“Just grab a cab.” It sounds so easy, and when Fortune smiles on you, it is: swing into the back seat, give your destination, and be carried there by a cheerful, competent, professional driver by the most direct route. Unfortunately, that’s not always how it works out, and here are a few tips to help make your trip as pleasant as possible.

Taxis in the City of Chicago are plentiful and reasonably adept at finding their way around downtown proper. You will be less likely to choose this a taxi to go to more remote locations, not only because of the prohibitive cost, but because you may encounter serious resistance. Cabbies are not allowed to refuse to accept you as a passenger just because of where you want to go, but it may be better to take such a cabbie’s name and medallion number, and report him or her at a later date, than to force a reluctant driver to take you to the suburbs. You should always have a map, decent directions, and a pretty good idea how long the trip should take before you embark on a journey outside downtown.

New Yorkers complain about the relatively low incidence of English-language speaking cabbies in their town. Chicagoans don’t seem to care, as long as the cabbie knows where he or she is going, possibly because Chicagoans don’t expect to chat with their cabbie like New Yorkers do. Your cabbie is a driver, not a tour operator, and may or may not know where Chicago’s best Chinese food, hottest nightclub, or cleanest washrooms are. If you are both inclined to conversation, well and good, but don’t expect free advice with your fare. Conversely, if you are subjected to a philosophical discourse of limited interest to you, it is perfectly all right to say how much you’d like to talk, if only you did not have to read this important document/article/laundry list.

Yellow cabs dominate the business and the company has been so successful that the company had to split and incorporate as orange Wolley cabs (“Yellow” backwards - get it?) in order to earn the right to more medallions. American (773-248-7600) and Flash Cabs (773-561-1444) are likelier to come to an office or residential address in response to a telephone call, but count on a twenty to thirty-minute wait on a weekend night or if you are on the far North side. Cabs on the South side are far scarcer, even in Hyde Park, so be sure your travel plans include a ride or reliable public transportation if you go to visit friends there by taxicab from the Loop.

Some taxis are smoke-free environments, and others positively encourage smoking. It’s not good manners to ask a smoking cabbie not to smoke; find a cab that’s smoke-free or grin and bear it. On the other hand, it’s illegal to smoke in a smoke-free cab, so don’t even think about lighting up. When you arrive, you can huddle by the building entrance with the rest of the addicts.

Taxis are $1.60 to get in, and $1.40 per mile thereafter You will be charged .50 for additional passengers, not including children under 12 or seniors over 65, though I have never traveled with a senior who wanted to discuss their age with a cab driver.

Cabs from O’Hare to the Loop cost $30 to $40, depending on traffic; to or from Midway will set you back $25 to $30. Both airports are well served by public transportation.