If you've ever visited Washington, DC, you may know we have an awfully quirky taxi system. Your fare isn't based on how long you're in the cab, or exactly how far you travel. No, the fares are based on an arcane, confoundingly gerrymandered map of zones and subzones, and you pay based on how many of these imaginary lines you cross.
So as a cab-riding resident of the District, my ears always perk up at the mention of other cities' cab innovations.
That's why this little piece from New York magazine's Daily Intelligencer blog, about new technology in NYC's cabs, caught my eye:
There's an interactive map that shows where you are, and a weather forecast and an ESPN feed and news broadcast from Channel 7, which is perhaps the one part we could really do without. ...
But the best part is that the system accepts credit and debit cards -- and will be in every cab by the end of January.
I've used credit cards to pay for cabs in a couple of cities (at least Chicago and Memphis), but this still sounds pretty innovative.
Meanwhile, I'm just happy if the cab drivers in DC have correct change.
Zach Patton -- Executive Editor. Zach has written about a range of topics, including social policy issues and urban planning and design. Originally from Tennessee, he joined GOVERNING as a staff writer in 2004. He received the 2011 Jesse H. Neal Award for Outstanding Journalism
E-mail: zpatton@governing.com 
Written and compiled by staff writers and editors, GOVERNING View is an on-the-ground, and sometimes behind-the-scenes, look at the topics we're covering in print and online. From notes on what's up in statehouses, county courthouses and city halls, to encounters with people, places and things, GOVERNING View is a window into the side of state and local government you don't always see.
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