Taxi Graveyard

Western south of Irving Park

                   Taxis definitely seem to be behaving worse and worse over the years or perhaps this writer is just now noticing how absurd their driving behavior can be. Out of all those driving on the road taxis perform the most bizarre and ballsy stunts. (Special city wide topic of the month)

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            Most recently this writer watched a taxi decide to make a full stop on Hollywood just west of Sheridan before the L viaduct and put his blinkers on in the right hand lane (this was later in the day 8 or 9 pm with less traffic). Bu there is definitely no stopping or standing any time allowed there for good reason, it is the natural extension of Lake Shore Drive and heavily traveled. Everyone had to go around him. It is such an unexpected move that he will probably get rear ended doing this one day. This driver gave him an earful and a good honking and then observed him making a U-turn. That's ballsy, putting on your hazards on Hollywood and forcing others to move around you and then pull a Uey. Of course any challenging of this behavior will just get a lot swearing and middle fingers.

Where bad cabs go for a time out. 

                  In general taxis can be extremely selfish, uncaring about anyone and extremely jaded. They often stop wherever they want for the convenience of the person getting in or out of the cab but at the expense of other drivers. For instance, many times this driver has noticed cabs on Broadway stopping for pickups such that drivers behind them can't clear them forcing a back up in traffic.

            This behavior has become so normal that no one even honks anymore and we just chalk it up to good old cabby behavior. In another instance a cabby decided to take up two parking spaces at a pick up drop off zone just for the heck of it in a neighborhood tight on parking without any regard for anyone else's needs. Another example, cab making a left from Roosevelt on to State street noticed too late that he wanted to make a left turn and did the famous block the lane trick so he could make that left backing up quite a bit of traffic.

                On the other hand there have been good cabbies, one cabbie commiserated with me after a good honking was given to an insane woman making a right turn from Michigan onto Randolph from the center lane and man that was really backing up traffic. That was the most this driver ever honked someone. If the driver can handle the honking than they can handle the insane maneuver, but there should always be grief given to those who are selfish causing a back up of traffic or putting others into danger.

             And no most of the time this driver just does what most people do and just adjusts their driving in allowance of bad driving behavior. It is just sometimes this reaches a new unreached or unwitnessed low that causes occasional major irritations. No one should ever get out of their car for any reason, some drivers get out of their car ready for a fight at the drop of  a hat. That is strange behavior, usually the driver realizes what an ass he (for the most part he) is and gets back in his car with just a blank stare and helpless look. Road rage is not a good thing but selfish and dangerous driving isn't either.