[justinlkarr]

Ditto DC. Ditto Chicago (though it's better). NYC cab service is by far the most consistently reliable this side of the Atlantic... once you get the rules down.

One largely unknown tip is that there are many formal cab stands around NYC. At these, another human being helps you navigate the rules and hail a cab. They are great for the elderly, tourists and any of us when we have a big package or a lot of bags. They are also often covered (see: cabs-in-rain problem), discourage 'up-streaming' by other would-be riders and they seem to attract available cabs (cabbies seem to favor the known quantity). A few are official NYC TLC operations (airports, train stations, etc.), but many are free-market concerns (nearly every hotel).

Here's the NYC Cab app I want: 1. Identify and map these cab stands; 2. Report if they are 'open'; 3. Show demand (number of people waiting), and; 4. Show availability (number of cabs waiting).