NYC To End Taxi Light Confusion

The "Off Duty" light on NYC cabs means the vehicle is out of service. Except for when you are going the same direction as the cabbie's route home. Or except for when the cabbie wants to make sure you aren't going to, horrors, Brooklyn. All that is about to end.

Taxi and Limousine Commission Chairman David Yassky said Tuesday medallion owners will be directed this fall to start removing the signs and adopting a simpler way of indicating whether a cab is available. Under the current scheme, the cab-top signs have four different potential meanings depending on whether either or both the off-duty lights and the medallion number light are illuminated. “It’s far too confusing for the average rider,” Yassky told the Daily News. Under the new system, the cab-top signs will have only two potential meanings: available if the medallion number is lit, or unavailable if it’s dark.

Many times I've had cabs stop for me with their "off duty" light on, only to peel out when they don't like my destination. But sometimes they don't, so New Yorkers are trained to flail uselessly at any cab light configuration. Hurray for the TLC.