| The hack license may interest you if you have you | | | | traditional horse, because the right legs or left legs |
| recently moved to New York City and are you | | | | moved in tandem instead of the traditional cross gait |
| looking for work. If you want to, perhaps you would | | | | of a trot. This was much more comfortable for ladies |
| like to get your own license and become a taxi | | | | who rode sidesaddle since it was much less jarring. |
| driver. | | | | And the term might have come from a borough in |
| What is that, you say? Well, the hack license is what | | | | London called Hackney. By the way, in the UK, |
| you will need to get when you want to drive a | | | | motorized hackney cabs are black instead of yellow |
| yellow medallion taxicab in the city. This can be | | | | as is traditionally true in the US. |
| valuable if you are someone who needs steady work | | | | In fact, the yellow medallion taxis have a tradition |
| in the city. | | | | dating back to the 1930's. Indeed, they are one of |
| How are you going to get this license in New York | | | | the lasting enterprises of New York City. Just in the |
| City? Well, you will need to go through a bit of | | | | last decade, over 1,000 new medallions have been |
| paperwork, take required classes and study so that | | | | auctioned off by the city. Recently, a taxi medallion |
| you can learn the highways, bridges and tunnels and | | | | cost its new owner more than $600,000. By |
| various landmarks of the city. If you can do this, then | | | | contrast, these went for less than $200,000 in 2001. |
| it is most likely that you will be eligible for the New | | | | The winners are either driving now or they have sold |
| York City hack license. | | | | their licenses at a profit to present medallion owners. |
| Once you have it, you will need to get ready to go | | | | In New York City, however, the hack license to be a |
| to work. And this type of job is not for slackers or | | | | taxi driver is issued by the Taxi and Limousine |
| somebody who does not have a lot of energy. You | | | | Commission. This allows you to hack or drive a yellow |
| will probably work long hours, at least 12 on a shift. If | | | | cab. Indeed, having this license can be worth a lot to |
| this is you, then perhaps this is the perfect job for | | | | you. |
| you. Go ahead and apply for your New York City | | | | If you have the hack license, you are one of the |
| hack license. Indeed, many taxi drivers can bring in | | | | select drivers who can pick up hails, or people with |
| upwards of $400 a shift with take-home pay of | | | | their hand raised, on the streets of New York City. |
| more than $200 a shift after expenses. | | | | You also will accept hails anywhere within the five |
| Now that we have got that cleared up, let us take a | | | | boroughs of the city itself. In addition, during your |
| look at the definition of the word hack. What is it | | | | first eight hours of the shift, you will take passengers |
| and what does it mean? Of course, this term can be | | | | to the adjoining counties of Westchester or Nassau |
| a derogatory term, but historically, when someone is | | | | or the Newark, New Jersey international airport. |
| described as a hack, that means it is someone who is | | | | Do you think you would like to become a hack for |
| willing to work hard and will put in the time to do so. | | | | New York City? If you do, you can find out more |
| It is possible that its origin came from the French | | | | about getting your own hack license by contacting |
| word haquenee. This word was used for a horse | | | | the Master Cabbie Taxicab Academy in New York |
| whose gait was much smoother than that of a | | | | City. |