UPDATE: The Taxi and Limousine Commission reached out to tell us that "portable GPS navigation systems are in no way prohibited in NYC taxicabs." The information the cab driver presents is incorrect.
PREVIOUSLY: A 26-year-old New York City cab driver is answering all kinds of questions on Reddit today.
One of the more surprising things he's revealed is that it's actually illegal for a New York City cab driver to use GPS.
As he puts it:
"GPS is actually not allowed by the Taxi and Limousine Commission in New York. Though a lot of people still do use [it]. At this point I have the roads mostly memorized. But if the passenger is going somewhere I don't know, which is rarely the case, I either just ask them and if they don't know I just use Google Maps on my iPhone.
"[A] computer keeps track of the routes the cab takes on each fare but that information isn't available to the driver directly. It's sent to the Commission. And it doesn't provide directions either.
"I think they feel like it would cause accidents because drivers would be trying to configure them while driving. Though they aren't that helpful in the city with all the traffic. Turns and stuff come up too quickly and you always have to be shifting lanes, etc."
Read the cabbie's full Q&A here >
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