As taxi cabs modernize technology with screens that show the news and allow passengers to peruse menus and show times for no extra charge, some people are calling the new systems an unnecessary distraction.
Makers of the interactive taxis say they are helping customers choose restaurants, bars and movies. The screens also provide sports scores, local and national news updates and a live broadcast of CNN Headline News.
Over the past year, Targeted Media Partners, LLC, a private, fast-growing media investment company, partnered with Great Hill Partners, a Boston-based private enterprise, to form its smaller subsidiary, Interactive Taxi.
According to Targeted Media Partners’ website, the new units, which have been installed in more than 600 cabs in Boston, San Francisco and Chicago, are “wirelessly networked, fully functioning multimedia computer” controlled by a touch screen.
While interactive cabs have been on the market for years, only within the past couple years has technology improved to allow a smaller hard drive for storage between the driver and the backseat, according to PC Magazine. The system receives updates every five minutes.
The systems have been operating in cabs owned by Boston Cab Company since July 2004. According to Interactive Taxi’s website, of the passengers in Boston who use the system, 55 percent earn more than $55,000 per year, 26 percent earn more than $100,000 per year and 68 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher, showing that educated, middle-class consumers use it the most.
College students said they find the new computerized screens useful in providing them the exact addresses of their destinations.
“I used it once to find the exact address of the type of restaurant I wanted to eat at,” said Olivia Gerke, of College of Communication junior. “It made it harder for the cab driver to try to take me out of the way and rip me off, because I knew the exact area and route I wanted him to go. I think it’s helpful and should be put in all cabs … It doesn’t waste as much time.”
Rachel Surwit, a COM junior, also said the systems help provide directions for drivers who may not know the way.
“I was on my way to a bar one time and found the address on there because, of course, Boston cab drivers have no idea where anything is,” she said.
According to Interactive Taxi’s website, the system allows passengers to be in charge at all times. Passengers who think the system is distracting can turn it off completely.
“I think it’s part of a larger trend towards media accessibility everywhere,” said Diana Epstein, a COM junior. “It also breeds true to the sentiment that as a culture, we need to be entertained all the time.”
But Epstein also said the systems are a waste of money.
“I use it when I see it,” she said. “I’ll check out the CNN Headline News or see the weather, but overall, I think they are a waste of money. It’s not going to bring more people into cabs. It’s just giving people riding in cabs something to do besides talk to the cab driver.”
A Boston cab driver said the screens are a good distraction.
“At late nights, the drunks, instead of hassling me, they turn to the screen,” said Ted Ross, a driver for Boston Cab Company. “It strikes up conversation between the passengers and me. If they read about a restaurant that looks interesting, they ask me if I’ve been there.”
Other students feel the screens are more useful for tourists than for those who live in the city.
“[Tourists] can find info on restaurants, shows, etcetera, but people who live here already know about most of the stuff,” said Nick Riotto, a COM junior. “As far as usefulness, I think it’s up to the cab company. They’re a nice touch, but not something that’s absolutely essential.”
Boston Cab Association did not return phone calls seeking comment.