Soon, you might not have to squint to figure out if a taxi is available.
So many bumbling tourists and nearsighted locals are trying to hail off-duty cabs that the city might change the roof-light indicator that even many New Yorkers don’t understand.
Taxi and Limousine Commissioner David Yassky is contemplating moving New York cabs away from the current myriad of indicators — with four different service possibilities — and moving to a “single light” system.
Under that plan, an illuminated light atop a cab — probably the medallion number — would mean the cab is available. An off light would mean it isn’t.
“If we’re causing a decent amount of confusion for no real purpose, than maybe we should change it,” said Yassky.
The current system is enough to perplex anyone.
Nearly everyone knows that a lit medallion number and darkened off-duty light means jump in front of the other person at the corner and grab the cab quickly.
An unlit number and off-duty light clearly means you’re out of luck, but things get confusing when cabbies are capitalizing on a little-known TLC provision referred to as “going my way” trips.
In that case, hacks are also allowed to pick up passengers at the end of their shifts, provided that the person is going in the same direction.
To do that, cabbies turn their off-duty lights on and their medallion numbers off. If the homebound hack finds someone going in his or her direction, both the number on and off-duty light are on.
The idea for changing the system came about while designing the roof lights for new and outer-borough taxis.