Where did taxi checkers

Фото: Depositphotos

Checkers are the main difference between a regular car and a taxi. But it was not always so. The first taxi drivers were cabbies and draymen - passenger and cargo taxis from the past - and they did not draw any “checkers” on the sides of carts and cabs. But technological progress displaced the “mare drivers”, replacing them with checkered cars.

Why is a checkered taxi sign?

There are several versions. According to one of them, in the 19 century, checkers came up with a company Checker Motors Corporation. Chess cells are a symbol of auto racing - the “chess” flag gives a start and the finish of the race is fixed. The emblem was supposed to be associated with the speed of delivery of passengers. In favor of this version says the name of the company, which in translation from English means a checker, and the word checkers (in the form of an action) - a game of checkers.

According to the second version, the checkered taxi symbolizes the game of checkers. The principle of the game suggests that the figures go fast and maneuverable.

In the USSR, checkered taxi appeared only in 1948 year. They decorated cars of the “Victory” brand, which became the first official taxis.

Do taxis have taxis in all countries?

No, not at all. In some countries, taxis are painted in the specified colors or use certain brands of cars in combination with color. Company Renault since 20-ies produced cars of black, red and green colors specifically for taxis, later limiting the release of yellow taxis. In New York, all taxis are bright yellow, in England - black, in New Zealand - green, and in Singapore - blue.

When did the taxi appear?

Historians say that the first taxi chariots existed in ancient Rome. A “taximeter” was fixed on the axis of the chariot, which was a usual basin in which a pebble fell after every 200 meters. Payment was made according to the number of pebbles in the pelvis at the end of the trip.

The first primitive prototypes of modern taxis appeared in London in 1636, when the London coachmen received a license to carry. A year later, taxis appeared in Paris. Then, in 1896, ficacres appeared in France, but they did not enjoy particular popularity, since they could not afford the poor, and the rich had their own personal crews.

In 1891, the German scientist Wilhelm Brun invented the first taximeter, and the situation began to change rapidly. In 1907, the first taxis equipped with taximeters appeared on the streets of the English capital, and the demand for taxi services rose sharply.

The taxi drivers themselves were not thrilled with the innovation, as the taximeter prevented them from hiding part of the profits from the owners of the taxi companies and charge the fare that was obviously inflated.

Why are taxis yellow in New York?

The first taxi company appeared in New York in 1907 - New York Taxicab Company. They exported 600 gasoline cars from France. The cars were red and green.

Then the owner of the company, Jacob Hertz, read information that yellow is the most visible color, and all the cars in his taxi fleet were painted yellow. And after 60 years, the city authorities decided that all taxis should be painted yellow so that taxis could be easily distinguished with an official license in traffic. Today, the yellow New York taxi is a widely recognizable symbol of the city.

Currently there are more 13 000 yellow taxis and 50 000 drivers in New York. In Manhattan, it sometimes seems that the flow of passing cars on 95% consists of a taxi.

Yellow taxis have the exclusive right to pick up passengers from the street. In addition to them, there are also “car services” that work only on call.

For a standard 12-hour shift, the taxi driver makes about 30 trips and drives 180 miles. The typical taxi rides 70 000 miles per year, and the average age of the car in a New York taxi is now 3.3.

Taxi parks are managed by private companies that receive a license from the commission "New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission", a government agency in New York.

Each yellow taxi car has a medallion - a metal plate that hangs on the hood and gives the car the right to pick up passengers. There are two types of medallions - independent and mini-taxi medallions. The first is issued individually, and the second group of persons of at least 2 people who own a fleet of cars and can lease them to drivers on a shift basis. Owners of independent medallions typically also own the car and can rent it out to other drivers for additional income.

Each taxi has a mandatory partition that separates the front seats from the rear passenger. A screen is built into the partition wall, on which all kinds of commercials and advertisements are spinning during the trip, and upon completion the driver activates the payment menu. The passenger can independently choose the method of payment, the percentage of tips to the driver and pay with a plastic card without any participation of the driver. Accepted payment system cards Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

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