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Uber Hasn't Had an Effect on Drunken-Driving Deaths, Study Finds

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Re: Uber Hasn't Had an Effect on Drunken-Driving Deaths, Study Finds

#21

Post by unixhero »

p4wnc6 wrote: post #13
seibelj wrote: post #7

I live in Boston. Until uber, the minimum taxi fair was $6, they always had broken credit card machines, and there was never enough cabs when you needed them. I remember s New Year's Eve where we had to promise the dispatcher we would pay a $100 tip to get anyone to pick us up. The "reducing drunk driving" theory was a happy side effect but ultimately not important. Über destroyed a a BS industry full of idiots and m…

I lived in Cambridge for eight years (moved last summer) and never experienced anything remotely like this. I lived on Prospect Street right near Central Sq, and frequently took taxis around the area. I called ahead to have taxis pick me up for early morning rides to the airport, and they were always early and helped me with my bags. I took taxis over to the Boston College area when I was taking music lessons at a st…

Taxis suck, globally.

Re: Uber Hasn't Had an Effect on Drunken-Driving Deaths, Study Finds

#22

Post by smt88 »

laurencerowe wrote: post #17
sandworm101 wrote: post #12

From talking to Brits, I'm starting to think that the greater availability of alternatives to driving one's self home seems to increase drinking. The need to get home, to get one's car home, is a good reason not to drink. During university I rode a motorcycle to school/work and can say it kept me away from many an afternoon at a beer garden. London's nightlife, the serious drinking, can only exist because nobody has…

Drinking is definitely more socially acceptable in Britain than the US, but that has more to do with differing history (no prohibition) than options for getting home. Drink driving became socially unacceptable in Britain only in the last 20-30 years but alcohol consumption hasn't really changed. The anti drink driving ads on TV every Christmas were really quite hard hitting. I've seen nothing similar in the US.

The US has extensive ads fighting drinking and driving. I imagine there isn't much difference there.

Re: Uber Hasn't Had an Effect on Drunken-Driving Deaths, Study Finds

#23

Post by iamshs »

p4wnc6 wrote: post #13
seibelj wrote: post #7

I live in Boston. Until uber, the minimum taxi fair was $6, they always had broken credit card machines, and there was never enough cabs when you needed them. I remember s New Year's Eve where we had to promise the dispatcher we would pay a $100 tip to get anyone to pick us up. The "reducing drunk driving" theory was a happy side effect but ultimately not important. Über destroyed a a BS industry full of idiots and m…

I lived in Cambridge for eight years (moved last summer) and never experienced anything remotely like this. I lived on Prospect Street right near Central Sq, and frequently took taxis around the area. I called ahead to have taxis pick me up for early morning rides to the airport, and they were always early and helped me with my bags. I took taxis over to the Boston College area when I was taking music lessons at a st…

I have never seen a clean taxi except once, and also 80% of drivers had broken machines and took me to ATMs instead. One guy even had his own square reader, which I thought was nifty. But the best part was discovering that our new home address was blacklisted by taxis due to previous occupants shenanigans. Thank god Uber came and smashed them into the ground.

Re: Uber Hasn't Had an Effect on Drunken-Driving Deaths, Study Finds

#24

Post by p4wnc6 »

unixhero wrote: post #21
p4wnc6 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I lived in Cambridge for eight years (moved last summer) and never experienced anything remotely like this. I lived on Prospect Street right near Central Sq, and frequently took taxis around the area. I called ahead to have taxis pick me up for early morning rides to the airport, and they were always early and helped me with my bags. I took taxis over to the Boston College area when I was taking music lessons at a st…

Taxis suck, globally.

Except they really don't and are a great service in tons of places.

Re: Uber Hasn't Had an Effect on Drunken-Driving Deaths, Study Finds

#25

Post by p4wnc6 »

iamshs wrote: post #23
p4wnc6 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I lived in Cambridge for eight years (moved last summer) and never experienced anything remotely like this. I lived on Prospect Street right near Central Sq, and frequently took taxis around the area. I called ahead to have taxis pick me up for early morning rides to the airport, and they were always early and helped me with my bags. I took taxis over to the Boston College area when I was taking music lessons at a st…

I have never seen a clean taxi except once, and also 80% of drivers had broken machines and took me to ATMs instead. One guy even had his own square reader, which I thought was nifty. But the best part was discovering that our new home address was blacklisted by taxis due to previous occupants shenanigans. Thank god Uber came and smashed them into the ground.

More than one taxi is clean. Fewer than 80% of taxi card readers are broken. No one will believe your claim of being blacklisted unless you give proof, and taxi services have hardly been "smashed into the ground" by Uber. I continue to enjoy using taxis in every urban area I travel to, and look forward to the way taxis keep competition pressure high for Uber by adopting various changes to make their level of service indistinguishable in the new ways that customers have enjoyed using Uber.

Re: Uber Hasn't Had an Effect on Drunken-Driving Deaths, Study Finds

#26

Post by product50 »

p4wnc6 wrote: post #24
unixhero wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Taxis suck, globally.

Except they really don't and are a great service in tons of places.

Have you ever been in a taxi in US or India or Australia or even Canada? The entire experience sucks - from finding them, to convincing them to take you to your destination, to them rudely talking to you when you are explaining them your destination cross streets, to have them talking on the phone while driving, to have their taxi filthy dirty, to have them take you around to your destination in a non optimal way, to have them driving in a really rough manner, to have them ask for tip blatantly, to have their credit card reader not working, to them charging you a large amount for that 3 mile trip, to have them rudely tell you to get off on the other side of the road. It is such a miserable experience and I am glad the entire industry is getting killed.

Speak for yourself when defending the taxi industry. You know nothing and I can prove that with experience and facts. It is so infuriating when fools like you come in and make a statement which has no firm basis and sense of truth.

Re: Uber Hasn't Had an Effect on Drunken-Driving Deaths, Study Finds

#27

Post by eropple »

p4wnc6 wrote: post #13
seibelj wrote: post #7

I live in Boston. Until uber, the minimum taxi fair was $6, they always had broken credit card machines, and there was never enough cabs when you needed them. I remember s New Year's Eve where we had to promise the dispatcher we would pay a $100 tip to get anyone to pick us up. The "reducing drunk driving" theory was a happy side effect but ultimately not important. Über destroyed a a BS industry full of idiots and m…

I lived in Cambridge for eight years (moved last summer) and never experienced anything remotely like this. I lived on Prospect Street right near Central Sq, and frequently took taxis around the area. I called ahead to have taxis pick me up for early morning rides to the airport, and they were always early and helped me with my bags. I took taxis over to the Boston College area when I was taking music lessons at a st…

> But some things you absolutely cannot say, at least about taxis in the Boston area, are that they are anything but clean, safe, reliable, punctual, and able to take your credit card.

Safe, sure, to the best of my knowledge. Clean? Nuh-uh. Punctual? Nuh-uh. Able to take my credit card? Maybe 50% of the time. "It's broken," and suddenly it's not broken when I shrug and get out of the car.

And with one exception (a dedicated airport service), every dispatcher I ever dealt with was at best a prick. The only time I use taxis now is departing Logan, where I have no choice because they banned Ubers.

Re: Uber Hasn't Had an Effect on Drunken-Driving Deaths, Study Finds

#28

Post by kaishiro »

p4wnc6 wrote: post #13
seibelj wrote: post #7

I live in Boston. Until uber, the minimum taxi fair was $6, they always had broken credit card machines, and there was never enough cabs when you needed them. I remember s New Year's Eve where we had to promise the dispatcher we would pay a $100 tip to get anyone to pick us up. The "reducing drunk driving" theory was a happy side effect but ultimately not important. Über destroyed a a BS industry full of idiots and m…

I lived in Cambridge for eight years (moved last summer) and never experienced anything remotely like this. I lived on Prospect Street right near Central Sq, and frequently took taxis around the area. I called ahead to have taxis pick me up for early morning rides to the airport, and they were always early and helped me with my bags. I took taxis over to the Boston College area when I was taking music lessons at a st…

Well, this is why we have anecdotes I suppose. I lived in Boston and Brookline for twelve years as well and find your claims equally laughable.

We quite frequently found ourselves in cabs with credit card readers, only to be told they didn't work when it came time to pay. I also simply gave up using cabs trying to get to Logan because while they would usually be on time, there were others when they simply wouldn't show up at all. Now you're under the gun to find a ride - not sure if they're late or just not coming.

All I can say is that while I believe you when you say these things (I have no reason to think you'd lie to make a point), I also think you've simply lived a very charmed life when it comes to taxi service in Massachusetts.

The fact is, the taxis in Boston had very little reason to improve their service prior to competition from Uber. Now they're being forced to adapt to survive.

Edit: spelling

Re: Uber Hasn't Had an Effect on Drunken-Driving Deaths, Study Finds

#29

Post by Bahamut »

product50 wrote: post #26
p4wnc6 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except they really don't and are a great service in tons of places.

Have you ever been in a taxi in US or India or Australia or even Canada? The entire experience sucks - from finding them, to convincing them to take you to your destination, to them rudely talking to you when you are explaining them your destination cross streets, to have them talking on the phone while driving, to have their taxi filthy dirty, to have them take you around to your destination in a non optimal way, to…

Some of the terribleness of the taxi industry is on full display in Las Vegas at McCarran Airport - the taxi lines are long, and despite the posters mentioning the cost to various casinos on the strip, taxis will often try to convince you to take the interstate to rack up an additional $25 from you for such a short trip.

It used to be even worse before the introduction to Uber/Lyft in the city. I'm glad the corrupt taxi industry is forced to change, their shenanigans have bled a lot of money from consumers.

Re: Uber Hasn't Had an Effect on Drunken-Driving Deaths, Study Finds

#30

Post by kuschku »

product50 wrote: post #26
p4wnc6 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except they really don't and are a great service in tons of places.

Have you ever been in a taxi in US or India or Australia or even Canada? The entire experience sucks - from finding them, to convincing them to take you to your destination, to them rudely talking to you when you are explaining them your destination cross streets, to have them talking on the phone while driving, to have their taxi filthy dirty, to have them take you around to your destination in a non optimal way, to…

> Taxis suck, globally.

You tried to defend this statement.

Yet I live in northern Germany, Taxis are less than 10% more expensive than a comparable uber, have better service, are faster, and cleaner.

I can order taxis via phone or a neat app (actually, there’s a bunch of them), basically anyone with a drivers license can start their own taxi company (so there is already a free market), and yet uber refused to comply with the market regulations (they need insurance for the cars).

Your route is shown in the app when planning, you can pay via the app before the trip with taxi, and they often even offer to carry your bag up to your room at your destination.

"Taxis suck, globally." is objectively false.

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