[berberous]

$40+ fares, like in that table, are almost exclusively airport fares. A trip to the airport is usually around $50 in a cab.

If you are taking a cab within Manhattan for example, a very short trip is usually $5-10, and a fair from say, midtown to downtown, is usually $15-20. So yes, much more affordable than a London black cab, and much more similar to a London minicab.

As another sibling stated, 20% is now the norm entirely because the software defaults are 20%, 25%, and 30%. That was way higher than historical, but people are lazy and feel cheap if they click "Other."

Also, in NYC at least, 18-20% is increasingly pretty much the norm for food service. I almost exclusively tip 20%, regardless of the level of service.