Uber/Lyft. What's the verdict?

[conVINCEd 21469]

17 minutes ago, LABEVO said:

But maybe rape?

As long as they don’t take a detour to Huntsville I feel like I’ll be ok.

[Wulaw Horn 19145]

3 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

The poverty line in Texas, and mind you this is for the state, not "Austin":

Total Texas Households Total Texas Households in Poverty VS. ACS Table C17003, 1-Year Estimates (2013). Note: 200% federal poverty line is $24,238 for one person; $32,114 for family of two; $37,502 for family of three.

$11.65/hr gets you to the "poverty" line.  If you have a dependent that's $15.44/hr.  Who in their right mind is going to bust their ass to live in poverty?  We need higher wages.  Nobody wants to work their ass off to be poor.

Just to be clear- you know that’s the exact point I was making, right?  That we are in agreement?  

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

4 minutes ago, Wulaw Horn said:

Just to be clear- you know that’s the exact point I was making, right?  That we are in agreement?  

Yes, I wasn't quoting you as a dig - just a reference point to say that the economy has gotten a bit broken.  We all like low prices, but we pay for the effect of those with taxes through subsidizing poverty, rather than paying what the real cost should be.

[AUS-97HORN 11812]

Crash, I have no idea why you are trying to die on this mountain, but here are the issues Ive had with cabs from 2011-2015 when lyft and uber were finally here.

1. had a pre-scheduled cab pickup at 4am for a 630 flight.  20-25  min drive to the airport from my house should have given me plenty of time to get there.    Cab never showed.  called cab company, first 30 mins they kept telling me cap would be there. Then they told me they dispatached the driver  but driver never acknoledged the dispatch and had gone home.  they then told me there were no fucking cabs available at 5am.   I had to haul ass to the airport in my own vehicle and leave it in the short term parking lot for almost 3 fucking weeks.  that was a wonderful $300 bill. 

2. took a pre-called cab with my neighbor to Dell Diamond from basically the domain for Longhorn night. we were quoted a price of ~$60 when we made the reservation.   We get there in roughly 25 mins- no traffic to speak of, and its a fucking $100 fare.  Driver gave some bullshit excuse about crossing into a diff county fee.  we both told the driver to fuck himeself and tossed him exactly $101  he tried to chase us into the stadium demanding a tip.. heres a tip asshole. go fuck yourself. 

3. I took a ride back from 6th street sometime in 2013.  I think after a football game.   get a cab that specifically has "we take visa/mastercard" on the cab door and in the back of the cab itself.  we get to my house and give the driver my credit card and he tells me he doesnt take cards, that the machine is broken.  I tell him thats not my problem. you take cards, so either run my fucking card or leave.  he calls the cops saying I wont pay.   i get to wait for the cops to show. he fucking goes off on the cops telling them im a deadbeat and arrest me... blah blah.  I calmly hand him the credit card again in front of the cops, while pointing to the we take CC sign.   driver goes off.... cops tell him to run the gd card or let me go...  driver suddenly is able to run the CC machine and gues what, it worked just fucking fine.   no tip, and we all go our seperate ways. found out later that the drivers are forced to pay the CC fee themselves, so they like to act like the machine doesnt work to get cash instead. 

4. dont remember when, but just as Rainey St was taking off, I and my lady friend got into a cab from Kung Fu and want to go to Rainey... the fucking cab refused to go, he told me to get out and didnt move.... I didnt understand at the time, and also didnt know that I had the right to be taken there once I got in the cab... turns out it was a common thing on 6th street for years KXAN did several stories on it. The ride was too short and the cabby wanted a longer drive with better fair.   We then gave up walked to another bar, and took a diff cab home after. 

Thats just the ones that stick out to me.   nevermind smelly cabs, drivers who kept trying to take the long way to my place, ones who as previously mentioned dont carry any change, and then the drivers that got aggressively mad when you didnt tip what they felt they should get. 

 

we already had the fucking cabs vs Uber/Lyft fight when Ann Kitchen and cronies took their 5k "not-a-bribe-but-looks-very-much-like-a-bribe-campagain-contribution-from-yellow-cab" when they banned them for the idiotic fingerprint fight. 

 

you are out of your fucking mind if you think uber and lyft are worse than cabs

 

[BabaYaga 15304]

My last two cab/rideshare experiences.

Cab - family booked an early morning cab ride to the airport.  Guys late.  Speaks no English.  Has a pissy attitude with us and our luggage (ski trip, so lots of bags).  Phone GPS stops working, so has to use one of ours.  Cab smelled like it doubled as a stall for sheep and goats to give birth in.

Lyft:  same type of thing.  In Westlake, need to get to LAX for an early flight.  Book in advance.  Guy in 5 minutes early.  I ask is his minds if I ride in the back and sleep.  Clean car.  Fresh water bottles in the seatbacks.  I wake up to a sunrise over the water in Malibu.  There was a backup on the 405 (I think) and he took the alternate route to save us time and make the flight.  Retired long haul trucker.  Nice guy.  Loves the early and late night routes

 

[crash_davis 23114]

eh, i never had an issue with cabs. i used to cab to and from airport all the time for work trips and cab fare was always $26-32 depending on time of day. but that was years ago. last time i took an uber to airport was $37 plus same 20% tip, maybe 3 years ago. never had issues with cc payment with cabs. i had no issues getting cabs when we used to go to 6th street. last cab many years ago i took in Austin was when we went to dinner at parkside. told the hostess that i needed a cab for 9pm and it was there waiting for me. i don't remember the price for cab ride home but it wasn't anywhere near $100.

sounds like i am in the minority. i don't give a shit if it's uber or taxis. it's a public service. but now that uber has killed the taxi industry, we are at their mercy for outrageous prices for however long it takes to convince people again that being a glorified cab driver doesn't suck as bad as it did the last time they did it.

sometimes you're part of the majority, sometimes not. it happens.

[closetohumping 17455]

Cab industry killed itself.  Yes on rideshare.  Thank God.  Competition and technology is good.  Cab drivers, at least the ones I've had to deal with are generally POSs.

Edited June 1, 2021 by closetohumping

[Sbbruin 21865]

58 minutes ago, AUS-97HORN said:

drivers who kept trying to take the long way to my place

 

Maybe he was just proud of his town.   Nothing to see on the interstate but interstate.

[F250 28806]

Cabs and Uber/Lyft are both ride services but that is like saying corncobs and the Three Sea Shells are both ass wiping utensils.

 

 

[closetohumping 17455]

Also gas prices are going up.  Why shouldn't the drivers be compensated more? At least with rideshare, you know what you're going to be charged up front.  With a cabbie, good luck.  But hey, driver shortage, I wonder why?  Could it be compensation? 🤔

 

Took a cab home from Reagan airport one time.  I get in and the cabbie immediately  adds 3.50 to the fare.  I asked why.  He said "you have one extra luggage."

Edited June 1, 2021 by closetohumping

[phdhorn 6224]

Uber/Lyft is slightly the worst of two evils vs. cabs. It was a good idea and for a brief time it was really nice but there's too much garbage getting in the way of what the rideshares could be. People are finding out the Uber and Lyft totally rapes your car, putting miles on way too fast and depreciating it a lot faster than normal. I think the party is over with those and it's going to continue to go in the direction of the cab industry now.

Basically for me grit your teeth, put in some lube, and hope for the best. There really isn't a decent solution if you need special transportation somewhere. Fortunately, I almost never do. If there's a subway, I'll take it. Or I'll just rent a car as much as I can.

[phdhorn 6224]

13 minutes ago, F250 said:

Cabs and Uber/Lyft are both ride services but that is like saying corncobs and the Three Sea Shells are both ass wiping utensils.

As I just posted above, my sentiments exactly.

Edited June 1, 2021 by phdhorn

[Foosters 17860]

Took my first cab out of LAX in like 8 years the other day. Waited in the "rideshare" line for roughly 30 minutes and only came across 3 Uber/Lyft drivers, all of whom were asking for significantly more money than I'd ever seen for that drive out of LAX. This was a sunday afternoon. Ended up walking to the cab line, hopping in the one waiting at the front of the line, and paid about $25 less than the rideshare options.

[BurntOrange&White 39944]

39 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

eh, i never had an issue with cabs. i used to cab to and from airport all the time for work trips and cab fare was always $26-32 depending on time of day. but that was years ago. last time i took an uber to airport was $37 plus same 20% tip, maybe 3 years ago. never had issues with cc payment with cabs. i had no issues getting cabs when we used to go to 6th street. last cab many years ago i took in Austin was when we went to dinner at parkside. told the hostess that i needed a cab for 9pm and it was there waiting for me. i don't remember the price for cab ride home but it wasn't anywhere near $100.

sounds like i am in the minority. i don't give a shit if it's uber or taxis. it's a public service. but now that uber has killed the taxi industry, we are at their mercy for outrageous prices for however long it takes to convince people again that being a glorified cab driver doesn't suck as bad as it did the last time they did it.

sometimes you're part of the majority, sometimes not. it happens.

Your opinion on this subject is bad and you should feel bad for holding said opinion. Now go sit in the corner and think about what you're saying and doing and come back with a better opinion.

Edited June 1, 2021 by BurntOrange&White

[ChickenSandwich 9845]

49 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

eh, i never had an issue with cabs. i used to cab to and from airport all the time for work trips and cab fare was always $26-32 depending on time of day. but that was years ago. last time i took an uber to airport was $37 plus same 20% tip, maybe 3 years ago. never had issues with cc payment with cabs. i had no issues getting cabs when we used to go to 6th street. last cab many years ago i took in Austin was when we went to dinner at parkside. told the hostess that i needed a cab for 9pm and it was there waiting for me. i don't remember the price for cab ride home but it wasn't anywhere near $100.

sounds like i am in the minority. i don't give a shit if it's uber or taxis. it's a public service. but now that uber has killed the taxi industry, we are at their mercy for outrageous prices for however long it takes to convince people again that being a glorified cab driver doesn't suck as bad as it did the last time they did it.

sometimes you're part of the majority, sometimes not. it happens.

Well, Austin had huge issues with cab service.  I ran a restaurant downtown that didn't close until after 2am.  Sometimes we needed to send servers or customers home by cab.  The majority of the time, no one would show.  When they did, it would take 3 hours.  All of us who worked those late hours knew you needed to book a cab before 1am if you wanted one by 3am.  I've walked home in the cold waiting for cabs that never showed.  You simply could not get a cab after 10pm on thur-sat or any event/holiday.  I watched many drunk people downtown say fuck it and drive home because the cab never showed.  It was dangerous and ridiculously poor service, and the 200-300 taxi limit ensured there would never be enough supply when needed.  When Uber and Lyft came, it was instantly 300% better than the taxi service.  Fuck yellow cab. 

Eventually I paid a driver with food each night to be available for myself and employees when needed after midnight.

[ChickenSandwich 9845]

57 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

My last two cab/rideshare experiences.

Cab - family booked an early morning cab ride to the airport.  Guys late.  Speaks no English.  Has a pissy attitude with us and our luggage (ski trip, so lots of bags).  Phone GPS stops working, so has to use one of ours.  Cab smelled like it doubled as a stall for sheep and goats to give birth in.

Lyft:  same type of thing.  In Westlake, need to get to LAX for an early flight.  Book in advance.  Guy in 5 minutes early.  I ask is his minds if I ride in the back and sleep.  Clean car.  Fresh water bottles in the seatbacks.  I wake up to a sunrise over the water in Malibu.  There was a backup on the 405 (I think) and he took the alternate route to save us time and make the flight.  Retired long haul trucker.  Nice guy.  Loves the early and late night routes

 

I use Wingz for the airport and will never go back to lyft or uber when available.

[crash_davis 23114]

35 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Well, Austin had huge issues with cab service.  I ran a restaurant downtown that didn't close until after 2am.  Sometimes we needed to send servers or customers home by cab.  The majority of the time, no one would show.  When they did, it would take 3 hours.  All of us who worked those late hours knew you needed to book a cab before 1am if you wanted one by 3am.  I've walked home in the cold waiting for cabs that never showed.  You simply could not get a cab after 10pm on thur-sat or any event/holiday.  I watched many drunk people downtown say fuck it and drive home because the cab never showed.  It was dangerous and ridiculously poor service, and the 200-300 taxi limit ensured there would never be enough supply when needed.  When Uber and Lyft came, it was instantly 300% better than the taxi service.  Fuck yellow cab. 

Eventually I paid a driver with food each night to be available for myself and employees when needed after midnight.

that was then. now are people going to say fuck it and drive home when the uber fair is going to cost $120? my daughter and her friends took an uber home from 6th the last weekend. it was $123 dollars with tip. i told them to call me and wake me up to pick them up next time because that's stupid ridiculous.

[TornACL 7722]

 

1 minute ago, crash_davis said:

that was then. now are people going to say fuck it and drive home when the uber fair is going to cost $120? my daughter and her friends took an uber home from 6th the last weekend. it was $123 dollars with tip. i told them to call me and wake me up to pick them up next time because that's stupid ridiculous.

So now we're finally getting to the point. 

Edited June 1, 2021 by TornACL

[ChickenSandwich 9845]

Just now, crash_davis said:

that was then. now are people going to say fuck it and drive home when the uber fair is going to cost $120? my daughter and her friends took an uber home from 6th the last weekend. it was $123 dollars with tip. i told them to call me and wake me up to pick them up next time because that's stupid ridiculous.

I would have paid anything the night I walked home from White Horse in 40 degree temps.  You miss the point, Fuck the price, you simply could not get a cab no matter what, no amount of money etc etc. 

[Nice Guy Eddie 13516]

No one likes surge pricing when paying, especially when the bars close or getting out of a concert but surge pricing is used to entice drivers to get out on the road. Uber or Lyft could easily keep prices at normal rates, and then you're waiting 2 hours for a driver to be found.  No one is entitled for a $5-10 ride home.

We need more surge pricing in the world not less.

Now if the govt is paying people more to sit at home, they're artificially changing the labor market. But there is mixed evidence this is actually occurring. Besides the surge pricing should continue to find drivers if the demand is there. Now if people are starting to need Uber rides at a high growth rate, the supply of drivers may take a minute to catch up.

 

[ChickenSandwich 9845]

1 hour ago, Foosters said:

Took my first cab out of LAX in like 8 years the other day. Waited in the "rideshare" line for roughly 30 minutes and only came across 3 Uber/Lyft drivers, all of whom were asking for significantly more money than I'd ever seen for that drive out of LAX. This was a sunday afternoon. Ended up walking to the cab line, hopping in the one waiting at the front of the line, and paid about $25 less than the rideshare options.

Taxi Taxi for LAX rides to and from have been great for me and always showed up on time and on price

[crash_davis 23114]

Just now, Nice Guy Eddie said:

No one likes surge pricing when paying, especially when the bars close or getting out of a concert but surge pricing is used to entice drivers to get out on the road. Uber or Lyft could easily keep prices at normal rates, and then you're waiting 2 hours for a driver to be found.  No one is entitled for a $5-10 ride home.

We need more surge pricing in the world not less.

Now if the govt is paying people more to sit at home, they're artificially changing the labor market. But there is mixed evidence this is actually occurring. Besides the surge pricing should continue to find drivers if the demand is there. Now if people are starting to need Uber rides at a high growth rate, the supply of drivers may take a minute to catch up.

 

i think yall are grossly over estimating how many drivers will re-enter the supply pool. after uber/lyft/whatever taking their share, gas, and the wear and tear on the car, drivers make shit per hour. definitely not worth the hassle of putting up with shithead customers, especially the ones at 2AM. 

[TornACL 7722]

The big mistake is thinking that taxis are a public service. Public transportation is a public service. Taxis are not the bus or light rail. 

Taxi groups convinced people and govts to think of them as a public service so they could fight competition, limit drivers, etc. 

The hilariously ironic thing is that they choked themselves to death on their own regulations. 

5 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

i think yall are grossly over estimating how many drivers will re-enter the supply pool. after uber/lyft/whatever taking their share, gas, and the wear and tear on the car, drivers make shit per hour. definitely not worth the hassle of putting up with shithead customers, especially the ones at 2AM. 

You literally just said you would get in your car and go drive down to 6th street and pick up riders (your daughter and friends) right then and there if it would save you, or her, $123.

How can you not understand this point?

Edited June 1, 2021 by TornACL

[closetohumping 17455]

5 hours ago, crash_davis said:

Was it worth killing the cab industry to be subjected to "surge" pricing? And now some of the ride sharing cars are no better than the taxis that they replaced.

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/why-austinites-may-see-higher-prices-and-longer-wait-times-for-ridesharing/

“They’ve got to make up that difference through the consumer. They have to. Otherwise, I wouldn’t take that ride to go get you on the north side,” Lee said.

UT professor Edward Anderson says wages are also up: Nationwide, Uber drivers’ wages are up from $18 per hour before the pandemic to $25 now. In Austin, it was $16.50 pre-COVID, up to $33 an hour now. 

So with all these incentives, why aren’t more drivers signing up?

“During COVID, initially a lot of people — A lot of drivers actually got out of the business,” said Anderson, Wright Centennial Professor for Management of Innovative Technology at the McCombs School of Business.

Anderson also said many also switched to food delivery, for less contact with customers.

 

Also, Uber is now releasing riders tipping history. People are complaining about rides getting canceled. So now you have to pay surge pricing and tip well. LULZ.

 

Line at the airport this weekend. No taxis. No ridesharing.

I've seen lines like this at all airports, before and after Uber.  Meaningless.

[formermav43 4606]

14 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

I would have paid anything the night I walked home from White Horse in 40 degree temps. You miss the point, Fuck the price, you simply could not get a cab no matter what, no amount of money etc etc. 

I’m on board with your point in general...but come on.

Edited June 1, 2021 by formermav43

[ChickenSandwich 9845]

23 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

i think yall are grossly over estimating how many drivers will re-enter the supply pool. after uber/lyft/whatever taking their share, gas, and the wear and tear on the car, drivers make shit per hour. definitely not worth the hassle of putting up with shithead customers, especially the ones at 2AM. 

I think you grossly overestimate the number of drivers working for Uber/Lyft full time.  Many do it as a side hustle/supplemental income.  Right now they get $7.50 for 40 hours to not drive, and that is before their state unemployment benefits are included.  Until these inflated benefits expire, no part time worker in their right mind is going back to work and how can you blame them?

https://www.ridester.com/uber-rates-cost/

How much does Uber cost compared to a taxi?

Taking a ride in a taxi will almost always be higher than riding in an Uber, depending on which service level you decide to take.

For example, according to recent data from Certify, the prices for Uber, Lyft, and a taxi are as follows:

• Average Uber cost: $25.73
• Average Lyft cost: $19.20
• Average taxi cost: $29.52

So an Uber Driver gets 12 $25.00 fares with no fees (and no tips) added to their weekly state unemployment. 

Edited June 1, 2021 by ChickenSandwich

[BurdineBandit 815]

As a rider, I hate the surges, but as a driver, it literally does what it's designed to do, get me off my ass to make $25+/hour, which is worth it to me. So I understand the market. Pre-covid a normal rate would be closer to $12-15 on weeknights, maybe $15-18 if it's a busy season, which is hardly outpacing the wear it adds on my car and gas prices. 

[BurntOrange&White 39944]

36 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

that was then. now are people going to say fuck it and drive home when the uber fair is going to cost $120? my daughter and her friends took an uber home from 6th the last weekend. it was $123 dollars with tip. i told them to call me and wake me up to pick them up next time because that's stupid ridiculous.

Complaining about $123 instead of being thankful your daughter spent money to get home safely. I suppose you’d rather her get a DUI, kill someone, or herself behind the wheel? 
 

 

[52-80 19214]

when i used to travel often, uber was a godsend.

 

no dealing with looking up taxi information, having to fucking talk to somebody to book a car, guessing game of when it would arrive, dealing with foreign currencies or cash at all, no hassle of asking for receipt, trying to not lose receipts, etc. 

 

totally worth it even if there were a premium (there usually werent).

 

some cities and places like aberdeen started implementing internet their own app-based booking system and it was a goddamn fucking nightmare

[Nice Guy Eddie 13516]

I think most of us would agree that a $100 ride home is too much. Assuming it's a reasonable distance home. But what should Uber do when there is more demand than supply? Create a first request, first ride system at normal rates? This won't encourage more drivers to get out at 2am.  Get off your couch to maybe get 1 or 2 rides for a few bucks each, to deal with drunk people? This policy would make their system grind to a halt on Saturday nights at 2am.

Unfortunately surge pricing can encourage people to drive drunk, which is what most people did back in my bar days. Taxis were impossible, so the only options was a designated driver (zero chance of that) or give the keys to the person that seemed the most sober.  Perhaps organizations like MADD should subsidizing Uber rides home. Maybe it's not their responsibility to pay for rides but if they want to discourage drunk driving, put their money where their mouth is.

 

[BurntOrange&White 39944]

1 minute ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I think most of us would agree that a $100 ride home is too much. Assuming it's a reasonable distance home. But what should Uber do when there is more demand than supply? Create a first request, first ride system at normal rates? This won't encourage more drivers to get out at 2am.  Get off your couch to maybe get 1 or 2 rides for a few bucks each, to deal with drunk people? This policy would make their system grind to a halt on Saturday nights at 2am.

Unfortunately surge pricing can encourage people to drive drunk, which is what most people did back in my bar days. Taxis were impossible, so the only options was a designated driver (zero chance of that) or give the keys to the person that seemed the most sober.  Perhaps organizations like MADD should subsidizing Uber rides home. Maybe it's not their responsibility to pay for rides but if they want to discourage drunk driving, put their money where their mouth is.

 

Lyft currently has "priority pickup" for an extra cost.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

28 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

Complaining about $123 instead of being thankful your daughter spent money to get home safely. I suppose you’d rather her get a DUI, kill someone, or herself behind the wheel? 
 

 

Or prior to Fitlump, she and her friends could have just pitched a tent and spent the night, gone home the next day!

[Nice Guy Eddie 13516]

9 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

Lyft currently has "priority pickup" for an extra cost.

Doesn't Uber offer a monthly subscription that reduces rates on all rides, including surge pricing? I'm not saying that a subscription member should completely bypass surge pricing but there are ways to reduce your costs.

[phdhorn 6224]

1 hour ago, ChickenSandwich said:

I would have paid anything the night I walked home from White Horse in 40 degree temps.  You miss the point, Fuck the price, you simply could not get a cab no matter what, no amount of money etc etc. 

54 minutes ago, formermav43 said:

I’m on board with your point in general...but come on.

Well... it could've been Celsius.  He never did say.

 

 

[BabaYaga 15304]

1 hour ago, crash_davis said:

that was then. now are people going to say fuck it and drive home when the uber fair is going to cost $120? my daughter and her friends took an uber home from 6th the last weekend. it was $123 dollars with tip. i told them to call me and wake me up to pick them up next time because that's stupid ridiculous.

Then the market will react and these companies will either adjust or go out of business.  My guess is when federal dollars driving a portion of this labor demand start to diminish, prices will drop back to more reasonable levels.  

 

14 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Perhaps organizations like MADD should subsidizing Uber rides home. Maybe it's not their responsibility to pay for rides but if they want to discourage drunk driving, put their money where their mouth is.

 

Be nice to see, but I wouldn't hold my breath.  

Time to break back out out the electric scooters.....

[ztejas 43526]

5 minutes ago, phdhorn said:

Well... it could've been Celsius.  He never did say.

 

 

So 104? There's some walks I'd rather make in that heat than in 40 degrees.

Edited June 1, 2021 by ztejas

[RollLeft 5045]

Rideshare apps and service have sucked for me here in the U.S.  In Mexico i use Didi and in Asia Grab.  My experience has been much better there than any I have had with Uber/Lyft here in the states.    

[ChickenSandwich 9845]

12 minutes ago, phdhorn said:

Well... it could've been Celsius.  He never did say.

 

 

Flip flops were a bad choice. 

[Txzen 498]

1 hour ago, Foosters said:

Took my first cab out of LAX in like 8 years the other day. Waited in the "rideshare" line for roughly 30 minutes and only came across 3 Uber/Lyft drivers, all of whom were asking for significantly more money than I'd ever seen for that drive out of LAX. This was a sunday afternoon. Ended up walking to the cab line, hopping in the one waiting at the front of the line, and paid about $25 less than the rideshare options.

How did they ask for money? The LAX line works, or worked pre-covid, in such a way that until you were in the car and gave them your trip code, they didn't know where you were going. 

And yes, the cab 'industry', more like a mafia, killed themselves. It's no coincidence that Uber started in San Francisco, one of the worst taxi cities I've ever been in. As a resident, it was a joke to try and get a cab for a 'small' ride in town. You'd call, they never show up. You call again, rinse, lather repeat. They deserve everything they got from rideshare. Rest in pieces. Totally get the conversation around how the rideshare service can be exploitive of their drivers.  The taxi medallion system seems even worse to me. 

[Nice Guy Eddie 13516]

The one city that taxis have worked well for me is Vegas.  The only time I've had to wait long for a cab is if an event is just getting out at a casino/hotel.

[formermav43 4606]

3 hours ago, ztejas said:

So 104? There's some walks I'd rather make in that heat than in 40 degrees.

One is potentially life-threatening. The other calls for a light jacket. Good luck with that.

[CycleTex87 2980]

I enjoyed cab rides in Singapore.  Especially from the Pan Pacific Hotel they were newish Mercedes sedans many times. 

[Your Mom 4829]

My 16 year old son works at a restaurant downtown.  He routinely leaves work after midnight.  He doesn't have his driver's license yet so most nights I pick him up.  But occasionally I'm just beat and he takes an Uber home instead.  I can see who the driver is and what the license plate number is.  Most importantly, I observe the ride all the way home.   Easy peasy.  No way would I have him call a cab on those nights without that level of transparency.

For myself, when I'm out of town Uber/Lyft is just way easier than catching a cab.  Don't have to call anybody, don't have to google the local cab company to get the number, don't need cash.  And they consistently show up within a few minutes.   Surge pricing... meh... it's worth it.  Those are the times that I need prompt service the most.  

[WBT 20649]

6 hours ago, BurntOrange&White said:

Complaining about $123 instead of being thankful your daughter spent money to get home safely. I suppose you’d rather her get a DUI, kill someone, or herself behind the wheel? 
 

 

Yeah, that's what he meant.  If only he could have included another alternative in his post...

[bluto 4934]

“Sorry, credit card machine isn’t working”

[Murfdogg21 4419]

Can’t wait for the sequel threads complaining about internet shopping and how cell phones killed land line service. 
 

The taxi industry had a lot of obvious problems that irritated the shit out of its customers but made no effort to change. 
1. Confidence your driver would show up when you requested one. 

2. Confidence in knowing roughly what your fare would be before setting foot in the car. 

3.  Confidence that the driver is taking the best route and not ripping you off. Also that they knew where the hell they were going.

4. No awkward payment transactions or pressure to tip well lest you might get stabbed.

5. Tracking of the ride, route, car, driver, etc for safety but also financial reimbursements 

No tears for cabbies. If the market won’t tolerate surge pricing, the current companies or some new competitor must adapt to take control. 

[closetohumping 17455]

52 minutes ago, bluto said:

“Sorry, credit card machine isn’t working”

Pardon me, are you sure this is the most optimal route?  I've never had to go through Annapolis to get to Manhattan?

 

No speak English. It's holidays.  Why you bustin my beans?  

 

Thought you didn't speak English?

Edited June 2, 2021 by closetohumping

[LABEVO 928]

I know it works for Lyft but unsure about Uber but if you book your ride in advance then the cost is at the time of booking not the ride.  

[El Diablo 4232]

Towns that were too small to support a full time cab company, or a cab company full time now have drivers available at most any time of day or night, on demand. This is terrible.  

[Larry T. Spider 1747]

I drove for uber part time for 4 years. I enjoyed it in the beginning but things went downhill and I quit. Rates for the customers stayed the same but the amount I got paid consistently decreased. It eventually wasn’t worth it anymore. Drivers used to make 80%, including on surge pricing. As of 15 months ago, they would give the driver a flat bonus amount such as $5 then destroy the customer on the mile/minute charges and keep the difference.

Not a defense of cab companies at all. Just not sure that drivers are going to jump back in as quickly as people think. Passengers were always shocked at the difference between what they paid and what I made.