City divided when it comes to in-cab TVs

According to the results of a new poll by the Taxi and Limousine Commission released yesterday, nearly half of all New Yorkers surveyed said they don’t like the in-cab entertainment.

And 17 percent said they downright can’t stand the TVs.

When asked what they dislike most about cabs in the city today, 17 percent of riders called the ubiquitous video screens in cabs “annoying.” And 46 percent of riders polled said they either don’t like the TVs and would like more options, or they simply don’t want a TV set in their cab altogether.

“It’s been fairly consistent that while many riders like it, there are also many riders who don’t,” said TLC Commissioner David Yassky. “That rider can turn it off, or leave the screen on and mute it.”
The TLC is mulling expanding ads in taxis, such as by putting ads on the back of taxi receipts, which will likely start happening in January.

There are two channels on Taxi TV: The first provides ABC and NBC news and programming and the second, which launched in October, provides local New York City information, such as upcoming weekend events and city announcements.

The city does not get any ad revenue from the Taxi TVs, said Allan Fromberg, a TLC spokesman.
Rather, the two main vendors that operate the sets — VeriFone Systems and Creative Mobile Technologies —  paid to install the machines and revenue goes back into their pockets.

Some taxi medallion owners also receive a cut of the profits, but that almost never trickles down to actual cab drivers, said Yassky,

About 113,000 riders total filled out the survey, which was, coincidentally, offered on the TV screens.

Opinion 1: I love Taxi TV!

Ads over small talk:?That’s what I prefer

Personally, I love the in-cab entertain-ment. I learn a little something new about NYC each time I take a taxi. (Full disclosure: I’m still fairly new to the city). It’s a little bit of news, weather, some late-night show recaps — and my favorite part, dining suggestions. I’ve learned where to go for the crispiest fries, the best pie and a great cup of joe. They’re places I might not have stumbled upon on my own. Sure, there’s Yelp, but the taxi entertainment offers a sit-back-and-relax conven-ience that I’ve come to appreciate. Admittedly, it can get a bit repetitive — but, to me, it’s still better than listening to blaring car horns and the grumbling profanity of the cab driver.

-Cassandra Garrison/Metro

Opinion 2: Thanks, but no thanks

Not the place for a TV, unless I’m on ‘Cash Cab’

Taxi TV seems like it was designed solely to quantify the precise correlation between a passenger’s drunkeness and the length of time it takes him to successfully toggle off the service via its persistently defective touch-screen display. (Full disclosure: I only take cabs when I’m too intoxicated to stomach the sounds and smells of my fellow mass transit passengers. As it turns out, Taxi TV is actually worse.)

There is a short list of activities I?consider apropos of taxi travel: Reading, chatting and making out are among them. Being forced to take in commercial ad prattle is not. In truth, I always enjoy sharing a moment of human contact with the driver.

-Brayden Simms/Metro