Gothamist: More Malfunctioning Taxi TV Screens Are Always On

brooklynmark

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:05:29 -0500

Wow... all the drivers complain about the tv's on the http://www.YellowCabNYC.com website!

abcohen

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:51:04 -0500

I got in a cab the other day with my baby - and the TV wouldnt Mute or go off either... It wouldnt let me even lower the volume!!!!

yetanotherdamneduselessaccount

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:10:04 -0500

Fuck advertising. They'll be pumping this shit directly into your eyeballs while you sleep before long. It's no surprise that the "off" buttons are oddly not working. Simple remedy? You can buy a whole box of 8.5" x 11" label paper at Staples for a couple bucks. Always carry a couple in your bag. When it fails to turn off, turn it off yourself. The cabbie will likely thank you.

wiseguynyc

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:43:07 -0500

I find the TVs quite useful if I'm just coming in from the airport and want a quick summary of what's happening in local news and weather. Granted, it's not the NY Times or NPR, but it's something. As long as the mute button works so I can tune out the ads.

Reflect

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 02:12:54 -0500

been in at least 5 of these "rare" instances. Fat sharpie- anyone?

Spiritof76

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:06:22 -0500

Carry your iPod and look out the window. Problem solved.

supernova

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:04:12 -0500

I don't think it's a bad initiative, but please put the off/mute back on. Like the man said, sometimes people are trying to talk on the phone, just don't wanna listen/watch any shit or it's just too freaking loud. If people are paying (quite a lot of) money, they should be able to decide if they wanna use it.

dimes

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:14:27 -0500

Did someone mention to the guy that the screen isn't becoming unresponsive....The frickin' button is disappearing. Please call that guy back and bring that up. dimes

grantrules

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:30:05 -0500

Those things should really start in the off position to begin with. I bet nobody would complain if the On button wasn't working!

JenChungsBra

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:22:47 -0500

Yesterday I just missed the red off button by less than an inch and that was it -- I was in taxi TV hell for the rest of the ride. It never came back on while the stupid thing droned on and on. Taxi TV = worst invention ever

Mr Mel

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:20:58 -0500

Anything is better than those audible seat belt warnings in the taxis. Remember "Hi, this is Joe Torre reminding you to buckle up for safety". That was one of the few times I really felt sorry for the drivers, they had to listen to it all day long. Many of them returned to their homeland because poverty, tyranny and oppression was better than listening to that.

starrygordon

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:10:39 -0500

Had one last Thursday. A couple of hard punches to the lower right-hand corner of the screen did the trick.

MissMeowy

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:41:21 -0500

This blows - a friend of mine is prone to carsickness as it is, and when we weren't able to turn off the TV during one late night cab ride, we had to cover it with our hands so she wouldn't barf. O_o

nycnewsjunkie

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:39:02 -0500

Who cares... If you cant deal with them then take the train, bus, bike, drive or walk.

Tgirl

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:37:15 -0500

I don't watch TV at home, because its so bad. This way you HAVE to watch, its just so lame.

BTW

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:00:40 -0500

Those are the worst additions to cabs ever invented. It's happened to me too - specifically when they just continue to turn themselves back on every 30 seconds.

Spleenhg

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:35:49 -0500

Happened to me this past weekend for a long ride to a gig (could not risk the subway on a weekend from UES to Chelsea - sloooow service) and I was in hell for the whole ride. Decided to do a comedy routine about it, it was so infuriating...and yes, when it came time to pay, the screen popped back to working order. Sheer, unadulterated HELL.

ugh

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:16:10 -0500

This happened to me TWICE this week! I hit the off button, and it just stayed on.. no option for mute or off... It seemed to me more like it was programmed to do this, and not a malfunction.

grandzu

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:15:56 -0500

What? Subways too Baltic Avenue for you?

whitecastlerock

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:05:42 -0500

Taxis are too expensive... It is a shame that everyone is inconvenienced by these malfunctions.

Schwartzie

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:28:48 -0500

Look at the photo...it's interesting how the "malfunction" only seems to affect the "Off" button...

Rocknrope

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:20:13 -0500

Is it me, or do some of the systems not allow you to input your own tip amount, just the ridiculous 20-30-40% amounts? I had a shite ride and wanted to give the guy two bucks for a 20 dollar ride, and couldn't do it. Pissed me off!

kinojesi

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:13:10 -0500

there is a off button, you just need to know where it is, and that is normally on the main screen or the screen with the eyewitness news window. duhhhhhhhhh

Newt

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:09:55 -0500

Happened to me last week -- touched 'off' and the screen went blank with audio still on the whole trip and a 'desensitized' screen as the man said. However once the trip ended the payment screen sure was operational. Hopefully someday I'll become 'desensitized' to this crap.

Asphyxia8

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:07:30 -0500

This has happened to me on more than one occasion, the worst of which was a 20-minute cab ride in which the driver told me it had been driving him crazy(ier) all day long! And just last night a good friend of mine was unable to use his credit card to pay his fare despite having specifically asked the driver before getting into the cab if the machine worked and being told it did. Progress, eh? Not so much. A-8

miz coaster

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:06:17 -0500

i seriously wonder how the drivers deal with this day in and day out.

Phineas Gage

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:05:35 -0500

This has happened to me several times and it is infuriating. Next time, I'm getting out of the cab.

WestVillageVintage

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:04:37 -0500

Those annoying TVs are Bloomberg's idea to increase revenue production.

usernamee

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:59:56 -0500

nothing like paying to watch commercials. first it was the movie theaters, now its the cabs.

Kojak

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:57:57 -0500

lol stfu I do notice the missing off buttons on some cabs, but they don't really bother me. You do have the option of during down the volume all the way you know...

handsomedevil

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:55:19 -0500

Welcome to Barack HUSSEIN Obama's Amerikkka, where they have mind control TVs in every taxi cab.

matty

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:54:14 -0500

what the hell is an intendo?

HUGO_MEGO

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:53:06 -0500

$20 cab ride downtown, eh?

emilydickinson

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:39:51 -0500

"Moore goes on to rail against other modern abominations like "dungarees" and "intendos" That made me laugh.