uber

[Zman]

A comparison of taxi vs. uber for recent trip to/from airport:

 

To airport:

Opened up uber app.

Car arrived within a few minutes and I could follow its progress the whole time.

Driver was pleasant and friendly. He drove like a sane person.

Ride to airport was less than $8 (plus I tipped $5). This was a "pool" ride so I shared the car with two other people. But since I was last to be picked up we went straight to the airport.

 

From the airport:

Since uber can't pick up from LAX (I believe), I had to wait for a taxi.

So, I joined the sad queue of tired/cranky people. No way to know how soon another taxi would arrive and how long we'd have to wait.

Wait was bearable. Less than 15 min.

Driver was surly and a pain in the ass. Didn't bother to listen to my directions then complained about the way the GPS took him. He drove like a taxi driver (scary).

Far was $37 including tip.

 

uber wins this round. I hope they can make pickups at the airport soon.

Edited December 17, 2015 by Zman

[RussJohnson]

A comparison of taxi vs. uber for recent trip to/from airport:

 

To airport:

Opened up uber app.

Car arrived within in a few minutes and I could follow it's progress the whole time.

Driver was pleasant and friendly. He drove like a sane person.

Ride to airport was less than $8 (plus I tipped $5). This was a "pool" ride so I shared the car with two other people. But since I was last to be picked up we went straight to the airport.

 

From the airport:

Since uber can't pick up from LAX (I believe), I had to wait for a taxi.

So, I joined the sad queue of tired/cranky people. No way to know how soon another taxi would arrive and how long we'd have to wait.

Wait was bearable. Less than 15 min.

Driver was surly and a pain in the ass. Didn't bother to listen to my directions then complained about the way the GPS took him. He drove like a taxi driver (scary).

Far was $37 including tip.

 

uber wins this round. I hope they can't make pickups at the airport soon.

 

Not sure where you are but in some major cities I've been known to set my pick up pin outside the geofence but as close to the airport as possible. Then immediately call and tell them I am at the airport. Some will do it, some won't probably depends on the city and how strict they are with fines, plus if they have an obvious uber sticker or something (ask/remind them to move it if they agree). Get them to pick you up in departures. Give them a hug when they arrive in case of security.

 

Does uber offer tips on the app now? Or was that your guilt? haha

[bigvalboy]

Like LA, in FTL Uber is not allowed to do airport pickups either, but RussJ is correct, I have friends who call them all the time, and Uber will pick them up curbside, usually within minutes of the call... Low key, no Uber sticker etc.

 

I have been dead against Uber from the start, and have never used them, but they are cooperating with county officials now, and are operating again, and I have to say, they are less than half the cost of a taxi.

 

AND... yes, I'm curious also, did you tip via the app, or did you tip the driver directly?

[Zman]

Does uber offer tips on the app now? Or was that your guilt? haha

 

The tip was cash; yes it was guilt. IDK from reading this thread I got the idea you should tip. At least for airport trips. The driver was seemed surprised so I guess it wasn't really necessary. He better have given me 5 stars .

 

The whole thing with legal uber pickups at LAX is in a state of flux right now. Supposedly there was an agreement that they'd start paying the fees for crossing the geo-fence, etc. But that fell through or something.

Edited November 21, 2015 by Zman

[RussJohnson]

Like LA, in FTL Uber is not allowed to do airport pickups either, but RussJ is correct, I have friends who call them all the time, and Uber will pick them up curbside, usually within minutes of the call... Low key, no Uber sticker etc.

 

I have been dead against Uber from the start, and have never used them, but they are cooperating with county officials now, and are operating again, and I have to say, they are less than half the cost of a taxi.

 

AND... yes, I'm curious also, did you tip via the app, or did you tip the driver directly?

 

I went back and skimmed the thread, you are against them from an employee standpoint correct? Not the service in general?

 

While I love cheaper rides, That's not even what gets me to use it. They could be the same cost and I would choose it over the 3s, 7s, 8s in Broward, they are just the worst! It's all about the service.

 

I guess it many ways I feel for the drivers as we both work by request, differences is I set my own cost to offset my expenses, but you know we deal with wear and tear too

[bigvalboy]

you are against them from an employee standpoint correct? Not the service in general?

 

Precisely.... But I agree with you 100%, from all accounts their service is far superior to any of the 3's 7's or 8's in Broward. And I have evolved on this issue over time. For one, I know several people who rely on Uber for transportation and would be broke trying to use cabs. Like I mentioned, Uber is less than half what these cabs cost, faster, cleaner, and more efficient, and additionally, it seems that the county and Uber have made peace for now. There was some give and take from both sides. Truth be told, I could see myself using them in the future.

 

From my house to the Boardwalk via cab is $21-22 not including tip...the same ride with Uber is $8. The times they are a changin.

[trav05]

Bigvalboy, Uber is ok from the Ft.Lauderdale Airport now. I live about 10 miles from Fll. It cost me $15.00 and never wait more than 5-10 minutes. I haven't used them from the airport, but will next trip. Taxi cost me $40.00. Most of my flights get in late in the evening and every time I have to argue with the driver to turn on the a/c. I'm done with the taxis.

I've used Uber in Bangkok a couple of times from out of the way streets. Cost is about equal to taxi, but when no taxis around, perfect solution.

[RussJohnson]

Precisely.... But I agree with you 100%, from all accounts their service is far superior to any of the 3's 7's or 8's in Broward. And I have evolved on this issue over time. For one, I know several people who rely on Uber for transportation and would be broke trying to use cabs. Like I mentioned, Uber is less than half what these cabs cost, faster, cleaner, and more efficient, and additionally, it seems that the county and Uber have made peace for now. There was some give and take from both sides. Truth be told, I could see myself using them in the future.

 

From my house to the Boardwalk via cab is $21-22 not including tip...the same ride with Uber is $8. The times they are a changin.

 

I understand believe me, I used to be so against them but slowly changed to be an advocate (with few lingering reservations) I think after a little more time we will have real data on the working conditions I think some people got too excited to quit their jobs and join uber and are now finding out it's not all they expected). I've heard hearsay that lyft is a little better to drivers (I know they have a $1, $2, $5, other - tip option in the interface which I appreciate, what is $2 more on an $8 ride:)) They should let drivers set their own rate and riders can do a range they will accept having to adjust if nothing is available in that range or something...

 

Bigvalboy, Uber is ok from the Ft.Lauderdale Airport now. I live about 10 miles from Fll. It cost me $15.00 and never wait more than 5-10 minutes. I haven't used them from the airport, but will next trip. Taxi cost me $40.00. Most of my flights get in late in the evening and every time I have to argue with the driver to turn on the a/c. I'm done with the taxis.

I've used Uber in Bangkok a couple of times from out of the way streets. Cost is about equal to taxi, but when no taxis around, perfect solution.

 

I think fighting with a taxi driver in Broward is now a right of passage.

[AdamSmith]

Uber fundraising drive values app higher than General Motors

Ride-hailing app is valued at $62bn making it the world’s most valuable private start-up and outstripping the US car giant’s $55bn worth

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/04/uber-app-valued-62-billion-general-motors

[bigvalboy]

Uber fundraising drive values app higher than General Motors

Ride-hailing app is valued at $62bn making it the world’s most valuable private start-up and outstripping the US car giant’s $55bn worth

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/04/uber-app-valued-62-billion-general-motors

 

...A month or so ago, I decided to bite the bullet and download the app. I was uncomfortable giving them credit card information, so I decided to give them a loadable credit card, which the system doesn't take. Fast forward today, I still receive at least 2-3 emails per week, encouraging me to download the app with a regular credit card. FWIW...the emails are persistent but friendly, to the point where I am seriously reconsidering pulling the trigger with a regular credit card. They are brilliant with their marketing if nothing else.

[AdamSmith]

I've used them since about March and they've never made a billing mistake thus far. And twice when the driver's Google map sent him on a needlessly long route, he entered a reasonable charge-reduction order and my card was rebated that amount.

[tanman4u]

I just took an Uber trip where their APP was waaaaay off. We ended up using my cell phone for navigation. The fare came out to $65 but the driver entered a remark that we had gone way out of our way and encouraged me to reply to the receipt I would receive in email. When I did and asked for an adjustment they reduced it to $7! I actually feel kinda bad because the driver was very nice and deserved more that he ended up with.

[sincitymix]

I recently used Uber. I initially called a Taxi company to get to the airport, didn't want to park in long term parking. I first called the day before, seeing if I could schedule a specific pickup time, they said no. I called the day of the flight, really early in the morning (I like to arrive early), explained to the dispatcher I had to be at the airport at a very specific time. They said no problem we will dispatch someone to your residence right now. 1 hour.. no taxi.. 2 hours no taxi. now im panicking as the flight deadline is approaching.. granted I still had about 3 hours to go.. no taxi after 3 hours..so I downloaded uber, set it up, and boom had a driver within 30 minutes. Got to the airport, gave the driver a very nice tip and headed on through the horrible check in and security checkpoint.. which took over an hour in itself and barely made my flight.

While I was sitting at the gate, I got a call from the Taxi dispatcher, wanting to know were I was, that the driver was waiting for me outside. I apologized for not calling them to cancel the dispatch,(not really sorry, i was pissed.. but im polite:p) Told them i was at the airport already, No i didn't go with another taxi company, i went with uber. on there is nothing you can do or offer to make it up to me. I was very disatisifed with the taxi company, i would not be ever using them in the future, and would be recommending uber to everyone.

[Zman]

The ability to see where your uber driver is and knowing about when they will arrive is a HUGE improvement over regular taxis. I've had many similar experiences with taxi dispatchers. They deserve to have uber eat their lunch.

Edited December 6, 2015 by Zman

[mike carey]

The state government in NSW has just legalised Uber effective midnight tonight (17 Dec at 1300UTC). As with the ACT six weeks ago it's subject to criminal and safety checks, and taxis retain exclusive rights to be hailed in the street, or pick up at taxi ranks or at Sydney Airport. There will also be a $AU250m industry readjustment fund to compensate taxi and hire car owners for the loss of value of their plates.

[+ dutchmuch]

There will also be a $AU250m industry readjustment fund to compensate taxi and hire car owners for the loss of value of their plates.

 

Quarter million $AU, who's paying for that?

[mike carey]

Quarter million $AU, who's paying for that?

That's the headline figure, and apparently funded by the state government (which has just announced a projected $3b budget surplus this FY (Jul 15 to Jun 16)). The government will fund some of the cost with a levy of $1 per trip on all point-to-point transport providers, There will be fixed compensation of $20,000 per plate (max of 2 per owner) and case by case compensation above that for recent purchasers of plates (who would have paid heaps for them).

[RussJohnson]

That's the headline figure, and apparently funded by the state government (which has just announced a projected $3b budget surplus this FY (Jul 15 to Jun 16)). The government will fund some of the cost with a levy of $1 per trip on all point-to-point transport providers, There will be fixed compensation of $20,000 per plate (max of 2 per owner) and case by case compensation above that for recent purchasers of plates (who would have paid heaps for them).

 

Yay for Uber! But really? I can think of a lot of good causes that surplus could go to, not lousy taxi lobbyists, and mob bosses. It's called competition...

[+ dutchmuch]

Perhaps Jared Fogel can drive for Uber when he gets out of the Big House, assuming Uber is still operating. Jimbobenjiboi?

Prosecutors from San Francisco and Los Angeles continue to say that ride-hailing service Uber misleads its riders on the rigor of its background checks. Uber’s Los Angeles-area drivers included people driving under false names and those convicted of sex offenses, kidnapping and murder, the prosecutors said.

The revelations about the drivers come in an amended complaint filed Wednesday, in a suit the district attorneys originally filed against Uber in December over allegedly misleading business practices. Prosecutors settled a similar suit in December against Lyft, an Uber rival, for $250,000.

At the heart of the lawsuit is the language with which Uber describes the rigor of its driver background checks. After hearing from prosecutors, Uber has softened its claims over the past year, downshifting from saying it has “industry-leading” background checks and “safety you can trust” to its current message, which is that “every system of background checks that is available today has its flaws.” Lyft made similar adjustments to its language as part of the settlement agreement.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenhuet/2015/08/19/uber-background-check-lawsuit-convicted-felons-prosecutors/

 

And here it is folks, Uber now allowing convicted felons to drive you! JimboBenjiboi?

 

Uber Technologies Inc. is taking steps in California to make its driver-screening requirements fairer to some nonviolent criminals who have served prison sentences and are attempting to rebuild their lives.

 

The car-hailing service no longer will reject people who apply to be drivers in the state it previously would have turned down because of certain nonviolent or nonsexual offenses, such as petty theft and check fraud, Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan said in an interview.

 

Uber also plans to inform driver applicants in California when it is rejecting them because of a criminal felony conviction, and tell them about steps they could take to reduce their record under Proposition 47, a law that gives non-violent offenders an opportunity to reduce their felony conviction to a misdemeanor if they submit an application by Nov. 4, 2017.

 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/uber-eases-screening-rules-in-california-1452668401

[bigvalboy]

And here it is folks, Uber now allowing convicted felons to drive you! JimboBenjiboi?

 

Uber Technologies Inc. is taking steps in California to make its driver-screening requirements fairer to some nonviolent criminals who have served prison sentences and are attempting to rebuild their lives.

 

The car-hailing service no longer will reject people who apply to be drivers in the state it previously would have turned down because of certain nonviolent or nonsexual offenses, such as petty theft and check fraud, Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan said in an interview.

 

Uber also plans to inform driver applicants in California when it is rejecting them because of a criminal felony conviction, and tell them about steps they could take to reduce their record under Proposition 47, a law that gives non-violent offenders an opportunity to reduce their felony conviction to a misdemeanor if they submit an application by Nov. 4, 2017.

 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/uber-eases-screening-rules-in-california-1452668401

 

And is this the result?...who knows how competent Uber Dirvers are.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article54355845.html

 

Uber suit in Miami-Dade comes as debate looms on driver screenings

 

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/mc49ul/picture54355835/ALTERNATES/FREE_960/ubersuit01wmm

 

When Pablo Sanchez Jr. wanted a lift home in the wee hours of a recent Sunday, the 20-year-old used his cellphone to hail an Uber vehicle to take him and friends the 30 miles or so between downtown Miami and his parents’ house in Country Walk.

 

He was almost home in the early morning hours of Dec. 27 when the Uber driver’s GMC Yukon, according to a lawsuit, turned into oncoming traffic, flipped over and burst into flames. Sanchez was trapped inside and died.

 

Now his mother is suing Uber, and her lawyer is taking aim at the popular ride-hailing company’s reliance on a fleet of freelance and often moonlighting drivers that now number in the thousands throughout Miami-Dade .

 

“Many of these drivers are using Uber to supplement their lifestyle,” said Coral Gables lawyer Andrew Yaffa, who represents Sanchez’s mother and father. “You may have folks that have two and three other jobs and are coming on duty late in the day. Somehow, someway there needs to be safeguards that Uber is not putting people that are on the verge of falling asleep behind the wheel and responsible for our children.”

 

The litigation comes as Miami-Dade leaders wrestle with how much scrutiny to give the company’s drivers in a push to legalize the popular service. Mayor Carlos Gimenez proposed letting Uber itself handle background checks, but a proposal drafted by County Commission Chairman Jean Monestime would require drivers to submit to county

 

screening. Commissioners are expected to take up the issue for an initial vote at their Jan. 20 meeting, with both Monestime’s proposal and a Gimenez-backed ordinance proposed by Commissioner Esteban “Steve” Bovo working their way through the legislative pipeline.

Uber spokesman Bill Gibbons declined to comment beyond a statement that read: “We are deeply saddened by this tragic accident, and our thoughts are with all those involved and their families during this very difficult time.”

Though illegal in Miami-Dade for not following the county’s car-for-hire rules, Uber still provides commercial insurance throughout the county. The insurance kicks in for drivers once they’re logged into the company’s ride-hailing software. For accidents that occur after a ride is hailed, the policies offer $1 million in coverage, according to the company’s website.

 

Sanchez’s mother, Shafena Mohamed, is listed as the plaintiff in the suit filed Jan. 8 in Miami-Dade Circuit Court and discussed the case Tuesday at a press conference at the Grossman Roth law firm in Coral Gables, where Yaffa is a partner. The suit is against Uber, as well as the two drivers involved in the collision. Uber driver Jean Ralph Adam could not be located Tuesday, and Uber did not respond to an interview request for Adam. Shamma Chery, listed as the Yukon’s owner, is also named as a defendant.

 

Yaffa said the police report has not yet been completed and that he could provide no specifics as to what caused the crash. He said Sanchez’s friends and fellow passengers, who survived the crash, described the driver as looking down before the collision.

 

Yaffa also offered no details on what — if anything — Uber may have failed to catch in its screening process or how long Adam had been driving that day. With the suit filed, Yaffa said he can secure the evidence needed to determine what happened and make his case.

 

Sanchez’s father, Pablo Sanchez Sr., attended the press conference and addressed about a dozen reporters in both English and Spanish. He cried when discussing his son, who was studying at Miami-Dade College to be a pharmacist.

 

“You don’t know who’s going to drive your son,” he said. “These people, you can call them at any time of the night. They’re there.”

 

 

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article54355845.html#storylink=cpy

 

 

 

Edited January 13, 2016 by bigvalboy

[+ bigjoey]

Uber fundraising drive values app higher than General Motors

Ride-hailing app is valued at $62bn making it the world’s most valuable private start-up and outstripping the US car giant’s $55bn worth

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/04/uber-app-valued-62-billion-general-motors

 

The values attached to these new companies like Uber just amaze me; the number of newly rich multimillionaires that are "kids" is evidence of what I have talked about several times: when talking about the top 10% of the income scale, there is "churn" over time. Politicians talk like this group is a fixed, closed group. In fact, it seems to be changing faster than ever.

 

The picture is often painted of this greedy group of the top 10% getting most of the income gains in our economy. As Uber shows, often these people are wearing sneakers and jeans and eating pizza in an open office and changing everything about our society. These people are at the same time creating jobs and destroying jobs.

 

Like it or not, the Uber founders and those like them are a large new part of our top 10% of the income pyramid.

 

In reading these high valuations for new companies like Uber, it seems that every few days coins a new group of millionaire youngsters. That digital apps are more valuable than an established company with real assets and thousands of employees like General Motors is a hard concept to grasp.

 

I will be 70 next month and looking back at how much has changed is enough to give me the vapors. 15 years ago, I could not have imagined an I-phone yet alone the apps that followed.

 

For the record, I have not yet used Uber but will on my next travel trip to a big city. All my friends use it and have great experiences to relate. Like many my age, I can relate both good and bad taxi experiences; but the bad ones are far higher than one should accept; now that there is an alternative I plan on using it. Great to have consumer choice.

[+ honcho]

There's a yellow cab app. When I get a smart phone I will definitely consider using it.

[caliguy]

And here it is folks, Uber now allowing convicted felons to drive you! JimboBenjiboi?

 

Uber Technologies Inc. is taking steps in California to make its driver-screening requirements fairer to some nonviolent criminals who have served prison sentences and are attempting to rebuild their lives.

 

The car-hailing service no longer will reject people who apply to be drivers in the state it previously would have turned down because of certain nonviolent or nonsexual offenses, such as petty theft and check fraud, Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan said in an interview.

 

Uber also plans to inform driver applicants in California when it is rejecting them because of a criminal felony conviction, and tell them about steps they could take to reduce their record under Proposition 47, a law that gives non-violent offenders an opportunity to reduce their felony conviction to a misdemeanor if they submit an application by Nov. 4, 2017.

 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/uber-eases-screening-rules-in-california-1452668401

Their new motto is..my own private felon.

[bigvalboy]

http://observer.com/2016/01/why-uber-faces-a-rough-road-ahead/

 

This was an interesting perspective...

 

The Next Big Thing 2016

Why Uber Faces a Rough Road Ahead

Uber’s hostility to any regulation has backfired, and now it must engage in city-by-city combat

 

 

By Lawrence Meyers • 01/13/16 9:00am

Illustration by Carlos Zamora.

Uber is nothing more than a dispatcher for gypsy cabs. That’s all it is.

The company’s business model only works in a Wild West bereft of regulation and relies on a financially naïve workforce. However, regulators are catching up to Uber and drivers are slowly realizing that they’ve been played for fools.

Investors’ only hope is to escape Uber via an IPO, praying that investors support the stock until its sell-by date.

Low Pay Equals High Attrition

A slam-dunk Uber recruitment campaign would center on data showing driver earnings, but the company refuses to release such information. It curiously stopped advertising drivers could make as much as $90,000 per year. Why? Because UberX pay, at best, is equivalent to a taxi driver’s.

Consider the math: For the same trip, an UberX fare will be slightly less than that of a taxi. However, the cab driver will routinely also earn a 15 percent tip, while the UberX driver will lose 36 percent in Uber commission, NYC sales tax and the black car fee. Surge fees don’t make up the difference. Not only does Uber itself report that only 10 percent of fares are surged, but a Northwestern University study concluded that surges actually stifle demand.

Driver expenses deliver the killing blow. My independent firm published a white paper, “Towards a Cost Estimate for a NYC UberX Driver,” which concluded that UberX drivers bear costs of $7.43 per hour, resulting in net hourly pre-tax income equivalent to that of taxis. For those who lease cabs, the leasing fees gobble up an equivalent amount of revenue. Owner-operators, however, still enjoy higher net income, as they do not bear either the Uber commission or lease fees.

This may explain the whopping 45 percent attrition rate for Uber drivers who worked 12 months, a conclusion reached by a study Uber commissioned from the company’s head of research Jonathan Hall and Princeton economist Alan B. Krueger.

It’s possible that attrition rate will only increase, given that Uber just cut fares in more than 100 cities, allegedly only for the “slower month of January.” Like any retailer, markdowns are intended to attract more demand, in the hope that higher volume will make up for the lower prices. However, lower consumer prices also means lower driver income, with no guarantee of increased volume on a per-driver basis.

Uber is now so desperate to recruit drivers that it partnered with shady subprime lender Westlake Financial, offering a lease escape clause if earnings aren’t sufficient.

Clearly, Uber counts on financial naïveté among its workforce. However, the line of marks waiting to see the cheesecake behind the curtain will likely find another attraction.

The Taxi Comeback

Uber faces a more challenging problem in New York City: equilibrium. Most of the 13,587 taxi medallions are on the road 24 hours a day. Uber has 20,448 cars, but only 16 percent of them are rolling at any given time. Why, after four years in New York, with 100 percent market awareness, are so few cars in service? The only explanation is that demand for Uber has been met.

This fact is filtering into the taxi medallion market, which has been moribund for 18 months. Last November, prices began to rise after 13 months of declines.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, there has been an extraordinary turnaround in the number of taxi license applications. The Wall Street Journal reported applications fell by half between 2010 and 2012, as Uber poached cabbies. However, applications for taxi licenses have since doubled, far exceeding the 2010 high.

One logical conclusion: Uber drivers are running back to taxis because of the disappointing pay and poor treatment. Another factor may be the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority’s move to loosen taxi medallion purchase rules, resulting in a waiting list of 250 potential buyers. This undercuts the assertion that Uber is making taxi medallions worthless.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority also just passed restrictions on transportation network companies (TNCs) using main thoroughfares after it found a 20 percent decrease in city speeds.

Urban Warfare

Uber’s hostility to any regulation has backfired, and now it must engage in city-by-city combat. Shannon Liss-Riordan, the acclaimed class action attorney, is suing Uber in California to have the company’s drivers classified as employees rather than independent contractors. She keeps winning battles in the case, and an Uber loss could cost billions in driver recompense. Even if it prevails, Uber will likely face more such cases, and it would only take a handful of wins to gut its coffers.

Meanwhile, Seattle’s city council unanimously permitted drivers to unionize, which could force Uber to offer minimum wage or to exit the market. In the era of the $15 minimum wage, how many more cities will follow?

Uber’s disdain for its “driver-partners” and regulatory authority will only lead to one result: a crash.

Edited January 14, 2016 by bigvalboy

[+ quoththeraven]

Uber is on paper a great idea for the consumer, but the company's embrace of the Wild West "do what we want" philosophy is backfiring. They should lose the fight over whether their drivers are independent contractors or employees; that alone may invalidate their business model.