History Main / FailingATaxi

* Early in ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', the Trio needs a means of getting back to the castle before dawn after spending the night exploring their new home, as their wings are getting tired from gliding. Brooklyn notices someone hailing a taxi and decides to try it. It doesn't work, since the taxi driver got too freaked out when a gargoyle jumped up in front of him.
** [[BigBad Demona]] has no problem with it though, at least in her human form. And all she had to do was ShowSomeLeg.

* Taxis in most major cities ''don't'' normally respond to curbside hails as most taxi service is dispatched straight to a calling customer's location. Doesn't stop people from trying to hail them while they're en route to a dispatch, and flipping off the driver when he appears to be ignoring them.
** And then there are cases where people ''do'' call for a taxi, but it fails to pick them up due to confusion over their exact location, or if there is more than one person waiting for a cab at the same landmark, not all of whom may have called ahead for one.

* ''[[Film/ShortCircuit Short Circuit 2]]'': Johnny Five is repeatedly ignored by taxis until he resorts to reeling one in with his grappling hook.

'''Cabbie:''' Stay off the scotch, darlin'!\\

'''Both Men:''' You're fooling no one, mate!\\
'''Donna Noble:''' They think I'm in drag!\\

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This can be played for comedy, such as trying to show a country-bumpkin just how tough the big city can be. Or it can be played for a drama. One simple and frequent plot is when the lack of a taxi will slow the hero down in their [[RaceForYourLove quest]]. Another is if there's a sinister reason no taxi will stop for the protagonist ''in particular'', often demonstrated by showing one that just ignored them stopping for somebody more "suitable;" for instance, the inability of a black man to catch a taxi is a too-frequent RealLife occurrence that fiction often comments on.

* Happens on a few occasions in WesternAnimation/TotalDramaPresentsTheRidonculousRace:

* ''A Wizard of the Crow'' comes out and says it: the main character, born in Africa, can only get a cab when it's driven by a black guy.

A character, on a city street, is trying to hail a cab. No matter how many times they yell, "Hey, taxi!", no {{Taxi}} stops for them.

* Taxis in New York (which the photo on the page is based on.), got so bad at doing this that they had to make rules dictating that taxis are not allowed to 'avoid' pick up customers for any reason. (with the exception of the somewhat recently invented green-coloured cabs (also known as borough cabs that can only pick up people above 96 Street in Manhattan (The borders are a little wonky that I am not going to get into it.) and outside of Manhattan.) The green cabs were basically invented because of The lack of traditional cabs in certain areas in upper Manhattan which sported more black (as in the colour of the car) service cabs and outer Burroughs.

* In an episode of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}} Journeys'', Mimey decides to shorten a trip back to Pallet Town by hailing a car and fails miserably. Pikachu however tries ShakingTheRump, getting a truck to pull over immediately.

A character, on a city street, is trying to hail a cab. No matter how many times they yell, "Hey, taxi!", no TaxiDriver stops for them.

A character, on a city street, is trying to hail a cab. No matter how many times they yell, "Hey, taxi!", nothing stops for them.

* In an episode of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}} Journeys'', Mimey decides to shorten a trip back to Pallet Town by hailing a car, and fails miserably. Pikachu however tries ShakingTheRump, getting a truck to pull over immediately.

* In ''ComicBook/SpirouAndFantasio à Moscou'', Fantasio is trying to get a cab in the middle of Moscow, with no success. Meanwhile Spirou is digging through the material they got from the KGB (which they work for at the moment) and shows Fantasio the spiffy new KGB badges they've been given. Six cabs immediately stop for them... driven by some ''very'' nervous-looking cab drivers.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6571607/3/To-Be-a-Muggle To Be a Muggle]]'' Remus tries hailing a taxi in New York and when none of them so much as slow down, he steps out into the street and has to be yanked back by Snape, who then gives a loud whistle and gets one to stop almost immediately.

* ''Film/PlanesTrainsAndAutomobiles'' begins in New York City rush hour with Neal trying to hail a cab to the airport. He competes with Kevin Bacon for a cab and loses. He pays another person to take the ride, but is stiffed paying him $75 before Del takes the ride.

* ''[[Film/ShortCircuit Short Circuit 2]]'': Johnny Five is repeatedly ignored by taxis, until he resorts to reeling one in with his grappling hook.

* This is the subject of a joke in ''Film/{{Tootsie}}''. Tootsie is trying to hail a cab, and calls twice for a cab in his woman voice. Finally he bellows for one in his man voice and one stops immediately.

* In an episode of Creator/MichaelMoore's ''Series/TVNation'', they showed famous actor Creator/YaphetKotto (a large black man) try to hail a cab, and about 10 feet in front of him an anonymous white man also trying to hail a cab. Kotto was unsuccessful but the white guy would get all the cabs he wanted. The kicker: the white guy was a convicted felon who had been recently released from prison.

* On a episode of ''Series/TheWayansBrothers'', Marlon doubts a person who claims to be an angel until he performs a miracle -- causing a cab to stop for a black person. Marlon believes him instantly.

* Early in ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', the Trio needs a means of getting back to the castle before dawn after spending the night exploring their new home, as their wings are getting tired from gliding. Brooklyn notices someone hailing a taxi, and decides to try it. It doesn't work, since the taxi driver got too freaked out when a gargoyle jumped up in front of him.

** After Dwayne got a face tattoo in New Zealand, he has trouble getting picked up as he mistakenly got a woman's tattoo. Junior eventually steps in and conveniently cover the tattoo with his ticket to get one to stop.

** And then there are cases where people ''do'' call for a taxi, but it fails to pick them up due to confusion over their exact location, or if there are more than one person waiting for a cab at the same landmark, not all of whom may have called ahead for one.

* Taxis in New York (which the photo on the page is based on.), got so bad at doing this that they had to make rules dictating that taxis are not allowed to 'avoid' pick up customers for any reason. (with the exception of the somewhat recently invented green coloured cabs (also known as borough cabs that can only pick up people above 96 Street in Manhattan (The borders are a little wonky that I am not going to get into it.) and outside of Manhattan.) The green cabs were basically invented because of The lack of traditional cabs in certain areas in upper Manhattan which sported more black (as in the colour of the car) service cabs and outer Burroughs.

* Taxis in New York (which the photo on the page is based on.), got so bad at doing this that they had to make rules dictating that taxis are not allowed to 'avoid' pick up customers for any reason. (with the exception of the somewhat recently invented green coloured cabs (also known as borough cabs that can only pick up people above 96 Street in Manhattan (The borders are a little wonky that I am not going to get into it.) and outside of Manhattan.) The green cabs were basically invented because of The lack of traditional cabs in certain areas in upper Manhattan which sported more black service cabs and outer Burroughs.