It's particularly baffling since Manhattan is the only place I've been where taxis are a credible competitor. UberX isn't, in my experience, cheaper than the c

It's particularly baffling since Manhattan is the only place I've been where taxis are a credible competitor. UberX isn't, in my experience, cheaper than the cabs and even X is slower than hailing a cab. The last time I tried to used Pool, it assigned me a driver 20 minutes away; I could have walked the route before the driver got there. Every other American city I've visited, cabs are impossible to hail and twice the price, but in NYC there are options.