You also have to discard the "customer is always right" mindset when using taxis in NYC. It is notoriously difficult to convince a taxi to take you cross-town.

You also have to discard the "customer is always right" mindset when using taxis in NYC. It is notoriously difficult to convince a taxi to take you cross-town. The few times I succeeded... it was a mistake, a miserable experience and it would have been faster to walk. Conceptually it would be nice to just be able to get a taxi from point A to point B, no questions asked, and sometimes when a driver doesn't want to do it it comes down to racism or profit, but other times it's because you're asking to do something that isn't actually a good idea.