Allen and the New York Taxicab company – it’s a tale of driver unrest, strikes, bombs, fires and even the shooting of a young boy – the ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ was born.
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