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Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

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Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#91

Post by fma »

schwap wrote: post #34
vegabook wrote: post #4

read: "Google ride-share is to Uber as Windows Phone is to Android". Late to the party, tragically deficient in first-mover network effect advantage, and on the decline in credibility since they're shutting down all moonshots, including, as we saw as recently as today, halving the staff at Google Fibre. Talk about panic catch-up with no intrinsic advantage, nor vision. "Mountain View, start your photo-copiers". We kn…

Well sure it could turn out like Google+ vs Facebook or it could turn out like Google Maps vs Mapquest or Gmail vs Hotmail.

When I first used Google Maps and Gmail, I knew that it was far superior than the others.

The only thing I liked about Google+ was the group hangouts..but nothing else.

MapQuest, Hotmail never innovated until it was too late.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#92

Post by praveenster »

jonknee wrote: post #31
vegabook wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it we were in 2012 that would be true. There are multiple competing mapping suppliers now which are perfectly good enough for taxi navigation, including Uber's own system, not forgetting Tomtom's third party stuff, AAPL's heavy investment, etc. This looks like too little too late.

And yet Uber still uses Google Maps.

I believe it doesn't. They acquired some assets from Microsoft Bing maps team:

https://techcrunch.com/2015/06/29/uber-acquires-part-of-bing...

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#94

Post by TheOneTrueKyle »

When I was younger and financially unstable, I had a decision to make. Take a crappy restaurant job or live out of my car. I chose to live out of my car. Every time I hear the argument that people in the restaurant industry are getting unfair pay, I ask myself, "I wonder who made that decision to work there in the first place"

Stop this bullshit tipping. These people made a choice and then chose to complain about it.

Also, this only seems to occur with FOH employees in the restaurant industry. You don't really hear BOH employees (you know, the people who actually do the work of cooking your food) complain.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#95

Post by dragonwriter »

_cbsz wrote: post #52

Why would you pay to carpool to/from work instead of arranging carpool with a coworker, paying for your share of gas directly, and cutting out 1) the (future) middleman 2) the tax man?

> Why would you pay to carpool to/from work instead of arranging carpool with a coworker, paying for your share of gas directly, and cutting out 1) the (future) middleman 2) the tax man?

Because the middle man is charging nothing, and its easier to use the middle man to find people that are good car pool partners by both desired arrival/departure time and where you are going to work from or going after work than trying to ask everyone around your work, and the tax consequences of accepting money to defray expenses don't change with or without the presence of the middle man.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#96

Post by chrisseaton »

jonahx wrote: post #87
chrisseaton wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> if tipping is an option, through a kind of cultural game-theoretic pressure, the situation will always devolve into the restaurant norm. at least that's how it is in the states In the UK tipping in restaurants is optional and, while it sounds really weird to say this, I don't think the waiters and waitresses seem to care either way. I don't get a different reaction from them if I tip or if I don't. They don't seem…

that's pretty interesting. any theories on the underlying cultural differences that explain it, or just different established customs? all the (many) wait-people here in the states i've known really dislike it, and it's generally considered either clueless, rude, or stingy not to tip at least 15%. i'm curious about things like: 1. if you go out with your friends to the pub, and don't tip on your bill, are you friends…

You don't tip in a pub, and you don't have a bill either as you pay for each round of drinks as you get them.

I don't know how your date would be able to know how much you tipped, because you'd normally pay using a chip-and-pin credit card so you don't need to put any money on the table or write anything down.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#97

Post by melvinmt »

speg wrote: post #7
mmanfrin wrote: post #3

Honestly I wish they wouldn't try to compete on price. Maybe I'm alone with this, but I'd rather not feel obligated to tip a driver because the ride is so cheap. Pay them a living wage, let me pay the exact fee, and let me not have to carry goddamn cash like I used to in the era of Taxis. e: Addressing common replies: "This is for people commuting already" -- okay, point taken; my point about Uber/Lyft still stands.…

I took an Uber home from the train station last week and it was less than $15. I'm not sure how much a taxi would've been, probably at least $25. I don't feel good about it. How can someone provide good service if they're taking home so little? I fear that soon Uber will be overrun with poor service because all the quality drivers have been driven out by low costs.

Last week I took Uber to work and paid only $1.22 for a 10 minute drive. Five minutes later I spent more than that on the toppings of my breakfast..

.. not sure how this is sustainable but I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#98

Post by hourislate »

ethanbond wrote: post #30
imgabe wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There should never be an obligation to tip. The whole point of tipping is that it's not obligatory. I get that we've messed that up for a lot of professions, like restaurant servers, but Uber et al have a chance to reset the social norms at least around taxi-esque services and they should take it.

If it's not obligatory to tip then it should be obligatory to pay people a living wage, in any context.

I think the USSR tried a living wage. After 80 years of a living wage they had to line up every morning for their stipend of a loaf of Bread and a Bar of Soap.

While I believe people should be paid fairly, it would be difficult to implement and carry out successfully as history has proven.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#99

Post by et-al »

runako wrote: post #62
et-al wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We need to tip in America because the prevalent attitude here is "I don't get paid enough for this shit." It's not so much about paying people a living wage, as much as changing the way people view their jobs and obligations. Everyone wants to change the world, but how many people will actually pick up a stray piece of trash and throw it in a bin?

If only that were remotely true. In many/most states, the minimum wage for a variety of jobs is not in the range of "livable". For example, minimum wage for restaurant jobs in Georgia is $2.13/hour [1]. They actually don't "get paid enough for this shit," so their attitude actually matches reality. Tipping is a necessary component of the compensation if we want to continue our practice of letting certain employers ha…

I waited tables a decade ago. If I recall correctly, it was $2.95 + tips and I believe with a 4% tip-out. So your 15% tip became 11% real quick. So I hustled.

I'm not saying that we should continue to screw over people who rely on tips as living wage. What I'm saying is that if one wants to have the overwhelmingly warm service Americans expect in restaurants, we need to keep tipping. After all, we've heard anecdotes about service in Europe being poor.

Yes yes, they don't tip in Asia, and service is excellent. Don't forget the social fabric is different there.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#100

Post by eva1984 »

dragonwriter wrote: post #47
mmanfrin wrote: post #3

Honestly I wish they wouldn't try to compete on price. Maybe I'm alone with this, but I'd rather not feel obligated to tip a driver because the ride is so cheap. Pay them a living wage, let me pay the exact fee, and let me not have to carry goddamn cash like I used to in the era of Taxis. e: Addressing common replies: "This is for people commuting already" -- okay, point taken; my point about Uber/Lyft still stands.…

> Honestly I wish they wouldn't try to compete on price. Waze Carpool is more targeted at actual ridesharing (and designed specifically to support to/from work carpooling), not a taxi service using "ridesharing" as a misleading name. Its not really trying to compete with price as it is offering a slightly different service (its kind of like UberPOOL, except its really focusing on -- though not strictly limited to --…

Uber has Uber Pool for the exact same purpose.
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