cab fare

With gas prices shooting ever higher, cities such as Chicago, Las Vegas and Miami have either allowed cab drivers to levy fuel surcharges or are considering them. But in New York, where the drivers of the nation's largest cab fleet are struggling to make ends meet, officials say a surcharge isn't even being considered.

At a time when people would rather stay home than spend money, bars and restaurants have to get creative to draw the crowds. One bar near Columbia University, on Manhattan's Upper West Side, has hit upon a novel inducement to draw revelers from trendier parts of town: It will pay for your...