Posted on 09/10/2015 11:06:33 AM PDT by rickmichaels
One of the last times I was in a cab, which must have been nearly a year ago, I was on my way to the airport literally digging my nails into the backseat upholstery. I’ve never really been much of a fan flying, but in this case, I couldn’t get this normally comforting refrain out of my head: You’re much more likely to die in a car on the way to the airport than you are in some sort of freak plane crash. Watching my driver speed up and cut off drivers in passing lanes, I was sure I was going to test that theory. In hindsight, I probably should have just asked the driver to slow down, but I was paralyzed by a combination of crippling social awkwardness and sheer fear. Maybe if I hold on really tight, I thought, I could somehow save myself if and when he vehicle becomes a mess of broken tinker toys off the side of Highway 401.
To my surprise and delight, we made it to the airport in one piece, and I watched the driver speed off to collect his next fare. In hindsight, again, I should have gotten his name or cab number since I had no idea who he was, where he was going and if I would ever have the misfortune of riding in his car again. But trying to track down a cab driver was not exactly on my list of things to do right before a vacation, especially since I would have no guarantee that my complaint would actually register with the company. So I instead headed inside to check my luggage, silently vowing never to take a cab again.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.nationalpost.com ...
Last time I ordered a cab at my favorite sports bar: 1+ hour wait, the thing stank, and the ride cost about $40. Driver was nice enough, though.
Last time I got an Uber at the same place with the same destination: 6 minute wait, clean Lexus, and $12 fare. Better driver, too. (She was also very nice.)
Gee, which one is the better value?
PS I Uber all the time. Have met a few former taxi drivers who now Uber. They uniformly say that they make more than when they drove taxis...
Not so sure I would want random strangers in my Lexus. ;-)
Fair enough, but when you sign up for Uber, they get your credit card and id information. Thorough background checks are made on the drivers. I suspect something similar is run on the riders.
No cash is involved, so the robbery risk is low. Also, drivers rate riders and riders rate drivers. Drivers can choose not to pick up low-rated riders, and low-rated drivers are kicked off the platform.
It’s actually FAR safer than taking a taxi — for EVERYONE.
GO JAYS GO!!!
Last time I was in a cab was in Baltimore about a month ago. The cab was falling apart, stank and the thug driver was playing rap music at ear-splitting volume. (I wound up giving a tip because I didn’t want to get shanked on the way out of the cab.) Wound up using Uber on the way home and was greeted by a nice, well-spoken black driver in a brand new SUV who couldn’t have been more accommodating and delivered us back to our hotel for half the fare of the cab. I will never use a cab again where Uber is available.
Taken a taxi in any major city? Driver from a middle-eastern country? Driver driving with a death wish?
Good reason to try UBER.
Sometimes you meet cool cabbies though. I met once last year that was an older fellow, spent some time talking about how he worked as a rock n roll disk jockey down in Louisiana back in the 60s. So, you never know :)
PS I Uber all the time. Have met a few former taxi drivers who now Uber. They uniformly say that they make more than when they drove taxis...
...
Maybe that’s because they are the better drivers, or they get more fares, or they don’t have to pay an onerous rental charge to the owner of the taxi, who in turn has to grease the palms of the local politicians.
They don’t get tips, though.
Also if someone gets drunk and sick in your car, try getting Uber to help track down the drunk and get him to pay up for the ruination of your upholstery. And who pays for the gas when you drive to the airport and they then cancel the fare?
They can discriminate against “low rated” passengers? Is the Justice Department on their case yet?
****
True story: Years ago on a trip to NYC, a friend and I got into a taxi whose driver promptly announced, “No speak English.” But as he was weaving through traffic in Manhattan, he was yelling curses at other drivers and pedestrians in perfectly clear English. I guess that was the only English he knew.
I can appreciate the safety factor - much like Ebay, drivers and riders earn a reputation.
What I don’t understand is insurance. Do most insurance companies allow Uber rides...or is there additional insurance required?
I also wonder if Uber might get legislated out of existence. As an example, a few years ago there was a growth in ‘roll your own’ cigarettes. Places were popping up where you bought the tobacco and papers in bulk, stuck them in a machine and pressed a button, and presto, cheap smokes. So RJ Reynolds developed an improved paper, that makes the cigarette go out if you don’t puff on it, for fire safety...and they convinced Fedzilla to mandate such papers...and their asking price for selling the papers or technology to the roll your own outfits was prohibitively high.
So, I wonder if the medallion holders might come up with some ‘safety feature’ or ‘driver certification’ to similarly put Uber out of business.
Surely your own personal car insurance does not cover the commercial use of your vehicle. Uber says they have their own insurance to cover drivers when running fares for them.
To my knowledge this coverage has not been tested in the courts in the various states.
Also, another thing to consider, if you read the fine print on your vehicle warranty, commercial use voids the warranty. Wait till someone has a warranty issue on their Ford or Chevy and the dealer finds out you are an Uber driver and denies it!
Anything would be better than those shared airport shuttles. All the drivers seem to be nasty, rude immigrants. Recently I had a Middle Eastern driver who was, by far, the rudest person I’ve ever encountered in my life. NEVER again. I’m checking into Uber.
Uber drivers are local too and most give you their direct number. If a drunk gets sick in the car you take care of it then and not later.
Who pays for the taxi cab gas if the fare isn’t there or cancels? Besides, cabs are at airports already. You don’t call them over. If you use Uber at the airport the closest one will come up on your app.
I bet you also like pissing on parades.
OMG, roll your own has been around since tobacco started being smoked.
Your RJ Reynolds “story” sounds like urban myth. I know roll your own folks today and the machines still exist. Geez, where do people come up with this crap?
It seems to be a good option for urban areas.
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