Man I hate to bash anyone but I’ve got to warn you all against Yellow Cab in the immediate D.C., Maryland, Virginal (i.e. Beltway) area. Historically I’ve traveled a lot for business and pleasure. I’ve racked up a considerable number of miles, hotel i, etc… and I’ve had my share of cab & car rides. And despite the reputation of cab drivers in popular media for “taking you for a ride” I’ve never really had the experience of getting taken for “a ride” until this week. Unfortunately I’ve taken several cab rides in the last few days which lead me to this very unfortunate post. (Disclaimer: Most cab drivers are independent contractors and my recent experience, could statistically represent an anomalous series of events).

Of the cab rides I’ve taken with Yellow Cab in the D.C. area, I’ve been taken out of my way, or had a cabbie “negotiate” the rate and not start the meter 3 out of 4 times. That’s right, 75% of my cab rides have involved “unethical” behavior and all of them were Yellow Cab drivers. I gave one of them extra slack because I know Beltway traffic can be brutal and I was riding during rush hour but the rest were well outside of normal driving hours and really had no excuse.

So how did I know I was getting taken for a ride? First, this should serve as a warning to all cab drivers tempted to take patrons for a ride; we have smart phones with GPS & Google Maps. I simply turned on Google Maps and watched our course. I added the traffic layer in 2 instances but on all occasions tracked our precise course. In each instance, it wasn’t simply a matter of an off road here or there, but rather it was secondary and sometimes tertiary side roads that did nothing but add distance.

I really hate to be negative on anyone but I have to seriously recommend against Yellow Cab in the DC area until they address this problem with their drivers, independent or not.. If you have to take Yellow Cab and have a smart phone, turn on Google Maps, and watch your course, there’s a good chance you might be going for more of a ride than you expect.

I don’t live in Indy anymore but I did grow up there, and since it will always be “home” I usually get a little nostalgic this time of year when the city is gearing up for the Race. May is arguably one of the best months of the year in Indy, the weather is typically nice, the race is about to happen, sometimes the Pacers are in the playoffs, the Indianan’s are playing… there’s just a lot going on and it’s a ton of fun.

This year my friend John P. from Onemansblog.com has a press pass to the Indy 500 and will be road tripping up to Indy to shoot pics and video of the race. I’m expecting some spectacular shots (ahem!)

So for John, and anyone else heading to Indianapolis for race weekend, or any weekend here are 6  Things You Should Do While in Indianapolis. They’re not race specific but they’re distinctly Indianapolis. Many of these are also “photography” focused so lot’s of good picture opportunities.

1. Have dinner at St. Elmo’s Steakhouse

Established in 1902 and still in its original location (125 S. Illinois Street in Downtown Indy) this is the place to dine in Indy. Fantastic steaks and seafood, a killer wine selection and when things are going on like the 500 your likely to spot plenty of celebs (though that is the last reason to go). St. Elmo’s just oozes history so don’t miss it.

2. Take Cool Pictures Along the Canal

The canal runs from downtown out to White River Park (largely through it) and has lot’s of great photo-ops along the way. I’d definitely take pictures of the Medal of Honor Monument (pictured above) and the Indy skyline from the canal. There are great opportunities for night shots as well.

3. Visit the Children’s Museum, 3000 N. Meridian Street

The largest children’s museum in the world this was a favorite outing as a kid but isn’t lost on adults either. My favorite was the T-Rex skeleton and mummy but there are floors of stuff to see and do. I can only imagine what they’ve added since I’ve been there!

4. Visit the NCAA Headquarters, 700 Washington Street

You’ll probably want to spend most of your time in the Hall of Champions but it’s a beautiful structure with plenty to see. And it would be an absolute shame to visit the amateur sports capital of the world and not go to the NCAA HQ!

5. Visit the Indiana War Memorial, located on the 400 block of Meridian just north of Downtown

The War memorial is a beautiful building and a striking tribute to Indiana War Veterans. The shrine room is particularly impressive.  It’s well worth your time to walk among the artifacts and history.

6. See Monument Circle

This one goes without saying but the 238ft tower smack in the geographic center of the city is just plain nice to see. It’s also iconic in that it literally rests in the middle of Indianapolis and everything diverges from there. Any without doubt any sporting event broadcast from Indy will feature aerial shots of Monument Circle. Go see it and say you’ve been there!