New York Taxi Cads

Beware of New York cabbies tapping their pen on the dashboard. They may be “zapping” the meter to jack up the fare. The pens, even ordinary ballpoints, might contain a magnet that activates an illegal gadget placed behind the dashboard that increases the amount on the meter. Hundreds of the devices may have been placed in cabs, authorities say. Oh, by the way, cab fares in New York are $2 for the first one-fifth mile and 30 cents for each additional fifth.