Tell me about being an Uber Taxi Driver

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Tell me about being an Uber Taxi Driver

Imaduck: Apr 16, 2007; the magnetorotational instability turns me on

Horking Delight posted:

Do you mean this?

http://www.seattleyellowcab.com/

If that apps anything like the Austin Yellowcab app, it's absolutely worthless. Actually, it's worse than worthless, because it straight-up gives you bogus information. I've requested cabs with it about 10 different times, and had one pick me up exactly once, 45 minutes later. All the other times it's told me a cab was coming, and never did.

Uber's app has always worked for me (although sometimes the estimated pickup is off a bit), and pickups always happen in 10 minutes or less. The fairs are cheap and the cars and drivers are nice.

I've flagged cabs in this city that have driven off when I told them my destination. I've had cabs purposely take longer, nonsensical routes to get more money out of me. I've had cab drivers argue with me that a 20% tip wasn't enough. I've called cabs to arrange flights to the airport and had them no-show. This poo poo has never happened with Uber.

I 100% agree that Uber needs to be better regulated and that many folks are probably underestimating their costs. What I don't understand is people staunchly defending the existing cab companies. Maybe cabs are nice in your neck of the woods, but cabs have been absolute poo poo in all the places I regularly travel to (SF, Austin, LV).

Guy DeBorgore posted:

After you account for fuel, vehicle maintenance and those risks, you're not much better off than you would be working at Denny's.

And...? Lots of folks would be happy with somewhat interesting jobs that pay better than Denny's. People who work at Denny's, for example.

Imaduck fucked around with this message at 08:18 on May 19, 2015

# ¿ May 19, 2015 08:15

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# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 10:00

Imaduck: Apr 16, 2007; the magnetorotational instability turns me on

Main Paineframe posted:

The number of taxi drivers on the streets does need to be limited, because taxis -especially ones without passengers - have a nasty negative impact on traffic flows, especially in the already high-traffic areas where they tend to loiter and cruise around. If you let taxi companies put as many cars as they want on the road, it immensely worsens traffic, particularly in the worst-traffic areas. Taxi medallions are intended to create scarcity, but for the sake of preventing the traffic flow from being overwhelmed by taxis. Of course, people who do pass that scarcity barrier have a vested interest in preventing anyone else from ever passing the same barrier, but that's unavoidable with any sort of enforced scarcity.

Yeah, but a big part of the problem there is the inefficiency in the taxi system: typically, taxi drivers have to be constantly moving to pick up fairs. Uber drivers are automatically directed towards their fairs, and can remain parked when they're waiting.

Kings Of Calabria posted:

The difference I see there is that if enough people had showed up to local or state held meetings,or leaned on MassDOT (or whoever is it), or mailed their Senators, maybe some of those taxi problems would be fixed. I'm not saying it would be easy but at least I would have the option and my neighbors who might agree or disagree would have their say too.

Once Uber "disrupts" livery service to the point where it's almost almost impossible to get a reliable taxi, what's to stop them from raising the prices? What about the poor then? What about some disabled people or the elderly or other people that just don't use apps for basic services? What about people without a credit card to link? I'm sure there's solutions to these problems but Uber has no incentive to do any single thing that doesn't make them money. Maybe some laws will get passed but we already know Uber won't care to follow it if it disrupts the cash flow.

Taxi companies have been controlling the market by running the lawmakers and bribing city officials for decades. Best case, competitors like Lyft do what they can to keep Uber honest, taxi companies are forced to step up, and Uber improves its policies over time to make sure they can retain drivers and avoid bad press. Worst case: we're no worse off than we were with the ultra-corrupt cab companies ran the show, and you still have the opportunity to "mail your senators" or whatever poo poo to get better regulation.

Rudager posted:

loving hell you're dense.

Every Uber advertisement (at least that I've seen/heard) is trying to recruit drivers, not riders. Why do you think that is?

Uber doesn't care about people riding in the cars, if they did they would advertise for that. By advertising for drivers and not customers they just gently caress over all their "Independent Contractors" by flooding the supply side of the market.

MLM companies do the same thing, they push the "opportunity" and the products are just incidental because they're not interested in selling the product, they want to recruit more people.

You're right, I've never heard of a single legitimate business that advertises employment opportunities and Uber never has any sort of promotion for riders.

# ¿ Jun 18, 2015 18:25

Imaduck: Apr 16, 2007; the magnetorotational instability turns me on

Obdicut posted:

First, that's a false dichotomy: regulating taxis doesn't mean you have to leave regular cars untouched. You can charge a congestion fee or something else along those lines. Second, increased taxi availability (and drive-down costs from it) means fewer people take public transport and walk. Lack of taxis doesn't tend to significantly drive private car ownership or usage.

I feel like this whole thing is just an argument between folks who live in cities with things like "good public transportation" and "legitimate taxi services" and those who don't.

# ¿ Jul 22, 2015 22:56

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Tell me about being an Uber Taxi Driver