Council approves flat rate for downtown taxi rides

City Council yesterday approved a flat rate for all taxi rides within the downtown freeway loop and the creation of at least eight new taxi stands downtown, all part of an effort to make downtown more accessible to visitors, people without cars and downtown office workers. The flat rate, $6 for any trip inside the loop bounded by I-10, I-45 and Highway 59, applies no matter how many people share the cab. We fully expect to start seeing 25 secretaries cramming themselves into cabs at lunchtime.

In the spirit of these taxi changes, Houstonist feels it's our duty to give you a little advice on how to hail a cab — because, honestly, we don't think we have ever seen anybody hailing a taxi in Houston. Ever.

• Position yourself correctly. When you hail a cab in other cities, you might find yourself competing with other people who also want to hail a cab. In Houston, we doubt that'll ever be a problem, but just in case: Stand where the cab driver will see you first. If that means shoving someone else out of the way, hey, that's life.
• Be aggressive. This is important in cities where taxis actually stop for people, so it'll be even more so here, where they don't. You have to let the taxi driver know you mean business, and that means approaching a cab ride with the single-minded determination of Sheila Jackson Lee trying to get in front of a TV camera. One way to aggressively pursue a cab ride is to stand in the middle of the street as a cab approaches. When the taxi hits you, roll with it — it'll help you get on your feet more quickly so you can chase the vehicle down the street.
• Make yourself known. When a cab gets within range, you have to do something to get the driver's eyes on you and not the road, where they should be. We would suggest waving, dancing or yelling, but there will likely be plenty of people who don't want taxi rides already doing that on the sidewalk. We think the best strategy is a really loud whistle. Start practicing now.

City officials, the Downtown Houston Management District and the Houston Downtown Alliance hope to have the program up and running in time for the holiday season, so you have some time to work on the finer points of taxi-hailing. Or you could just go to one of the taxi stands, where the cabs are sitting still with their doors open — it's less exciting, but probably more reliable.

(By the way, KHOU refers to the new rate plan as "Six in the city." For the record, we hope we never hear that again.)