If you think the daily grind that a Chicago cabbie goes through is hard, then you may be surprised to find out how much they also have to go through before they can legally become one. Just imagine driving through all kinds of traffic every single day. Some trips may be longer than the others, and it’s up to the cabbie to take each passenger from point A to B the safest way possible. Different kinds of passengers get in and out of their cabs the whole day, from rude ones that act like they know better than the driver to the really quiet ones that do not really seem to care what’s happening around them.

For you to get through all these, you need to prove that you’re more than capable of handling everything that comes a cabbie’s way. This means that you need a license.

The minimum age requirement is 21 years old. At this point, you can start getting ready for all the steps needed to have a Public Chauffeur License. Here’s a checklist of the things that need to be done:

• Public Chauffeur Training Course – The training course includes an English proficiency exam. Since you plan on becoming a cabbie, you would have to register specifically for the Public Chauffeur Taxicab Driver Training Course (another option is also available for limo drivers) at the Olive-Harvey College. Once you complete the course, you will be presented with a Certificate of Completion.
• Public Chauffeur Licensing Exam – Take the exam for public chauffeurs and pass it. This will entitle you to receive a Certificate of Passing. The exam will also be taken at the Olive-Harvey College.
• Public Chauffeur License – Proceed to the Public Vehicle Operations Facility any weekday between 8:30am to 11:30am. This is where you complete and submit the form for new applicants.
  • You will be asked for your state-issued driver’s license, your certificate of completion for the training course, and your certificate of passing.
  • Fingerprinting is not exactly required, but it is recommended as this could speed up the process.
  • The license fee would also have to be paid.
  • A drug test should be done within 24 hours of the issuance of a Drug Testing Authorization Form.
  • Submit a completed Physical Certification Form that has been signed by a physician licensed within Illinois. It should be dated within the past four months.
  • Submit your ‘Court Purpose’ driving record abstract. This should be dated within the past 30 days, and is issued by the state.

As long as there are no problems with your requirements, then everything should flow smoothly from here.

Once you are a licensed cabbie, you could finally drive a Universal Taxi. You can now help people get to places they need to be in the safest way possible. There is no better time to become a Chicago cabbie, especially if you consider how advanced the taxi system has now become. With a Universal taxi app at your disposal, you get connected to customers in a convenient manner.

Is it your first time to visit Chicago? If so, riding the famous Chicago cab is not something you’d want to miss. In fact, taking the cab is the best way to tour the city as it’s less frantic than the ‘L’ and definitely less confusing than taking the bus. Moreover, taking the cab presents you with the opportunity to experience the sights and sounds en route to your destination.

One thing you can do to make the ride a lot more interesting is to strike up a conversation with the driver. Cab drivers are known conversationalists with more than a story or two to share. But how do you start a conversation with your cabbie? What safe topic can you bring up? What subjects do you need to avoid?

Conversation Etiquette When Talking to a Cabbie

Taxi drivers are wonderful people to chat with and are full of fascinating stories. You simply need to ask good questions or bring up interesting topics. Like in most social gatherings, avoid discussing subjects that revolve around politics and religion. These two are notoriously considered as “touchy” subjects since most people have strong convictions about them. Avoid any chance of argument or disagreement by steering clear of these topics.

Another subject to avoid is the weather. Unless you are actually traveling through a hurricane, the weather as the main topic will get tedious very quickly. This normally leads to a deafening silence and awkwardness as you deliberately look out of the window.

Traveling around Chicago can be time-consuming, especially during rush hour. Avoid wasting time looking at unmoving vehicles with these three conversation-starting queries to ask your taxi driver.

1. Where’s the best place to go in the city?

Cabbies are endlessly asked about the most popular places to see in Chicago regularly, but it’s a topic they enjoy discussing. Chicago cabbies, particularly Universal Taxi drivers, are proud of their city and will take pleasure in telling you about the awesome places you can visit. They may even share with you the best-kept secrets of Chicago, the ones that you may not just find on a regular tourist map.

2. Where are the best restaurants around here?

Everyone is a foodie and cabbies are no exception. Chicago cabbies always have some sort of inside information to offer you on the best spots to have a sumptuous meal. From this point, you can cultivate the conversation and focus on food to keep the chat flowing.

3. What are your most memorable experiences while doing this job?

Cabbies transport dozens of passengers every single day, so it’s not unlikely that they’ve come across unforgettable characters along the way. Perhaps a movie star or a famous athlete has taken the cab to get across the city. Taxi drivers have some funny, scary, or priceless tales about their passengers that will last a lot longer than your cab journey.

Striking up a conversation with a taxi driver is not hard when you’re conscious of what things to converse about. In fact, our drivers at Universal Taxi Dispatch are encouraged to be friendly with their passengers through communication. By arming yourself with these conversation starters, you’ll have topics to chat about long after arriving at your destination.

Every person who sits behind the wheel of a Universal Taxi knows that by doing so, they are making a commitment to get passengers from one point to another the safest way possible. This is how huge a Chicago cabbie’s responsibility is. That’s why being a cabbie is not something that is to be taken lightly. Every cab driver should not only aim to do what is required of them, but to go beyond that call of duty and go for excellence in their craft.

Here are a few tips for cab drivers who want to be even better at what they do:

• Learn how to relate with different kinds of people. Being a cabbie means that you will encounter different kinds of people throughout the day. From the wide-eyed tourist to the professional who’s in a rush, there are also different ways to relate to them and make their trip enjoyable and comfortable. Know which ones would love to hear your stories, and which ones would rather have complete silence during the trip.

• Be updated with places of interest. Sure, you know where all the popular landmarks are. But did you know about the popular new restaurant that opened up downtown? Or that swanky new club that everyone’s dying to get into? Be updated with these things because people would rely on you to take them to where they want to go, regardless of whether they have been there before or not.
• Be updated with changes in city ordinances.The City council also enforces new ordinances from time to time, so you have to be updated with things like these. Especially for new guidelines regarding the transport sector, it could affect not only you, but your passengers as well.

• Know more about safety. This is not just about safety for your passengers, but your own as well. Find out if there have been recent accidents or attacks that involve cab drivers, and be vigilant at all times. Be aware of suspicious characters that may get on your cab and make sure you have a means to call for help in case something untoward happens.

• Find other things to do aside from driving. Relax every so often. Find a hobby. Spend time with family and friends. All that driving around the city can take its toll after some time, which could make you crankier when you’re on the road. This is not exactly the healthiest state of mind that you could be in as a cabbie, so make sure you give your mind and your body some rest so that you can practice more patience the moment you start driving.

Just remember that when you become a cabbie for Universal Taxi, it shouldn’t end there. It has to be a continuous learning process, something that would allow you become better not only as a cab driver, but as a human being. The skills and traits that you develop through time would definitely be useful for you not only in the cab business, but in other areas as well.

There is no doubt at all that taking a cab in Chicago is one of the most convenient ways to get around. Especially if you’re still unfamiliar with the city, cab drivers can easily take you to where you want to go in no time. Especially with the new Universal Taxi app, you can ask your cabbie to pick you up at a specific location at any time.

Once you’re in a cab, the level of service that you receive is then shifted towards the driver. No matter how easy the booking process is, having a cab driver that does not know how to give quality service will make everything else useless. These are the traits that each cabbie should have for you to say that their service is truly exceptional:

• Knows how to communicate well. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to understand your cabbie. There may also be times when the cabbie fails to understand what you’re trying to say. This is why a good Chicago cabbie should be exceptional when it comes to communication. This includes knowing what kind of tone and approach to use for different kinds of people, as well as being able to refrain from using crude language.

• Knows how to draw the line. No, it’s not just about his ability to speak, or how deep your conversations with them would go. Some cab drivers may have the most insightful thoughts to share, but when you need silence, they should be able to give this to you as well. Some cabbies talk incessantly even if it’s obvious that you are not in the mood to talk. This is an irritating habit, especially if the trip takes a little longer than expected.

• Honest and polite. No matter how bad your day is, a friendly good morning from your cabbie can change things somehow. Things get even better if they prove to be honest as well. Cabs are prone to the risk of having valuables left behind, and only an honest cabbie will have the conscience to give it back. Basically, honesty and politeness in a single cab driver make a winning combination, allowing you to gain trust in the cabs around the city.

• Knowledgeable about routes and landmarks. Nothing can be more frustrating than having to explain to your cabbie where you want to go, especially if you’re new to the city. Cabbies should be able to take the best routes possible to avoid heavy traffic, and should also be able to direct you to different places that you may want to see.

• Knows what proper hygiene is. You have probably ridden a taxi that stinks at one point in your life, and it’s not exactly a pleasant experience. If a cabbie has no idea that his taxi stinks, or doesn’t really mind that it does, then we have a huge problem. A great cab driver should know that when he smells great, his cab should smell great as well, and vice versa. And smelling nice never really hurt anybody.

The next time you get on a Universal Taxi, be aware about how your cabbie behaves. Is he awesome at what he does? Or is there anything about him that put you off?

One of the most unpleasant encounters a traveler can go through in a new city is a rude taxi driver or a life-threatening cab ride. It’s quite difficult to pinpoint when it can occur. There are a few hints here and there, like when the cabbie cuts another to reach you first. However, not all telltale signs are always available. The cabbie could just inherently be a bad driver, a newbie, or a person simply having a bad day. That’s basically the luck of the draw. But, there are some instances when the experience is unpleasant because the commuter himself is rude or out of line.

As a member of the Chicago taxi drivers, I gathered some basic but effective tips on how you, the commuter, can be a better cab passenger. Follow these guidelines and you’ll have a smooth, enjoyable ride around Chicago 99 percent of the time.

1.    Book one taxi dispatch company at a time.

Chicago is a big city, so it’s not a surprise for the Windy City to have a number of cab companies that are on call 24/7. When you need a cab ride and you can’t hail one on the street, you can simply book a taxi from any these cab companies. Despite this convenience and the number of options available, resist the urge to stay on the safe side and book multiple taxis at once. Choose one and make a single booking. For instance, if you choose Universal Taxi Dispatch, stick with us from start to finish. If for some reason you decided to pick a different company, make a cancelation first, before doing another deal with another dispatch. Remember, even if we drive you around and are pretty much at your beck-and-call, we’re also making a living. Calling two cabs when you only need one makes one driver short of a passenger.

2.    Choose a cab that has logos and licenses displayed.

As a passenger, your safety is paramount. As drivers, we take your – and our – safety seriously. Universal Taxiunits are properly marked with our insignia in and out ofour vehicles. Our drivers’ licenses with their photos are also on display for you to examine. It’s important that you choose a cab that is legally and properly marked to avoid any unpleasant incidents, like petty misconducts orheinous crimes.

3.    Know your destination.

If you’re traveling to Chicago for the first time, or to any other new place for that matter, knowing your exact destination can be a bit tricky. Obviously, you haven’t been there, but that shouldn’t limit your knowledge about the place. Thanks to Google Maps and other navigational mobile apps, it’ll be easy enough to pinpoint the route from the pick-up point to the actual destination.  The majority of the time, Chicago cabbies know the ins and outs of the city, so you won’t have a problem reaching your destination. But, it’s for your own safety and peace of mind to know the route of where you’re going. If you’re relaxed, then your driver won’t have any reason to get tense or suspicious, too.

4.    Have some respect.

This sounds pretty basic, but respect is a trait that many passengers take for granted. As drivers, we require that you respect our work, our cab, and our space. This means refraining from soiling the vehicle with garbage or asking rude questions.

These tips are elementary, but they go a long way in ensuring a harmonious cabbie-passenger relationship, even for just a 20-minute ride.

Commuting around Chicago can be very confusing, especially for first-time travelers. However, this should not hinder you from getting around the city. You can easily jump from one landmark to another through commuting if you follow these simple tips:

• Use public transport. There are so many public transport options for commuters within ad around Chicago. Not only is this the more practical options because it’s cheaper, it also gives you a feel of the city that allows you to enjoy it like a local. Just familiarize yourself with the bus and train routes, as well as with the bus stops and train stations. This would allow you to choose which option is best for specific locations. Might as well look at your different ticket options as well. There are certain passes that allow you to take both the train and the bus multiple times, which could turn out to be cheaper if you plan on taking the same transport option throughout your entire stay.

• Leave early. This actually applies to commuting no matter where you are. Leaving early is always a smart move because it allows you to leave some allowance in case something unexpected turns up. Some traffic might build up in case of an accident, or you could get lost, knowing that you’re still a little bit new to all this.

• Follow the grid. Did you know that Chicago has one of the simplest layout in the entire country? It follows a grid system that allows people to navigate more effectively. And once you’ve become familiar with the grid system, then there’s a huge chance that you won’t get lost around this city ever again.

• Be polite. Commuting is one way of interacting with people around you, so you have to mind your manners as you go about it. It’s normal to be bumped around especially during rush hour, and no matter what happens, resist the urge to start lashing at people you don’t know. Be polite. Apologize to people you bump into, smile back at people who are smiling at you, and try to acknowledge people who greet you with a nod. You don’t really lose anything when you stay polite even if other people are rude to you, but you lose a lot of energy by being rude to other people.

• Make it your ‘me’ time.Enjoy your commute and stop thinking about how much time it would take for you to get there or how much people there are around you. This could actually become a really enjoyable time for you, depending on how you’re going to spend it. You can bring a book and read it, or you can put those earphones on and enjoy some music.

• Make the most out of technology. This is especially helpful should you choose to take a cab to where you’re going. Universal Taxi has an app that allows you to conveniently book a taxi, making the taxi hailing process a lot easier. This means that you’ll have a Universal Taxi waiting for you outside, saving you the hassle of having to wave your arms around just to get the attention of a passing empty cab.

Commuting around Chicago could be easy and enjoyable. As long as you keep these tips in mind, then doing so as a first-timer should not be a problem at all.