It's hard to disagree that New York City is the most distinct city in the United States. There are many dramas and movies with plots taking place in NYC. Entertainment industries gather in this city. Many companies and organizations place their headquarters there.
But, what make it so different? Of course public transit (my favorite topic) can be one. But, Chicago has good one as well as Washington D.C. Strong presence of financial sector? Sure. But Los Angels also has great financial district. same for the entertainment industry.
I think NYC is distinct because the city is home of Cash Cab!
Wait. Isn't Cash Cab just a TV show? Having one cab that gives out money makes the city so different?
No, that's not what I mean. Let me rephrase that.
Conditions that NYC provides to help the TV show run so successfully make the Big Apple so different.
Every time I watch Cash Cab, I wonder why Cash Cab doesn't come to other cities like Birmingham or Atlanta. Birmingham may be too small to have good number of questions, but Atlanta is large.
But it doesn't because Atlanta doesn't have what NYC does to create the successful game show. Here are some conditions that NYC offers.
1. Strong pedestrians presence
To run a game show, you need to have players. In Cash Cab, players are pedestrians who use taxi cabs to get to destination and end up in the one giving out money for playing the game. Primary mode of transportation in New York City is walking and there are plenty of potential players. Driving is the worst choice (in my opinion) and you either walk or take subway or have someone drive for you.
2. Destination that attract people
Having sidewalk isn't enough to convince people to walk. There have to be destinations for them to come. In New York City, shops and businesses are so close to each other that walking is the most reasonable mode of transportation. Also, when you walk, you more often find new things like shops than when you drive. When you are walking in a city like NYC for shopping, you just walk in. You don't have to spend 10-20 minutes to find a parking space. People more interact and expose themselves to new culture. It is also good for environment to get them off single-occupant cars, too.
3. Safe enough to "kick out" passengers
When players give three wrong answers, they are kicked out of the cab even if they are even halfway toward destination. They may find another cab, or if close enough, walk. And New York City is a safe place to do that. In other cities, it's not necessarily the case. More often, you drive simply for a safety reason.
4. Reliable and trusted taxi industry
This is just because I had a bad experience with taxi cab in Birmingham, where I called for a cab and the cab didn't show up. I don't really know how to make money with cabs that don't come to pick up passengers, but it seems that cab service in New York City is so reliable that many people use it. So, one Cash Cab that looks exactly like other cabs can easily get players of the game on the street.
Birmingham is reviving its downtown and businesses have begun to return to the city center. It would be great to have everything close and not to have to drive for 30 minutes just to shop for daily necessity. Ultimately, isn't it what a city is for? For a city to be successful and vibrant, maybe it should look to Cash Cab and ask if the famous game show can come to make its version of it.
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