I've never taken a pedicab in my life, but it seems I'm in the minority, as the number of the pedal-powered bicycle taxis has risen dramatically since their introduction to New York in 1995. Pedicabs have become so popular, in fact, that they're now regulated by the city, which requires vehicles to be insured, inspected, and fitted with seat belts, headlights, and hydraulic brakes. A story in The New York Times explains that the new regulations legitimize an industry that began as something of a fringe group, attracting actors, artists, and various downtown weirdos to a unique profession that could net them up to $1,000 a week and help them stay skinny and hot. ]]> Victor Ozols 2009-11-21T13:25:54-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/11/11437/055

It's one of the oldest airport debates: whether or not to suck it up and take a taxi into town, or risk public transportation. For us, it depends on how large our party is and how much baggage we're dragging, but taxis are just so darn tempting.

Thankfully, Virgin Atlantic knows this and echoes our sentiments when they say: "we think it's crazy that people often wait in line and then get one taxi each. Most people go from the airport in a similar direction, so it's a great waste." Hallelujah, go tell it on the mountain, Virgin Atlantic! And since they're a giant company and all, they've decided to do something about this shared taxi conundrum by creating Taxi2, a social networking way to link up with other from your flight and share a ride with them into the city, cutting down on ride cost and maybe even making you a new friend. ]]> JetSetCD 2009-11-11T13:19:25-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/10/7/43646/2770

The 2008 Oktoberfest in Munich finished up over the weekend, and one English man was extremely glad to be there. We're thinking he needs a few travel tips because to get to Munich from Portsmouth, England, he decided to catch a taxi.

To be fair, he did try to catch a plane first but missed his flight. Not wanting to miss the beer (and his buddy's buck's night), he persuaded a local cab driver to get him all the way to Munich for a fare of £1,700 (almost $3,000). And he paid in cash.

We're not recommending using this method of travel across Europe, but perhaps some of the European low-cost airlines could consider it as a back-up plan when their flights have some of those all-too-regular delays?

Related Stories:
· No Taxi Ride Too Long to Keep Man From Friends, Beer [Deutsche Welle]
· Beer Travel: Bavarian Premier Says Drinking Heaps is OK [Jaunted]
· Oktoberfest coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: smif]]]> amandak 2008-10-07T09:00:52-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/18/61832/7643

We've done our fair share of ending up not exactly where we planned when traveling by bus or even taxi in foreign countries, but the Spanish couple who just spent a fortune on two long taxi rides in Norway have far exceeded our attempts.

Headed for Olden to re-join a cruise ship, the taxi driver misunderstood them--apparently--and took them to Halden instead, 380 miles away from their intended destination. They spent the night in a hotel there and only realized their mistake when no cruise-ship awaited them--and they taxied on to Olden. Round trip bill: €3,870 ($5,680) for a scenic trip between the northwest and the southeast of the country.

We wonder why the taxi driver didn't double check the destination, unless he deliberately tricked them; we also don't get why the Spanish couple didn't notice that the journey seemed to be taking a really, really long time. Then again, they were the cruising kind who usually just come ashore with a nametag, so perhaps their travel skills were lacking. In any case, they've given a couple of taxi drivers a big income boost.

Related Stories:
· $6,600 Cab Fare Lost In Translation [The Age]
· Norway Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Narisa]]]> amandak 2008-08-18T09:00:12-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/7/123748/3629

Watch what you say in that Beijing taxi: The Wall Street Journal says tens of thousands of cabs in the capital have been outfitted with small microphones and GPS trackers that can be used to spy on passengers and drivers.

Officials have asked cabbies to watch out for "suspicious behavior and odd packages," the paper reports, though it's doubtful that China has the ability to monitor every conversation in every one of Beijing's 70,000 taxis. Maybe that's why the city of Shenyang--where some soccer matches will be held--recruited 38,000 drivers to work as unofficial spies?

You won't be safe to gossip in secret once you step out of the cab, either. The State Department advises visitors that hotel and conference rooms could be bugged at any time, and every phone in the country, including cell phones, can be tapped.

Related Stories:
· Beijing Taxis Are Rigged for Eavesdropping [WSJ]
· Paranoia Travel: Get Spied on at This Scary German Bar [Jaunted]
· Beijing Olympics coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Boris van Hoytema]]]> pbb 2008-08-07T12:45:06-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/1/94154/19052

Next time you're in Dublin trying to get around the congested city center, just keep your eyes open for one of these brightly colored, blob shaped Ecocabs.

Looking like a hybrid golf cart and pedicab, the Ecocab is a pedal powered tricycle. They provide an easy green transportation option for making short distance trips through busy cities. (A battery back up is included, just in case the driver gets a little winded or encounters a big hill.)

The aerodynamic cab comfortably seats three passengers and is totally free. The service is sponsored by advertising, and all Ecocabs are wrapped with can't miss ads. The drivers are even dressed to match.

Ecocabs are also on the streets of Toronto, and full-fare versions are running in several other cities. In Dublin, the cabs run from 10 am to 7 pm, 7 days a week.

Related Stories:
· Ecocabs [Official Site]
· Pedal-Powered Taxis Deliver Free Love [Springwise]
· Ireland Travel coverage [Jaunted]]]> Dan Gould 2008-08-01T11:30:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/21/14858/9384

New Yorker writer and hyper-liberal Hendrik Hertzberg got lucky on a recent visit to Austin and snagged what could be the coolest taxi this side of the Cash Cab.

The Land Yacht bills itself as the city's only rock 'n' roll taxi, and the specs on this thing back up the claim. Here's the word, unedited and straight from the cab's website:

So much BASS it'll shake yer @ss right outta the seat! Music Videos playin from 4 honkin big video screens right up in your face. Oh, did I mention that you get to CHOOSE the Music Videos you wanna watch?

And what runs all of this? It ain't yer garden variety little dvd player in 'da dash. Full computer setup right in the cab means I can do just about anything you can do with a computer! Over 2 teraBytes of hard drives means I gotz plenty of space for over 15,000 High Quality music videos available at your fingertips!

We're not saying you should go to Austin just for the transportation... Actually, you know what? That is what we're saying.

Related Stories:
· The Land Yacht [Official Site, via]
· Taxis coverage [Jaunted]
· Austin Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: The Land Yacht]]]> pbb 2008-07-21T14:15:21-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/