Cab #427

Date Taken: 12/20/06
From: Lincoln Square
To: Roscoe Village

The Cab: There is no more magical sight on a rainy winter's eve than a van cab with an automatic door. But wait . . . it gets better. The interior features captain's chairs in the front-rear section, each fitted with their own snug-fitting seatbelt. The air freshening is kept to nose-tickling levels, although perhaps a tad sweet for such a clean, bold, masculine interior.

The Driver: True, he loves his hands-free cell phone, but he keeps the conversational volume politely low. Not so the cheesy, soft-jazz instrumental interpretations of Yuletide classics, which are unfortunately just loud enough to lodge firmly in the passenger's brain. But when the velvet-voiced chauffeur begins cheerfully humming and scatting along, well, come on now. This reviewer's not made of stone.

The Driving: Direct, efficient, and suitably cautious considering the less-than-favorable road conditions.

Overall rating: 4 extended arms

- Natasha Julius

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There are more than 6,000 cabs in the city of Chicago. We intend to review every one of them.