Why New York Taxis Are Yellow

What comes to your mind when you see the color yellow? One of your top 5 answers is “Taxi”, right? And even though not all taxis are yellow around the world, this color is strongly associated with the industry. But why is that?

The first taxis in the U.S. weren’t yellow. In 1907, businessman Harry Allen bought red and green vehicles in France and transported them to New York. However, he had to face some competition, since a lot of other cab-companies popped up. And their owners painted the vehicles in different colors – black, brown, white, checkered – so that each company had a signature color.
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TIMESTAMPS:
A quick visit to the past 0:20
What science says about yellow color 1:16
The most easy-to-spot color for our vision (not yellow!) 2:48
The Viennese Fiaker 3:36
Venetian Water Taxi 3:57
Bicitaxi in Mexico City 4:24
Horse-Drawn Carts on Spetses Island 4:48
Cocotaxi in Cuba 5:07
Tuk-tuk in Thailand 5:35
H2O Taxi in Canada 6:13
Piaggio Ape Taxi in Ischia 6:44
Gotham Air in New York 7:18
Shikara Taxi in India 7:56
#taxi #NYC #brightside
Preview photo credit:
NEW YORK CITY, USA - AUG. 26: Yellow taxis and police car on street in Manhattan on August 26, 2017 in New York City, NY. Manhattan is the most densely populated borough of New York City: By astudio/Shutterstock.com,
Taxi row on Park Avenue in New York City: By Natalia Bratslavsky/Shutterstock.com,
Animation is created by Bright Side.
SUMMARY:
- In 1908, another businessman, Albert Rockwell, opened a taxi company in New York and decided to paint his cabs yellow just because it was his wife's favorite color.
- But it was John Hertz from Chicago who, in 1915, chose this color for his fleet based on science. He wanted his cars to be painted the same color to unify his fleet and to be more attention-grabbing for clients.
- In 1967, New York authorities issued restrictions on the color the licensed taxis could be. As you can guess, they chose yellow.
- But taxis aren’t only yellow because this color draws attention. It's the optimal color for cabs since it increases their visibility to other drivers on the road, decreasing the chances for accidents.
- New studies have shown that, the most easy-to-spot color for our vision is bright green. “Why are taxis still yellow?”, you’re probably wondering.
- The thing is, using green has one big disadvantage: this color can blend easily with the surrounding trees and grass.
- A Fiaker is a horse-drawn taxi that’s been transporting passengers since 1693, and is still used in the Austrian capital.
- With so many canals and so few streets, people in Venice have no other way than to use gondolas and water taxis to get around the city.
- Bicitaxi in Mexico City is a three-wheeled bike covered by a bright green plastic frame. There’s only room for a driver and two passengers in the rear seat.
- If you ever plan to visit Spetses Island, there’s one thing you should keep in mind: cars are banned on this Greek island!
- Cocotaxi is a tricycle that works with pedals and is surrounded by an opened plastic cover. Some of the cocotaxis are equipped with a tiny motor to help a driver when going uphill.
- Extremely popular in Bangkok and other Thai cities, tuk-tuk is for those who don’t want to waste time in traffic jams, and those who are hesitant about using fast motorcycles.
- The Victoria harbor in Canada added its own twist to public transport. Why chose a regular taxi if you can commute by water taxi and make your trip an exciting journey?
- In a hurry to get to JFK or Newark Airports from Manhattan island? Then take a helicopter ride! The helicopter service Gotham Air launched in 2015, and allows its clients to save tons of time.
- The Shikara taxi is a carved wooden boat that can take you around the lakes in the northern Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir. These boats are made of deodar, a special type of wood that doesn’t rot in water.
Music by Epidemic Sound
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