Yo! Taxi!

Most business trips start with one. After the plane lands, there's another one. Along the way, you usually need at least one, maybe more. Another takes you back out to the airport. And one more takes you home.

Cab rides.

What business traveler hasn't had to endure the cab ride from hell?

Meters that run too fast. Drivers who go too slow.

Windows that won't roll down. Drivers who won't shut up.

Music you can't bear to listen to. Drivers who can't understand what you say.

Cabs that you can't find at rush hour. Drivers who seem to get lost when you're in a rush.

It's an all-too-familiar litany. But it doesn't have to be that way!

Imagine the business trip of the future: a clean cab; a competent driver; your choice of CDs; a cell-phone; easy credit-card payment. To help make it a reality, Fast Company interviewed nine cab drivers from nine major U.S. cities. Together they have driven cabs (most prefer driving a Chevy Caprice) for 152 years, logged more than 16 million career miles, been involved in 27 accidents and accounted for 40 tickets, and won a handful of awards, including an Emmy and two International Taxicab and Livery Association Driver of the Year Awards.

Herbert "Shorty" Jones

Age: 72

Company: Yellow Cab Co. of Houston City: Houston

• Award: 1994 International Taxicab and Livery Association's Taxicab Services Driver of the Year n philosophy: "I drink a lot of water and I do get my rest."
• How to avoid a bad cab ride: "Call a cab, don't flag one. Avoid the flaggers, because you might flag any kind of driver." common complaint: "Cab drivers that don't take you directly to your destination. Cab drivers who smoke too much. Some drive too fast."
• Best remedy: "Get the cab driver's number and report him to whichever company he works for."
• Benefits of riding in his cab: "I have a cell-phone that passengers can use, and I take the five major credit cards. I also have a slim jim if a person has locked his keys in his car and booster cables if your battery's down."
• Cost from airport to downtown: "About $32."
• Policy on tips: "If it's a downtown trip, which is $32, most just give you $40."
• One last tip: "I'll do anything to satisfy a passenger. If you satisfy them, and they've got a satisfied mind when they get out of the car, that's a better tip."

Raymond J. Suges (Ray St. Ray, The Singing Cab Driver)

Age: Over 30

Company: Yellow Cab Co. of Chicago City: Chicago

• Award: 1995 International Taxicab and Livery Association's Taxicab Services Driver of the Year
• Philosophy: "Keep your karma clean. What goes around, comes around. If you want nice rides, be a nice person. Attitude is everything."
• How to avoid a bad cab ride: "The condition of the car. If you see a bunch of cabs and one's really clean, that's an indication that the guy who drives it takes care of his vehicle, probably takes care of himself, and will probably take care of you."
• How to hail a cab at rush hour: "The best way is to have some luggage. If you've got luggage, that will get people fighting over you."
• If you hail a cab and don't like the looks of it: "If you stick your head in the window and it stinks or the seats are all ripped up or the guy looks like a psychotic, you don't have to get in, and you don't have to stay in. You just say, 'Sorry, I'll get a different cab.'"
• Common complaint: "Rude. Don't know where they're going. Filthy cabs."
• Best remedy: "Take the driver's name and complain to the city. The reason people get crap cab rides is because people don't complain. If everyone complained, then the city would have to crack down. Drivers who got three or four complaints wouldn't be on the streets anymore."
• Benefits of riding in his cab: "It's a competitive business and you've got to have a gimmick. Mine is that I'm a native born Chicagoan, I speak English, and I even know where we're going. And I'm a performer. Every day I sing to 10, 20, or 30 people. I'm the cab driver everybody in the world wishes they could get."
• Cost from airport to downtown: "It will cost you about $22 to $25, depending on traffic and where you're going exactly."
• One last tip: "They're not supposed to smoke. They're not supposed to play loud music if you don't want to hear it. That's the law."