The paradox: The passengers pays for distance traveled, the cabby drives as if you paid for his/her time. — Agent Smith

No paradox at all, just different points of view on what is happening.

paradox — Sir2u

What's a paradox for you?

If a rider were paying for the taxi driver's time then wouldn't there be an incentive to slow down. Why rush off to your next customer when you can get as much by being less productive.

Therefore it doesn't follow that a cabby who is paid by distance and speeds drives as if paid for his/her time.

What's a paradox for you? — Agent Smith

The same as it is for most people I suppose.
A statement starting with something apparently true that leads to counterintuitive or unacceptable conclusions.

Your statement is just a description of what happens sometimes.

You pay for distance, but the cabbie charges you for (his/her) time. Something paradoxical about this no? Look up paradox in Google. I'm sure the definition of paradox accommodates the Taxi riddle.

If a rider were paying for the taxi driver's time then wouldn't there be an incentive to slow down. Why rush off to your next customer when you can get as much by being less productive. — Nils Loc

Good point! The cabbie gets paid for the distance. There's no point in slowing down. However, if he speeds up, he can pack more passengers in a given time and that translates into more money.

You pay for distance, but the cabbie charges you for (his/her) time. — Agent Smith

You pay to be taken somewhere. Taxi meters are not calibrated just to take into account the distance traveled, but the time is also taken into account. Have you never noticed that if you ask a cab to wait for you for a few minutes the meter keeps on ticking?

If he takes longer than expected the bill would go up, if he goes to fast the bill for the same distance would be less.

https://auto.howstuffworks.com/taxi-meter1.htm

if you ask a cab to wait for you for a few minutes the meter keeps on ticking? — Sir2u

This I have noticed, but it slipped my mind. However, the meter's calculations are still based on how far the taxi would've travelled at some predefined speed. :up:

However, the meter's calculations are still based on how far the taxi would've travelled at some predefined speed. — Agent Smith

So you do not have a paradox. At least not the one you stated.

Neither part actually contradicts the other.

So you do not have a paradox. At least not the one you stated.

Neither part actually contradicts the other — Sir2u

It seems that the word "paradox" has a much broader definition than just contradictions.

Even so, the taxi fare: is it for distance or is it for time?

Both?
Distance = $speed \times time$

It seems that the word "paradox" has a much broader definition than just contradictions. — Agent Smith

Yes, some people use it to describe things that don't make sense. But I cannot think of how to justify its use here. Can you?

Even so, the taxi fare: is it for distance or is it for time?

Both?
Distance = speed×time — Agent Smith

It is explained more or less in the article I posted a link to. Both count.

If a taxi driver covers 2 miles in 5 minutes he might earn less than if he made the same journey in 6 minutes. That would balance out if he could make more trips. It would all depend on the setup of the meter.

Yes, some people use it to describe things that don't make sense. But I cannot think of how to justify its use here. Can you? — Sir2u

Does it make sense for the payer's calculations to be based on distance while the payee's is based on time? Is space = time? It seems so, monetarily. That's the paradox.

Lightyear is a measure of distance, not time. Sometimes people reply when asked how far a place is, "it's 5 minutes from the station."

Taximinute/hour?

Does it make sense for the payer's calculations to be based on distance while the payee's is based on time? — Agent Smith

But both amounts are calculated using the same method, so this cannot be true.
The payer's bill is calculated on the amount of time it takes the payee to travel the distance, he is not paying just for the distance traveled.

As I said before the two just appear to be different because of point of view, there is no paradox there.

But both amounts are calculated using the same method, so this cannot be true.
The payer's bill is calculated on the amount of time it takes the payee to travel the distance, he is not paying just for the distance traveled.

As I said before the two just appear to be different because of point of view, there is no paradox there. — Sir2u

I did my own investigations into the matter - distance it is, not time.

While the taxi is traveling above the "crossover speed," the added 25-cents is a mileage charge only. When the cab is below the "crossover speed," the added 25-cents is a time charge only. — yellowcabhemet.com

When taxi goes vroom vroom fast, distance rate only applies. When taxi go too slow, sneaky time charge pulses add to the bill.

I did my own investigations into the matter - distance it is, not time. — Agent Smith

Show me where you found this.

Show me where you found this. — Sir2u

Just google it!

Just google it! — Agent Smith

I already did that, and provided a link to the information.

If you cannot do the same, then I think that you have no case to fight and that the discussion has ended.

You havden't done your homework. That's why you're objecting to the claim that it's a paradox.

You havden't done your homework — Agent Smith

and you did not read the article.

That's why you're objecting to the claim that it's a paradox. — Agent Smith

That is why you are claiming it is a paradox.

Taxi fare is not calculated by the drivers hurrying to reach the destination because if he goes to fast the customers are in the cab only a short time and pay less. It would not make sense for him to do so.

Don't bother to answer. :smirk:

Taxi fare is not calculated by the drivers hurrying to reach the destination because if he goes to fast the customers are in the cab only a short time and pay less. It would not make sense for him to do so. — Sir2u

But we've just established that at a certain speed only distance is metered. So if there isn't much traffic, a taxi driver can increase his daily income if he speeds to get more fares for the day. All he needs to do is maximize distance traveled in a day above cross over speed. But the question is whether it is really worth it to do so relative to whatever the time metering rate is. Looks like crossover speed for one company is above 11 mph.

Still don't know why there would be a paradox. It's more a question of optimization. Is it worth it for a cabbie to speed?

Quora: Do taxi drivers make less money in slow traffic?

The answer is yes.

$.50/54 seconds versus $2.50/mile

@ 40miles/60 minutes speed you get .66miles/minute so that works out to like $3.30/2 minutes at 40mph versus $1.11/2 minutes waiting in traffic (or equal to and below 11mph).

Well, it's like this:

A taxi fare can't be/shouldn't be based on time for there are too many unpredictables involved (an accident, a traffic jam, a fallen tree, etc. that could delay the journey). Ergo, it makes sense to base a taxi fee on distance rather than time.

A cabbie can do nothing about distance (excepting taking a longer route rather than a shorter one) and so, if s/he wants to make more money, it has to be by speeding so that he can cater to more customers (more customers, more moolah).

This is the paradox then: you pay for the distance the cab travels, the cabby acts as if you paid for his time.

This is the paradox then: you pay for the distance the cab travels, the cabby acts as if you paid for his time. — Agent Smith

Because time is always an inescapable value factor that applies to any kind of labor. There would be no passengers if they could not expect to get to their destinations on time. It takes time to travel any distance and there are only so many hours in a work day.

What form of productivity doesn't gain or lose value relative to the amount of time it takes to perform?

I've run out of things to say.

Good day!

But we've just established that at a certain speed only distance is metered. So if there isn't much traffic, a taxi driver can increase his daily income if he speeds to get more fares for the day. — Nils Loc

Agreed, but this would then depend on variables such as final location, route taken, distance from starting point, time of day. It would not be standard set of variables for each customer.

There would also be limits imposed in some places on speed of vehicles. I don't know if it is still true but the cab company my mother worked for had speed regulators on all of their cars, many companies had them.

But one thing that is almost always true, the cabby is not going to lose money. He just has to find a way to maximize the number of trips he makes.