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Kermithitbycab-mtm

Kermit struck by a taxi

Grovertaxi

Your typical lovable, furry cab driver

2293r

"Taxi!"

Taxis or cabs are traditional vehicles for hire. The term cab originated in the 18th century when hired transport consisted of carriages (and derived from the French word cabriolet). Hansom cabs for rides are still available in tourist destinations such as London or Central Park (with or without a bearded driver, as in The Muppets Take Manhattan).

The motorized taxicabs emerged in the 1890s, with both electric and gasoline driven vehicles. The conveyance, while used globally, would attain a particular association with New York City, to the point where cab drivers in pop culture were usually portrayed with New York accents. The stereotypical cabbie was either talkative and comedic (often with a Damon Runyon quality) or gruff and surly. The latter trait inspired the voice of Oscar the Grouch, in an oft repeated anecdote by Caroll Spinney about his encounter with a Bronx cab driver. Oscar himself would frequently operate his own taxi service, usually consisting of a single vehicle, The Sloppy Jalopy. A roller coaster based on Oscar's taxi, called Oscar's Wacky Taxi, opened at Sesame Place in 2018.

Fellow Sesame Street resident Grover has driven a taxi on various occasions, including a sketch driving Mr. Johnson, Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting, and The Street We Live On. Some cabs, such as that driven by Taxi Driver McGillicuddy, can even be accessed in the wilds of the jungle. For smaller scale passengers, particularly those manufactured as children's playthings, the services of Cruiser are available (in The Christmas Toy and on The Secret Life of Toys).

The word "Taxi" can itself be used for transportation, as a surprised Kermit the Frog discovers during a lecture. His encounters with cabs were not always so fortunate, however. A New York taxi hits Kermit in The Muppets Take Manhattan. The driver does stop to render assistance to the stricken frog, but the vehicular incident leads to a case of amnesia.

For actual New York taxis, Elmo recorded a Talking Taxi safety message in 2001, both spoofed in The Street We Live On and the recording process by Kevin Clash dramatized in an episode of the drama series Deadline.

Taxi services, while still available, would later face competition from ride-sharing for hire services such as Uber.

Taxi services[]

Other cab drivers[]

Merchandise[]

See also[]

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