To hail a taxi' means exactly to beckon or to do a call signal for the taxi to stop and for you to use the public service afterwards, whereas 'to catch a taxi' refers to the whole action of making a taxi stop and using the service.
If you want to get to your destination quickly, you could say “I'm really in a hurry, so can you take the quickest route please?” If you have more time free and want to do some sightseeing, you could say “Can we drive past (famous place) on the way?”
If you don't want to talk, just say that when you get into the car, and you're done. You won't have to tell you don't want to chitchat as it won't even start. Usually, cab drivers just want to be nice and offer small talks. They think it can please the customer and maybe be rewarded with a bigger tip.
The famous London taxis are actually called 'hackney carriages' but in London we just call them 'black cabs/taxis'. London taxi drivers have to pass a special exam called the Knowledge to get their license so if you take a black cab, you can be sure the driver will know the way.
Transportation TippingCab driver: 15 percent to 20 percent tip of the fare. (Find out ahead of time if your cabbie accepts a credit card. If he or she doesn't, make sure you have enough cash for both fare and tip.)
Best answerHail and catch have totally different meanings. To hail is to use your hand to show the taxi you need a ride but to catch a taxi means you are going to use a taxi as transport. Hail is the action used to stop a taxi using your arm and hand. Yes, they mean the same thing.
If you've ever hailed a taxi before, then doing so here in London is effectively the same thing – just stand on the curb, raise and hold out your arm towards a black cab that's approaching and will pass you and wait for it to stop (you don't have to whistle!).
You should tip your taxi driver at least 15 to 20% of your trip fare. If you think of giving anything less than 10%, you might as well leave without tipping at all. If your fare is less than $10, leave a tip of not less than a dollar. Something like a 50-cent tip is insulting and more of a hassle to come up with.
If cab driver's behave to customer is friendly and helpful than we need to tip him for his good work but if his behave to customer is rude than customer don't need to give tip to that cab driver. In-sort giving tip to cab driver is depends on driver's behavior, services that they provide to customers.
From Driver Rule 54-20 (in PDF): It is against the law to refuse a person based on race, disability, or a destination in New York City. A taxicab driver is required to drive a passenger to any destination in the five boroughs. You can make a refusal complaint by calling 3-1-1.
If you hire a taxi you can ask him to do anything as long as it does not break local laws. If a driver is following a car, he may do so provided he doesn't break the speed limit or do anything dangerous.