It was only a matter of time before Boston taxi drivers discovered the internet. Now, we've got one blogging in the tradition of Waiter Rant, Clublife, and other vocational blogs. Apparently started in January, Boston-The Hack writes about the trials of driving cab in a city, from the one-way streets of the Financial District to the strongly-scented vomit of customers (not always on Lansdowne Street, surprisingly) to trying to understand the dispatchers. And that's not including obtaining certification, dealing with asshole cab company owners, and paying taxes on your nominal income.
The blog doesn't make us want to be cabbies by any means, but the most recent post inspired in us an idea: why not use the power of technology to make cabs into information stations? If "The Hack" had some iPhone skills (which he or she may; we don't know), s/he could make restaurant and hotel recommendations to customers. How nice would it be to have your cabbie Yelp the place you're going to see if it's legit, and recommend an alternative if it's not—or if it's overcrowded? Where is the iPhone app for the cabbie? Traditionalists might balk, but we would be excited to see cab service evolve into something more than just a ride. What do you think about the possibility?
