“How to hail a Taxi” wiki has almost 100k views

“How to hail a Taxi” explains the language of roof lights. Image: WikiHow

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A generation of young people who grew up summoning a rideshare driver through an app are getting helpful advice on how to hail a Taxi from WikiHow. “How to hail a Taxi” has been viewed 96,605 times.

In a “wiki” published in spring 2022, WikiHow staff writer Kyle Hall provide instruction on at least four ways to hail a cab from the street.

“If you don’t want to end up stranded, it’s useful to know how to hail a taxicab. Fortunately, it’s a fairly simple process. We’re here to run through some of the basic cab-hailing rules so you can have a stress-free taxicab experience,” Hall writes.

 Methods suggested and illustrated include “Hailing a Cab in the Street Method,” which notes that “many cities have cabs with lights or signs that indicate if they’re in service or not. Look for a cab with a lit-up sign on the roof — that usually means it’s open and unoccupied.”

 The “Step off the curb” method suggests, “Once you’ve spotted an available cab, step off the curb to make yourself more visible. Don’t step out too far into the street, and make sure you look out for oncoming traffic….Stick out your arm. Be firm and confident so the cab driver knows you want to be picked up. Raise your arm up high to make it more visible to the driver.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” says Canadian Taxi Association president Marc Andre Way. “For young people who grew up summoning rideshare vehicles through an app, it’s practical information that demonstrates they have alternatives. The easy-to-spot, branded Taxi right on the street in front of them can be safer, more convenient and less expensive than rideshare. This is useful information,” he says, noting that the wiki also covers finding local Taxi companies through their own app and simply calling a Taxi company’s advertised phone number to book a ride, which can be paid for with cash.

WikiHow also covers cabstands: “Find a cab stand near you. Cab stands are locations where cab drivers line up for lot of rides. If you’re trying to hail a cab at an airport, look for a cab stand outside the entrance/exit to your terminal. If you’re visiting a popular tourist destination or there’s one nearby, look around for a cab stand. They’re often located in areas where there are a lot of tourists. Ask the front desk at your hotel if there’s a cab stand outside. Cabs will often line up outside hotels and wait for guests who need a ride.”

In a nod to technology used by many Taxi firms even before ridesharing became popular, WikiHow also suggest downloading a Taxi company’s app: “Download a cab-hailing app. Look up which apps, if any, are available in your location. Be aware that most cab-hailing apps are city-specific, so you’ll need to do your research beforehand to find an app you can use. Download the app on your smartphone so you can easily access it when you’re ready to order a ride.”

Method 4 involves using a cell phone as an actual cell phone, which still works in ordering a Taxi: “Call and order a cab. Give them your address and ask how long it will be until your driver arrives. If you’re in a busy area, ask what the company’s cabs look like so you can spot your driver quickly.”