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AUSTIN TAXIS.
Unlike Rick Hertzberg, my taxi from the airport did not involve a complete multimedia experience. But it did include the traditional Austin pricing system, which breaks your ride down into elevenths of a mile. Why elevenths, rather than a cleaner total that took into account the core human affection for round numbers? I don't know! But I was hoping some of you might.
COMMENTS (14)
Like most things in life, it's probably a scam of some kind.
Posted by: Cynical, cynical man. | July 22, 2008 9:45 AM
like most things in texas, there's either absolutely no reason at all or it has something to do with the texas revolution.
Posted by: ch | July 22, 2008 9:50 AM
(Cross-posted at Matt's blog):
Is it mandated by city policy? As you probably know, cabs are usually heavily regulated by the cities they in which they operate. If so, then it might not be an economic question at all. Maybe it was a compromise between charging a unit price for every 1/12th of a mile and 1/10th of mile--who knows?
Posted by: David | July 22, 2008 9:58 AM
Clearly the Austin City Council or Travis County Comission is in the pocket of Big Taxi.
Posted by: Nicholas Beaudrot | July 22, 2008 9:58 AM
Maybe it's a veiled Spinal Tap reference.
Posted by: Blackadder | July 22, 2008 10:13 AM
I lived in Austin for years, and imagine that the reasoning turns out to be (1) charges are the same for 1/11th as they would be for 1/10, allowing a 10% greater rate, OR (2) the frequency of clicking over the meter to the next higher increment on short trips would be slightly higher. Or it could have something to do with the Armadillo World Headquarters and Eeyore's Birthday in alignment.
Posted by: davemaz | July 22, 2008 10:19 AM
1760 (mile o' yards) and 5280 (mile o' feet) are both multiples of 11 (and 10, duh), but not of 12, so the core affection for round numbers is in fact preserved.
Posted by: fluxisrad | July 22, 2008 10:27 AM
In Portland, ME -- it's been a while, so I might have been overtaken by events -- the rates were based on ninths of a mile.
There used to be markers every ninth of a mile -- obviously the factory odometer is useless to measure ninths -- on the industrial park road between Forest Ave and North Washington Rd. to check the meters.
Posted by: Davis X. Machina | July 22, 2008 11:01 AM
You are leaving out crucial information, what is the price per 1/11th of a mile?
Posted by: Joel W | July 22, 2008 11:04 AM
With all your putting down of meat, then you go and take a cab instead of the more environmentally responsible and cheaper Super Shuttle?
Posted by: Randy Paul | July 22, 2008 11:49 AM
Austin cabbies have one extra finger.
Posted by: Megan | July 22, 2008 12:20 PM
In Austin, it goes up to 11!
Posted by: cheflovesbeer | July 22, 2008 12:39 PM
With all your putting down of meat, then you go and take a cab instead of the more environmentally responsible and cheaper Super Shuttle?
And bus 100 leaves no more than every hour and costs about a buck each way.
Some bus systems don't allow luggage. But the Austin system apparently allows you to have a small roll-on which is all you probably had with you.
So much for supporting public transit.
Posted by: Just Sayin' | July 22, 2008 11:10 PM
Why do you want interest paid to you to compound daily and not annually?
Posted by: JDC | July 23, 2008 11:58 AM