Metro

Cabbies now hailed as sweeties, not ridezillas

New Yorkers have a new love affair — with their cabdrivers.

Complaints against rude cabbies have plummeted in the past five years — and driver compliments have skyrocketed, Taxi & Limousine Commission stats show.

There’s been a 53 percent drop in the number of “discourteous” complaints since 2008.

That year, 5,087 irate riders filed grievances, and that number has steadily decreased since.

In 2012, only 2,403 people complained.

“Discourteous” complaints could be anything from rude comments to refusing to turn down the radio, officials said.

And that drop comes as more riders told the TLC that their driver went the extra mile — often literally.

“He drove back from Manhattan to my apartment in The Bronx to give [my wallet] back to me,” wrote one rider last year.

“I hope he can get some acknowledgment for being such an amazingly virtuous person.”

The number of commendations increased from 492 in 2008 to 695 last year, a 41 percent increase.

The thank-you notes included praise for everything from entertaining tours of the city to scaring off would-be assailants.

“Taxi driver got out of cab and scared away a potential female mugger who was assaulting me,” read one 2012 e-mail.

TLC Commission David Yassky said, “I think taxi drivers have really stepped up their game when it comes to customer service, and passengers are seeing the difference.”