The Carmel Limo Take on Driving in NYC this Thanksgiving -Where, When, and How for Drivers
Believe it or not, but it’s true! Thanksgiving eve is the busiest night of the year in NYC. It’s the time when you can find many happy souls moving around while many intoxicated others can be located near the bars and the burbs waiting for their rides.
Assuming you don’t mind driving drunk people and your market isn’t flooded with drivers, you can make perfect money by scooping up riders that the others never see at some of the low profile spots. It’s the time where you can plan your trips better and increase your chances of making up for the times you didn’t do so well.
With many dinners and night outs happening in and around the city, there are chances you may get caught up in heavy traffic and miss out on back-to-back rides. Here’s what our experienced drivers at Carmel Limo NYC recommend.
It is more profitable to find a spot in the suburbs that has five or more popular bars within a five-mile radius than to target the city perimeter where there may be the number of bars, but the traffic will eat up all the fun.
Carmel Limousine drivers recommend to position yourself in the middle of these bars/restaurants. Surge tends to be higher and last longer in such areas as there are not many drivers around. You also have the chances of being tipped bigger as riders are thankful that you were there to get them (given the fact that very few cabs are available. Make sure you have a full tank of gas by midnight since it’s harder to find an open gas station in the burbs late at night.
The busiest time starts around 10 pm then gets even busier by midnight until 3 am. So make sure you get some good rest in the morning to build up all that energy for night rides.
You may need to find those bars/restaurants in the burbs before that evening and get your spot to park picked out. Watch out for drunken people driving in the night and drive smart.
Some of the other areas you could target and find more riders are shopping malls and departmental stores that have great holiday discounts. This includes Macy’s (also known for their Thanksgiving parade), Barneys, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, and many others.
Some of the other unexpected or underestimated locations include:
Event: Iconic annual holiday parade.
Where: Central Manhattan.
When: November 28th.
Timings: 9.00 am to noon.
This is the ninety-third year of Macy’s Parade, which happens to be New York’s biggest Thanksgiving event for ages. Hundreds of thousands, including local crowds and tourists, flock to see the marchers, balloons, horse shows, and Father Christmas roll by. The best spot recommended by Carmel Limo NYC for riders is along 6th Avenue and between West 59th and West 38th Streets. South of these points since public viewing is restricted, crowds become sparse.
Inside Information: Look out for the crowds that gather to watch the mega-balloons being inflated around the American Museum of Natural History (77th and 81st Streets), from Thursday, November 21st at 1.00 pm to 8.00 pm. Fans surge the best viewing area at 77th Street and Columbus Avenue.
Event: Massed Xmas lights around private homes.
Where: Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.
When: Late November through New Year’s. Times: After dusk.
Every year, more than a million people surge the streets of Dyker Heights to catch the breath-taking illuminations. Many thousands of lights, animated scenes, loud music and carols, and magnificent homes await viewers stretching across multiple blocks for the holidays.
Advisories ask spectators to leave cars behind and use public transport, which will give you an excellent opportunity to capitalize and pick-up many tired and footsore walkers.
Inside Information: The D Train stop at 79th Street and New Utrecht Avenue is a great pick-up spot. That’s great because it’s an uphill, 15 minutes hike to the lights. Be near the station to pick up those who like Christmas brilliance but want to save on the tough walks.
Event: Model trains in a vast winter wonderland.
Where: NY Botanical Gardens, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY 10458.
When: November 23rd through January 26th.
Timings: 10.00am to 6.00pm.
The NYBG Holiday Train Show is on every kids’ Christmas holiday must-see list. More than twenty four model trains rumble past the iconic NY landmarks in a winter showcase on half a mile of track. Afternoons, weekends, and when schools are out are peak times when your rides become the value addition to many riders.
Inside Information: The day shows are for kids. But there’s an adult version that has access to the wet bar that’s open late. Check the Bar Car schedule for the times when the big kids will need a safe ride home.
Event: Bronx Harvest Festival
Where: Fordham Plaza, The Bronx
When: November 16th through November 17th
Timings: 12 pm to 8 pm.
Bronx Night Market, the borough’s largest celebration of cuisine and culture, is throwing its first-ever fall fest with a beer, cider, and wine garden that showcases a festive pumpkin patch with outdoor games. While many foodies nibble on bites from more than 60 vendors, local performers and DJs will keep them entertained with some live music. It is an excellent opportunity to grab some riders through the day from the venue and make some extra money.
Inside Information: Many visitors come to the Fordham Road by cabs from the city center and travel back from this point that is close to the venue. There are two entry points at the venue where you might find massive crowds.
Most part-time drivers are off the road and spending time with their families
Most full-time drivers’ also have to take the night off for their families
Most of the week leading up to this is pretty slow, except for spurts of airport runs. This will give great opportunities for drivers to take up airport transfers.
Many drivers deny duty because of the heavy traffic and harsh driving conditions on blocked roads Uber/Lyft (many people will drive their private cars while yellow city taxis might add to the burgeoning traffic conditions.)
It’s the only night of the year where many people get to reconnect with their family and friends and step out for shopping, visit events, and go to eateries.
Riders may leave work early and get to places using ride-hailing services
People like to drink during the holidays, and everybody knows the cops are looking for drunk drivers, so the chances are that they will take rides back home
The first real holiday of the Holiday season when the riders are more enthusiastic and many people fly in from different parts of the world.
NYC opens its arms to tourists, music lovers, and food enthusiasts.
Trains, buses, and public transportation will be overcrowded, which will relay the crowd to taxis and cabs.
Many rides may get canceled because of overbooking, and riders will look for alternative rides.
Many thanksgiving family dinners will be planned, especially in the burbs. You need to plan your rides along with residential areas.
Shoppers need a convenient ride that can also load up their shopping bags of lamps, screens, shoes, computers, and whatnot.
A lot of cashback offers and loyalty program offerings for the holiday season (especially from Carmel Limo New York), which riders want to use on rides, shopping, movies, restaurants, and more.
The business frequency of Thanksgiving week is finicky. Even the night before, the phenomena are pretty situational if you focus on suburbs, stations, and airports for Point to Point rides. If you have to drive and make some bonus on rides, we at Carmel Limo recommend avoiding the cities (which give you shorter rides and longer traffic waits), and hanging out in the suburbs and focusing on longer rides that will provide you with the miles on your meter without burning fuel at traffic signals and congested crossroads.
