I remember when NYC cabs were all different colors and shapes, and there were Checkers with fold down seats, and cabbies wore military styled hats, and smoked cigars, and spoke Brooklynese, and knew where they were going, and a ride was usually only between 35 cents to a dollar with a 10 cent tip. Alas, them's was the days. Today the cabs are all orange (also known as New York Yellow), and while more mini-vans and SUVs are painted in that color, the basic cab is pretty bland - and uncomfortable. But this week Design Trust for Public Space is launching its Taxi 07 exhibit at the 2007 New York International Auto Show where you will find a bunch of new taxi prototypes and displays exploring the Taxi of the future. I'm still not sure whether good design will improve the ride (driver education might be a better investment), but here's a tip of the hat to the ingenuity and intelligence behind them.
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