Taxicabs in San Francisco

There are 1200 taxi cabs in San Francisco, and 6000 drivers (according to my driver today).

You have to wait on a waiting list to get your “medallion”, which allows you to own your own cab. If you choose, you can sell that medallion to a cab company, who will give you a car plus cash. My driver had been waiting 6 years for a medallion; he expects to wait another 4 to get it.

On New Year’s Eve in San Francisco, a cab driver can expect to make $600-700. All the cab owners are driving that night because it’s a big one; regular drivers need probably 20 years driving experience to have seniority enough to get a spot that night (due to scarcity–the 1200 cabs for 6000 drivers thing).

Outside a 15-mile radius from San Francisco International Airport, drivers are required to charge 150% of the metered rate. My driver once had a fare of $299 to go to Stockton’s University of the Pacific because of this.