Now when a cab driver tells you he can't break a $20 bill because he just came on duty, you might not have to give him your watch to hold hostage while you get change. You may be able to simply say, "charge it."
Plastic -- which has been making inroads from drug stores to hamburger joints -- is now being accepted by 500 Baltimore taxis that are associated with Yellow Transportation Inc., the city's largest association accounting for about half of Baltimore's cabs.
The taxis, which trade under the names Yellow, Checker, Sun and Fleet Service Associates, began taking the cards two weeks ago and already there are about 25 charges a day, according to Mark L. Joseph, president of Yellow Transportation.
"You don't have to carry cash and you have accountability," he said about the advantages of plastic.
It also seems credit cards weaken customers' inhibition about taking long trips and leaving big tips. "They're more generous," Mr. Joseph said.
Based on experiences in other cities, credit card sales are expected to jump from $10,000 a month to $50,000 within half a year, he said. About half this money is expected to be new revenues from people willing to use cabs for long trips -- such as to Washington -- since they can put the costs on their cards.
Cabs taking credit cards can now be found only in New York; Houston; San Diego, Calif.; and Aspen, Colo., Mr. Joseph said.
The taxis honor the great trinity of credit cards -- Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Sorry, no Discover card yet.
And in a nod to people who hate the petty tyranny of credit card minimums, any amount can be charged, Mr. Joseph said.
The cabs also will be taking a new transportation-oriented credit card called Cab Charge, a card used in Europe and Australia, but only getting its start in the U.S. In fact, Yellow Transportation will be the American headquarters for the card.
Already, about 100 other cab companies across the country have signed up for the card and they will be on-line in about 12 months he said. The card will be pitched to corporate clients that want to keep better tabs on their transportation expenses, Mr. Joseph said.
Credit card charges were made possible by computerized dispatching equipment that was installed in the cabs in March. Using the magnetic swipe on the side of the terminal, drivers can verify that the card is good.
However, the driver must still use the manual imprinting device, affectionately known as the "knuckle buster." But the terminals may be updated with electronic printers in the next year, Mr. Joseph said.
There is a one in 11 chance you could get a Yellow Transportation cab that has no computer and will not accept credit cards. About 50 cabs in the Yellow association have opted out of the computer age.