Originally Posted by pdhenry
Walking through Times Square last evening after dinner and heard a police siren coming down the street - when we saw the car is was a NY Yellow cab with a red light on the dash! What do you think this was -- a driver's way of earning an extra tip for "stepping on it", an undercover operation, or a movie prop? Hard to tell from where we were but it looked like a real cab.
NYPD has a stash of yellow taxis which it uses as "unmarked" police cars. In Manhattan, it's actually a good idea, as they are much less likely to be noticed when circling the block, standing in an illegal space for an extended period, etc. I have looked at a couple of these vehicles upclose, and they are indistinguishable from regular medallion cabs-- much more so than the supposed NYC taxis used in many movies. When two officers are on patrol, one will drive, and the other will set in the back seat-- just like a regular driver with pax.
If you want to see one for yourself, check the parking lot of one of the local Manhattan police precincts.