priče iz njujorka / Tales from new york ŽUTI TAKSI ZA SVA VREMENA TIMELESS YELLOW CAB
Iako se poslednjih godina taksi servis „Uber“ širi Njujorkom kao grip, žuti taksi i dalje ostaje upečatljiva i neuništiva ikona tog grada. Nije lako izbrisati nešto što je deo istorije
Although recent years have seen the “Uber” taxi service spreading through New York like wildfire, the yellow taxi remains a striking and indestructible icon of this city. It is not easy to erase something that is part of history M anhattan. Afternoon rush-hour. Waves of yellow cabs flow everywhere. A woman in an elegant purple dress and absurdly high heels holds her hand in the air, hop- ing to finally catch a free cab... just like the gentleman in a suit standing next to her. But they do not manage so easily, be- cause just as they jump, thinking that a vehicle has stopped just for them, the driver indicates and turns into the next street. This was once a common scene on the streets of New York. People literally snatched free yellow taxis from each other on the sidewalks. Today this is no longer the case. Instead of raising their hands in the air, New Yorkers and many tourists now use their fingers to type on their smartphones. After a few minutes, black limousines arrive for them. There is no jump- ing or pushing, because “Uber”, a mobile application and taxi ser- vice, got involved six years ago. It is spreading around the world like wildfire, and also in New York it has entered the shadow of the fa- mous symbol of the city – the yellow cab.
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enhetn. Popodnevni špic. Talasi žutih tak- sija razlivaju se svuda naokolo. Žena u elegantnoj ljubičastoj haljini i apsurdno visokim štiklama drži ruku u vazduhu u
Tekst / Words: Biljana Stefanović Fotografije / Photography: Miloš Nadaždin
nadi da će najzad uhvatiti slobodno vozilo. Baš kao i gospodin u odelu pored nje. Ali ne polazi im tako lako za rukom jer, taman kad poskoče i pomisle da se vo- zilo zaustavlja baš za njih, vozač daje migavac i skre- će u susednu ulicu. Ovo je nekad bila uobičajena sce- na na njujorškim ulicama. Oko slobodnih žutih taksi vozila ljudi su se bukvalno otimali na trotoarima. Da- nas više nije tako. Umesto ruke u vazduhu, Njujorčani i brojni turi- sti tipkaju po svojim pametnim telefonima. Za samo nekoliko minuta stiže im crna limuzina. Bez skakanja i guranja jer je Uber , mobilna aplikacija i taksi servis, pre šest godina umešao svoje prste. Svetom se širi kao grip, pa je tako i u Njujorku bacio u senku čuveni sim- bol grada – žuti taksi. Aplikacija je postala toliko popularna da je Uber sa 14.000 vozila nedavno nadmašio žuti taksi, koji trenut- no broji 13.587 automobila. Novonastala situacija zabrinula je i Kvabenu Boa- tenga, vozača žutog taksija od 2001. „Mnogi moji prijatelji su prešli da rade za Uber ili Lyft , našu konkurenciju. Ja još razmišljam šta da činim jer posla zaista ima manje nego pre tri godine“, izjavio je Boateng nedavno za Njujork tajms . S druge strane, Majkl Voloz, predstavnik žutog tak- sija, smatra da je to neuništiva ikona i simbol Velike ja- buke. Baš kao i Empajer stejt bilding. „ Uber je isti u svakoj zemlji, a naš žuti taksi je jedin- stven u svetu. I zato će opstati bez obzira na konkuren- ciju“, kategorično tvrdi Voloz. Sa ovim njegovim rečima mnogi bi se složili jer ni- je lako uništiti nešto što je istorija i što postoji još od 1915, kada je Džon Herc osnovao Yellow Cab Company . Opredelio se za žutu boju zato što je lako uočljiva sa ve- like razdaljine i nije pogrešio. Njujorški taksisti oduvek su bili i biće pravi amba- sadori svog grada, glavni vodiči za sve pridošlice i ne- ma te aplikacije koja ih može iskoreniti. Oni čine dušu ove svetske metropole, a najbolji dokaz za to je taksista Bil Perez. On sve putnike fotografiše za svoj Instagram profil jer želi da za uspomenu ima njihova nasmejana lica. Kaže, to je znak da radi dobar posao.
This app has become so popular that “Uber”, with 14,000 ve- hicles, recently surpassed the yellow cab, of which there are currently 13,587. This new situation worries Kwabena Boateng, a yel- low cab driver since 2001. ”Many of my friends have switched to work for “Uber” or“Lyft”, our competitors. I’m still considering what to do, because there is really less work than there was three years ago“, saidBoatengrecently,speakingtotheNewYorkTimes. On the other hand, Michael Voloz, representative of the Yellow Cab Company, considers that it is an indestructi- ble icon and symbol of the Big Apple - just like the Empire State Building skyscraper. ”Uber is the same in every country, while our yellow cab is unique in the world. And that’s why it will survive regardless of the competition“, claims Voloz categorically. Many would agree with his words, because it is not easy to destroy something that is historic and has ex- isted since 1915, when John Hertz founded the “Yellow Cab Company”. He opted for the colour yellow because it is easily visible from a great distance, and he was not mistaken in that.
Džon Herc izabrao je 1915. godine žutu boju za „Yellow Cab Company“ jer je lako uočljiva opted for the colour yellow for his “Yellow Cab Company” in 1915, as it is easy to see John Hertz
New York’s yellow cab drivers have always been, and will always be, the true ambassadors of their city. And there is no modern ap- plication that can replace them entirely. They comprise the soul of this world metropolis, and the best proof of that is Bill Perez, a“yel- low cab”driver. He takes photos of all passengers for his Instagram account, because he wants to have their smiling faces as a souve- nir. He says that is a sign that he’s doing a good job.
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