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{{short description|Style of taxicab}}
{{Short description|Style of taxicab}}
{{about|yellow taxicabs|other uses}}
{{About|yellow taxicabs|other uses}}
[[File:Yellow cabs 2.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Yellow cabs in [[Manhattan]], [[New York City]]]]
[[File:New York City taxi cabs.JPG|thumb|right|300x300px|Yellow cabs in [[New York City]] taxi]]
There are many '''yellow cab''' [[taxicab]] operators around the world (some with common heritage, some without). The original [[Yellow Cab Company]], based in [[Chicago, Illinois]], was one of the largest [[taxicab]] companies in the United States.
'''Yellow cab''' [[taxicab]] operators exist all around the world (some with common heritage, some without). The original [[Yellow Cab Company]], based in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], was one of the largest taxicab companies in the [[United States]].


== History ==
== History ==
<!---need to be a bit clearer here when the transition occurred from horse to electric/steam, then to internal engine--->
<!---need to be a bit clearer here when the transition occurred from horse to electric/steam, then to internal engine--->
[[File:Taksi.jpg|thumb|right|300x300px|One of the historical yellow taxis in [[Baku]], Azerbaijan, that were replaced with violet [[Hackney carriage|cabs]] in 2011]]
Yellow cabs date back to at least 1798, when the musical comedy, ''Cabriolet Jaune'' (''Yellow Cab''), debuted at Paris' [[Opera Comique|Theatre de l’Opera Comique National]]. Yellow cabs were known in Paris and London throughout most of the 1800s. A yellow cab company shook up the New York Cab system in the mid-1880s, offering cheaper, more predictable fares than competitors. One of the first automobile cabs in London, in the 1890s, was a yellow electric automobile.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Brown|first1=Peter Jensen|title=New York, Paris, London (but not Munich); a Checkered History of Yellow Cabs|url=http://esnpc.blogspot.com/2015/09/new-york-london-paris-but-not-munich.html|website=Early Sports 'n' Pop-Culture History Blog|access-date=3 February 2016}}</ref>
Yellow cabs date back to at least 1798, when the musical comedy, ''Cabriolet Jaune'' (''Yellow Cab''), debuted at Paris' [[Opera Comique|Theatre de l'Opera Comique National]]. Yellow cabs were known in Paris and London throughout most of the 1800s. A yellow cab company shook up the New York Cab system in the mid-1880s, offering cheaper, more predictable fares than competitors. One of the first automobile cabs in London, in the 1890s, was a yellow electric automobile.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Brown|first1=Peter Jensen|title=New York, Paris, London (but not Munich); a Checkered History of Yellow Cabs|url=http://esnpc.blogspot.com/2015/09/new-york-london-paris-but-not-munich.html|website=Early Sports 'n' Pop-Culture History Blog|date=11 September 2015|access-date=3 February 2016}}</ref>


The [[Yellow Cab Company]] of Chicago was founded by [[John D. Nutz]] in 1907.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2912.html|title=Yellow Cab Co. (of Chicago)|work=chicagohistory.org}}</ref> Their specially designed taxicabs were powered by a 4-cylinder [[Continental Motors Company|Continental engine]] equipped with a purpose-built taxicab body supplied by the Racine Body Co., of [[Racine, Wisconsin]].<ref name=coachbuilt_yellow/> According to Yellow Cab Co. tradition, the color (and name) [[Yellow#Transportation|yellow]] was selected by John Hertz as the result of a survey he commissioned at a "local university", which indicated it was the easiest color to spot.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Forbes|first1=Bertie C.|title=Automotive Giants of America: Men Who Are Making Our Motor Industry|date=1927|publisher=B. C. Forbes|location=New York|page=147}}</ref> However, "he was certainly not the first taxicab operator to use that color and the university study to which [[B. C. Forbes]] refers has yet to be discovered."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Theobald|first1=Mark|title=Yellow Cab Mfg. Co.|url=http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/y/yellow_cab/yellow_cab.htm|website=Coachbuilt.com|access-date=3 February 2016}}</ref>
The [[Yellow Cab Company]] of Chicago was founded by [[John D. Hertz]] in 1907.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2912.html|title=Yellow Cab Co. (of Chicago)|work=chicagohistory.org}}</ref> Their specially designed taxicabs were powered by a 4-cylinder [[Continental Motors Company|Continental engine]] equipped with a purpose-built taxicab body supplied by the Racine Body Co., of [[Racine, Wisconsin]].<ref name=coachbuilt_yellow/> According to Yellow Cab Co. tradition, the color (and name) [[Yellow#Transportation|yellow]] was selected by John Hertz as the result of a survey he commissioned at a "local university", which indicated it was the easiest color to spot.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Forbes|first1=Bertie C.|title=Automotive Giants of America: Men Who Are Making Our Motor Industry|date=1927|publisher=B. C. Forbes|location=New York|page=147}}</ref> However, "he was certainly not the first taxicab operator to use that color and the university study to which [[B. C. Forbes]] refers has yet to be discovered."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Theobald|first1=Mark|title=Yellow Cab Mfg. Co.|url=http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/y/yellow_cab/yellow_cab.htm|website=Coachbuilt.com|access-date=3 February 2016}}</ref> In 2017, a study showed that the color yellow, for taxis, was more noticeable, resulting in 9% fewer accidents.<ref>{{Cite news | first=Doyle | last=Rice | title=If you want a safe taxi ride, yellow could be the way to go | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/sciencefair/2017/03/07/youre-less-likely-get-accident-yellow-taxi-study-finds/98856486/| newspaper=USA Today | location=Melbourne, Florida| pages= 4B | date=March 8, 2017 | access-date=March 8, 2017}}</ref>


In 1908, [[Albert Rockwell]], founder and General Manager of the New Departure Manufacturing Co. of [[Bristol, Connecticut]], travelled to Europe to evaluate their taxi systems, hoping to develop a similar one in [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref>''The New York Times'' (June 14, 1908)</ref> Ernest Wyckoff, Alfred Church and Clarence Partridge, well-known automobile dealers in New York, had a number of orange-yellow colored Rockwell taxicabs operating on Manhattan streets in 1909.<ref name=coachbuilt_yellow>{{cite web|url=http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/y/yellow_cab/yellow_cab.htm|title=Yellow taxicab...|work=Coachbuilt}}</ref> By March 1910, the Connecticut Cab Co. (essentially the directors of New Departure Manufacturing Co.) assumed operating control of Wyckoff, Church and Partridge's taxis.<ref>''The New York Law Journal'' (March 10, 1910)</ref>
In 1908, [[Albert Rockwell]], founder and General Manager of the New Departure Manufacturing Co. of [[Bristol, Connecticut]], travelled to Europe to evaluate their taxi systems, hoping to develop a similar one in [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref>''The New York Times'' (June 14, 1908)</ref> Ernest Wyckoff, Alfred Church and Clarence Partridge, well-known automobile dealers in New York, had a number of orange-yellow colored Rockwell taxicabs operating on Manhattan streets in 1909.<ref name=coachbuilt_yellow>{{cite web|url=http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/y/yellow_cab/yellow_cab.htm|title=Yellow taxicab...|work=Coachbuilt}}</ref> By March 1910, the Connecticut Cab Co. (essentially the directors of New Departure Manufacturing Co.) assumed operating control of Wyckoff, Church and Partridge's taxis.<ref>''The New York Law Journal'' (March 10, 1910)</ref>


The Yellow Taxicab Co. was incorporated in New York on April 4, 1912. Its fares that year started at 50¢/mile (roughly equivalent to $12.12 in 2016 adjusted for inflation).<ref>As calculated by the U.S. Bureau of Statistics' [http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl CPI Inflation Calculator]; year selected is 1913, the closest year available.</ref> Among its directors and major stockholders were Albert Rockwell and the Connecticut Cab Co.{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}} Shortly after incorporation the Yellow Taxicab Co. merged with the Cab and Taxi Co., and with the strength of Connecticut Cab Co. behind them, the young business assumed a large share of the New York market. Its independent corporate life was fairly short, however, as fare wars and regulations forced a merger with the Mason-Seaman Transportation Co. on March 3, 1914. Shortly after, an injunction was filed by the company, seeking to restrain the city from enforcing the Public Hack ordinances, but it was rejected on appeal.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1915/05/01/archives/taxicab-ordinance-is-finally-upheld-masonseaman-company-loses-its.html ''The New York Times'' (May 1, 1915)]</ref> By 1916, the company was being held in [[receivership]], due to suits by numerous creditors.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=fUo4AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA974&lpg=PA974&dq=mason-seaman+transportation+bankruptcy&source=bl&ots=7RmLbRD04f&sig=EIh1ipLQqhKPsXz4sD1Ok9cYp2w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjWzPeVuv3WAhWpj1QKHU6VC90Q6AEIKjAC#v=onepage&q=mason-seaman%20transportation%20bankruptcy&f=false In re Mason-Seaman Trans. Co., [[Federal Reporter|''The Federal Reporter'']], Vol.235]</ref>
The Yellow Taxicab Co. was incorporated in New York on April 4, 1912. Its fares that year started at 50¢/mile (roughly equivalent to $12.12 in 2016 adjusted for inflation).<ref>As calculated by the U.S. Bureau of Statistics' [http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl CPI Inflation Calculator]; year selected is 1913, the closest year available.</ref> Among its directors and major stockholders were Albert Rockwell and the Connecticut Cab Co.{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}} Shortly after incorporation the Yellow Taxicab Co. merged with the Cab and Taxi Co., and with the strength of Connecticut Cab Co. behind them, the young business assumed a large share of the New York market. Its independent corporate life was fairly short, however, as fare wars and regulations forced a merger with the Mason-Seaman Transportation Co. on March 3, 1914. Shortly after, an injunction was filed by the company, seeking to restrain the city from enforcing the Public Hack ordinances, but it was rejected on appeal.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1915/05/01/archives/taxicab-ordinance-is-finally-upheld-masonseaman-company-loses-its.html ''The New York Times'' (May 1, 1915)]</ref> By 1916, the company was being held in [[receivership]], due to suits by numerous creditors.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=fUo4AAAAIAAJ&dq=mason-seaman+transportation+bankruptcy&pg=PA974 In re Mason-Seaman Trans. Co.], [[Federal Reporter|''The Federal Reporter'']], Vol.235</ref>


The [[Yellow Cab Manufacturing Company]] was formed in 1920.<ref name=coachbuilt_yellow/>
The [[Yellow Cab Manufacturing Company]] was formed in 1920.<ref name=coachbuilt_yellow/>


==List of cab companies==
In 2017, a study showed that the color yellow, for taxis, was more noticeable, resulting in 9% fewer accidents.<ref>{{Cite news | first=Doyle | last=Rice | title=If you want a safe taxi ride, yellow could be the way to go | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/sciencefair/2017/03/07/youre-less-likely-get-accident-yellow-taxi-study-finds/98856486/| newspaper=USA Today | location=Melbourne, Florida| pages= 4B | date=March 8, 2017 | access-date=March 8, 2017}}</ref>

==Yellow cab companies==
{{incomplete list|date=March 2015}}
{{incomplete list|date=March 2015}}


===Australia===
===Australia===
* The Yellow Cab Group was founded in 1924 and operates in Queensland and Tasmania.
* The Yellow Cab Group was founded in 1924 and operates in Queensland and Tasmania.
* [[13CABS|Yellow Cabs]] operate in [[Melbourne]]. There all taxi companies have yellow-painted cabs.
* [[13cabs|Yellow Cabs]] operate in [[Melbourne]].
* Yellow and Coastal Cabs are in [[Perth, Western Australia]].
* Yellow and Coastal Cabs are in [[Perth]].


===Canada===
===Canada===
* The Yellow Cab Company of [[Vancouver, British Columbia]] was founded in 1921.<ref>[http://www.yellowcabonline.com/company_profile.html ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220151626/http://www.yellowcabonline.com/company_profile.html |date=December 20, 2008 }}</ref>
* The Yellow Cab Company of [[Vancouver, British Columbia]] was founded in 1921.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yellowcabonline.com/company_profile.html |title= Main Page|website=www.yellowcabonline.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220151626/http://www.yellowcabonline.com/company_profile.html |archive-date=December 20, 2008}}</ref>
* Yellow Cab Company of [[Toronto, Ontario]].
* Yellow Cab Company of [[Toronto, Ontario]].
* Yellow Cab of [[Burlington, Ontario]].
* Yellow Cab of [[Burlington, Ontario]].
* Yellow Cab of [[Edmonton, Alberta]] was purchased and given the Yellow name in 1945.<ref>[http://www.edmontonskyshuttle.com/AboutUs.html ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060323054906/http://www.edmontonskyshuttle.com/AboutUs.html |date=March 23, 2006 }}</ref>
* Yellow Cab of [[Edmonton, Alberta]] was purchased and given the Yellow name in 1945.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.edmontonskyshuttle.com/AboutUs.html |title= Yellow Cab History|website=www.edmontonskyshuttle.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060323054906/http://www.edmontonskyshuttle.com/AboutUs.html |archive-date=March 23, 2006}}</ref>
* Yellow Cab of [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]], was founded in 1962 and is the largest Yellow Cab brand in Atlantic Canada. <ref>[http://www.yellowcabhalifax.ca</ref>
* Yellow Cab of [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]], was founded in 1962 and is the largest Yellow Cab brand in Atlantic Canada.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yellowcabhalifax.ca/ |title=Home |website=yellowcabhalifax.ca}}</ref>
*Yellow Cab of [[Victoria, British Columbia]], formerly Empress Taxi.
*Yellow Cab of [[Victoria, British Columbia]], formerly Empress Taxi.
===Hungary===
* Taxis in [[Budapest]] are required to be yellow since 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Szabolcs Dull |title=Jönnek a sárga, légkondicionált taxik Budapestre |url=https://www.origo.hu/itthon/20130409-elfogadta-a-fovarosi-kozgyules-a-taxisrendeletet.html |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Origo.hu |language=hu}}</ref>
[[File:KolkataTaxi.JPG|thumb|right|A yellow taxi in [[Kolkata]]]]


===India===
===India===
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===Singapore===
===Singapore===
* [[ComfortDelGro]] in [[Singapore]].
* [[ComfortDelGro]] in [[Singapore]].

===Spain===
* Taxis in [[Barcelona]] are yellow and black since 1929. This is a major exception to the rule of taxi colouring in Spain, with taxis of most cities being white.<ref>[https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/automocion/por-que-taxis-amarillos-y-negros-barcelona-6193896 Why are taxicabs yellow and black in Barcelona?] [[Sport (Spanish newspaper)]]</ref>


===United States===
===United States===
* The Yellow Cab Company of [[Baltimore, Maryland]], was founded in 1909.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yellowtransportation.com/YTMain/history.html |title=Internet Archive Wayback Machine |publisher=Web.archive.org |date=2004-07-06 |access-date=2011-09-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041210170642/http://www.yellowtransportation.com/YTMain/history.html |archive-date=December 10, 2004 }}</ref> It is currently owned by [[Transdev]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.transdevna.com/On-Demand/Taxi.aspx|title=Taxi}}</ref> (U.S.)
* The Yellow Cab Company of [[Baltimore, Maryland]], was founded in 1909.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yellowtransportation.com/YTMain/history.html |title= Connex / Yellow Transportation History|date=2004-07-06 |access-date=2011-09-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041210170642/http://www.yellowtransportation.com/YTMain/history.html |archive-date=December 10, 2004 }}</ref> It is currently owned by [[Transdev]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.transdevna.com/On-Demand/Taxi.aspx|title=Taxi}}</ref> (U.S.)
* Yellow Checker Cab of [[Peoria, Illinois]], was founded in 1922 and is the largest taxi fleet in downstate Illinois.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.peoria-taxi.com |title=Peoria Transportation Systems |publisher=Peoria-taxi.com |access-date=2011-09-21}}</ref> (U.S.)
* Yellow Checker Cab of [[Peoria, Illinois]], was founded in 1922 and is the largest taxi fleet in downstate Illinois.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.peoria-taxi.com |title=Peoria Transportation Systems |publisher=Peoria-taxi.com |access-date=2011-09-21}}</ref> (U.S.)
* Yellow Cab Co. in [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma]] was founded in 1918. It ultimately became the Yellow Roadway, a major U.S. [[truck]] operator (now [[YRC Worldwide]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.myyellow.com/dynamic/services/content*/aboutyellow/brandyellow/history.jsp?PARENT=yfscjbrandyellow |title=Welcome to YRC! |publisher=Myyellow.com |access-date=2011-09-21}}</ref> (U.S.)
* Yellow Cab Co. in [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma]] was founded in 1918. It ultimately became [[Yellow Corporation]], a major U.S. [[truck]] operator.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.myyellow.com/dynamic/services/content*/aboutyellow/brandyellow/history.jsp?PARENT=yfscjbrandyellow |title=Welcome to YRC! |publisher=Myyellow.com |access-date=2011-09-21}}</ref> (U.S.)
* The Yellow Cab Cooperative of [[San Francisco, California]], was founded on November 8, 1977, succeeding a failed private company.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://yellowcabsf.com/index.php/about/our-history |title=Our History |publisher=Yellowcabsf.com |date=1977-11-08 |access-date=2011-09-21}}</ref> (U.S.)
* The Yellow Cab Cooperative of [[San Francisco, California]], was founded on November 8, 1977, succeeding a failed private company.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://yellowcabsf.com/index.php/about/our-history |title=Our History |publisher=Yellowcabsf.com |date=1977-11-08 |access-date=2011-09-21}}</ref> (U.S.)
* Yellow Cab of [[San Diego, California]], has been in continuous operation since the 1920s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sandiego.driveu.com/ |title=San Diego Yellow Cab |publisher=sandiego.driveu.com |access-date=2011-09-21}}</ref> Yellow Cab of San Diego has since sold all of its vehicles; the company operates now as a radio system only.{{fact|date=September 2011}} (U.S.)
* Yellow Cab of [[San Diego, California]], has been in continuous operation since the 1920s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sandiego.driveu.com/ |title=San Diego Yellow Cab |publisher=sandiego.driveu.com |access-date=2011-09-21}}</ref> Yellow Cab of San Diego has since sold all of its vehicles; the company operates now as a radio system only.{{citation needed|date=September 2011}} (U.S.)
* California Yellow Cab, serving [[Orange County, California]], has been in operation for over 60 years. It is owned by [[Keolis]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yellowcab.com/|title=Yellow Cab - 714 999-9999 - Taxi cabs serving Orange County}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.keolisnorthamerica.com/post-services/transit-bus/|title=Taxi - KeolisNorthAmerica.com}}</ref> (U.S.)
* California Yellow Cab, serving [[Orange County, California]], has been in operation for over 60 years. It is owned by [[Keolis]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yellowcab.com/|title=Yellow Cab - 714 999-9999 - Taxi cabs serving Orange County}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.keolisnorthamerica.com/post-services/transit-bus/|title=Taxi - KeolisNorthAmerica.com}}</ref> (U.S.)
* Yellow Cab of Arizona, founded in 1967, serving the entire state of Arizona.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://yellowcabaz.com/|title=Yellow Cab AZ|access-date=2018-01-30}}</ref> (U.S.)
* Yellow Cab of Arizona, founded in 1967, serving the entire state of Arizona.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://yellowcabaz.com/|title=Yellow Cab AZ|access-date=2018-01-30}}</ref> (U.S.)
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* [[Peter Pan Bus Lines]] was founded as Yellow Cab Air Line in [[Springfield, Massachusetts]], which was purchased in 1933 by [[Peter Carmen Picknelly]] (1891-1964) (U.S.)
* [[Peter Pan Bus Lines]] was founded as Yellow Cab Air Line in [[Springfield, Massachusetts]], which was purchased in 1933 by [[Peter Carmen Picknelly]] (1891-1964) (U.S.)
* Louisville Transportation Company of [[Louisville, Kentucky]], operates as Yellow Cab as well as Checker Cab and Cardinal Cab. Yellow Cab of Louisville has been in continuous operation since 1893, when it was founded as Louisville Carriage Company.<ref>[http://www.yellowcablouisville.com/ Yellow Cab of Louisville]</ref> (U.S.)
* Louisville Transportation Company of [[Louisville, Kentucky]], operates as Yellow Cab as well as Checker Cab and Cardinal Cab. Yellow Cab of Louisville has been in continuous operation since 1893, when it was founded as Louisville Carriage Company.<ref>[http://www.yellowcablouisville.com/ Yellow Cab of Louisville]</ref> (U.S.)
* Yellow Cab Of [[Buffalo, New York]] is part of Liberty Cab.
* Yellow Cab of [[Buffalo, New York]] is part of Liberty Cab.
* Los Angeles Yellow Cab<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://rideyellow.com/cities/los-angeles-area/taxi-los-angeles/|title=Los Angeles Taxi, Taxi Cab Services In Los Angeles by RideYellow|access-date=2017-05-11|language=en-US}}</ref>
* Los Angeles Yellow Cab<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://rideyellow.com/cities/los-angeles-area/taxi-los-angeles/|title=Los Angeles Taxi, Taxi Cab Services In Los Angeles by RideYellow|access-date=2017-05-11|language=en-US}}</ref>


== Movie ==
== In popular culture ==
A movie, ''[[The Yellow Cab Man]]'' (1950), stars [[Red Skelton]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043150/plotsummary|title=The Yellow Cab Man|date=7 April 1950|via=IMDb}}</ref>
Yellow cabs are the focus of the films ''[[The Yellow Cab Man]]'' (1950), starring [[Red Skelton]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043150/plotsummary|title=The Yellow Cab Man|date=7 April 1950|via=IMDb}}</ref>{{bsn|date=November 2021}} and the acclaimed ''[[Taxi Driver]]'' (1976).


==See also==
==See also==
*[[Taxicabs of New York City]]
*[[Taxicabs of New York City]]
*[[Taxicabs of the United States]]
*[[Taxicabs of the United States]]
*YELLOW CAB was the [[Airline call sign | callsign]] of [[Hapag-Lloyd Express]]


== References ==
== References ==
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== External links ==
== External links ==
{{portalbar|transport}}
{{portalbar|transport}}
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=aFIgAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA109&lpg=PA109&dq=wyckoff+church+partridge+automobile+dealers&source=bl&ots=SNvj1UOOwJ&sig=jqqnxKcmIfHsP6__YUgF9jR8UYY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjYuNfg2PrWAhWHgFQKHbV6BAMQ6AEIMDAC#v=onepage&q=wyckoff%20church%20partridge%20automobile%20dealers&f=false "Broadway Dealers Enter Taxicab Field"] From ''The Commercial Vehicle'', May 1909
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=aFIgAAAAMAAJ&dq=wyckoff+church+partridge+automobile+dealers&pg=PA109 "Broadway Dealers Enter Taxicab Field"] From ''The Commercial Vehicle'', May 1909
* [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_192.html Why does every city seem to have a Yellow Cab company?] - [[Cecil Adams]], Chicago Reader
* [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_192.html Why does every city seem to have a Yellow Cab company?] - [[Cecil Adams]], Chicago Reader
* [http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/y/yellow_cab/yellow_cab.htm Yellow Cab] Comprehensive article on Coachbuilt.com
* [http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/y/yellow_cab/yellow_cab.htm Yellow Cab] Comprehensive article on Coachbuilt.com
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{{Taxicabs}}
{{Taxicabs}}


[[Category:Taxicabs of the United States]]
[[Category:Taxis of the United States]]
[[Category:Taxicabs]]
[[Category:Taxis]]

Latest revision as of 19:10, 12 September 2024

Yellow cabs in New York City taxi

Yellow cab taxicab operators exist all around the world (some with common heritage, some without). The original Yellow Cab Company, based in Chicago, Illinois, was one of the largest taxicab companies in the United States.

History

[edit]
One of the historical yellow taxis in Baku, Azerbaijan, that were replaced with violet cabs in 2011

Yellow cabs date back to at least 1798, when the musical comedy, Cabriolet Jaune (Yellow Cab), debuted at Paris' Theatre de l'Opera Comique National. Yellow cabs were known in Paris and London throughout most of the 1800s. A yellow cab company shook up the New York Cab system in the mid-1880s, offering cheaper, more predictable fares than competitors. One of the first automobile cabs in London, in the 1890s, was a yellow electric automobile.[1]

The Yellow Cab Company of Chicago was founded by John D. Hertz in 1907.[2] Their specially designed taxicabs were powered by a 4-cylinder Continental engine equipped with a purpose-built taxicab body supplied by the Racine Body Co., of Racine, Wisconsin.[3] According to Yellow Cab Co. tradition, the color (and name) yellow was selected by John Hertz as the result of a survey he commissioned at a "local university", which indicated it was the easiest color to spot.[4] However, "he was certainly not the first taxicab operator to use that color and the university study to which B. C. Forbes refers has yet to be discovered."[5] In 2017, a study showed that the color yellow, for taxis, was more noticeable, resulting in 9% fewer accidents.[6]

In 1908, Albert Rockwell, founder and General Manager of the New Departure Manufacturing Co. of Bristol, Connecticut, travelled to Europe to evaluate their taxi systems, hoping to develop a similar one in Washington, D.C.[7] Ernest Wyckoff, Alfred Church and Clarence Partridge, well-known automobile dealers in New York, had a number of orange-yellow colored Rockwell taxicabs operating on Manhattan streets in 1909.[3] By March 1910, the Connecticut Cab Co. (essentially the directors of New Departure Manufacturing Co.) assumed operating control of Wyckoff, Church and Partridge's taxis.[8]

The Yellow Taxicab Co. was incorporated in New York on April 4, 1912. Its fares that year started at 50¢/mile (roughly equivalent to $12.12 in 2016 adjusted for inflation).[9] Among its directors and major stockholders were Albert Rockwell and the Connecticut Cab Co.[citation needed] Shortly after incorporation the Yellow Taxicab Co. merged with the Cab and Taxi Co., and with the strength of Connecticut Cab Co. behind them, the young business assumed a large share of the New York market. Its independent corporate life was fairly short, however, as fare wars and regulations forced a merger with the Mason-Seaman Transportation Co. on March 3, 1914. Shortly after, an injunction was filed by the company, seeking to restrain the city from enforcing the Public Hack ordinances, but it was rejected on appeal.[10] By 1916, the company was being held in receivership, due to suits by numerous creditors.[11]

The Yellow Cab Manufacturing Company was formed in 1920.[3]

List of cab companies

[edit]

Australia

[edit]
  • The Yellow Cab Group was founded in 1924 and operates in Queensland and Tasmania.
  • Yellow Cabs operate in Melbourne.
  • Yellow and Coastal Cabs are in Perth.

Canada

[edit]

Hungary

[edit]
A yellow taxi in Kolkata

India

[edit]

Singapore

[edit]

Spain

[edit]
  • Taxis in Barcelona are yellow and black since 1929. This is a major exception to the rule of taxi colouring in Spain, with taxis of most cities being white.[16]

United States

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Yellow cabs are the focus of the films The Yellow Cab Man (1950), starring Red Skelton,[29][better source needed] and the acclaimed Taxi Driver (1976).

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Brown, Peter Jensen (11 September 2015). "New York, Paris, London (but not Munich); a Checkered History of Yellow Cabs". Early Sports 'n' Pop-Culture History Blog. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  2. ^ "Yellow Cab Co. (of Chicago)". chicagohistory.org.
  3. ^ a b c "Yellow taxicab..." Coachbuilt.
  4. ^ Forbes, Bertie C. (1927). Automotive Giants of America: Men Who Are Making Our Motor Industry. New York: B. C. Forbes. p. 147.
  5. ^ Theobald, Mark. "Yellow Cab Mfg. Co". Coachbuilt.com. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  6. ^ Rice, Doyle (March 8, 2017). "If you want a safe taxi ride, yellow could be the way to go". USA Today. Melbourne, Florida. pp. 4B. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
  7. ^ The New York Times (June 14, 1908)
  8. ^ The New York Law Journal (March 10, 1910)
  9. ^ As calculated by the U.S. Bureau of Statistics' CPI Inflation Calculator; year selected is 1913, the closest year available.
  10. ^ The New York Times (May 1, 1915)
  11. ^ In re Mason-Seaman Trans. Co., The Federal Reporter, Vol.235
  12. ^ "Main Page". www.yellowcabonline.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008.
  13. ^ "Yellow Cab History". www.edmontonskyshuttle.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2006.
  14. ^ "Home". yellowcabhalifax.ca.
  15. ^ Szabolcs Dull. "Jönnek a sárga, légkondicionált taxik Budapestre". Origo.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  16. ^ Why are taxicabs yellow and black in Barcelona? Sport (Spanish newspaper)
  17. ^ "Connex / Yellow Transportation History". 2004-07-06. Archived from the original on December 10, 2004. Retrieved 2011-09-21.
  18. ^ "Taxi".
  19. ^ "Peoria Transportation Systems". Peoria-taxi.com. Retrieved 2011-09-21.
  20. ^ "Welcome to YRC!". Myyellow.com. Retrieved 2011-09-21.
  21. ^ "Our History". Yellowcabsf.com. 1977-11-08. Retrieved 2011-09-21.
  22. ^ "San Diego Yellow Cab". sandiego.driveu.com. Retrieved 2011-09-21.
  23. ^ "Yellow Cab - 714 999-9999 - Taxi cabs serving Orange County".
  24. ^ "Taxi - KeolisNorthAmerica.com".
  25. ^ "Yellow Cab AZ". Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  26. ^ "Home - Yellow Cab Co". Order1taxi.com. Retrieved 2011-09-21.
  27. ^ Yellow Cab of Louisville
  28. ^ "Los Angeles Taxi, Taxi Cab Services In Los Angeles by RideYellow". Retrieved 2017-05-11.
  29. ^ "The Yellow Cab Man". 7 April 1950 – via IMDb.
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