I observe this is true with my 21 year old son who is in college. After a few drinks and dancing downtown, they all grab an Uber back home, they don't even consider driving. Now it is a small town, but you can still pick up an Uber at 2 am for a 5 dollar ride home. Awesome!
Ride-hailing apps may help to curb drunk driving
81–90 of 383 posts
Re: Ride-hailing apps may help to curb drunk driving
#82Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's not just about dirt cheap. You know that you're not going to get screwed by an uber driver, even if you're drunk. Can't say the same about cab drivers, who've definitely tried to pull things when they see drunk people. Not to mention the ones that'll just pass you by over and over, or won't come to your location at a certain time, or just not answer the phone. Cabs in general have been horrible.
I've been taken advantage of by Uber drivers while drunk. That said, when I woke up the next day^Wmonth and saw the charges and the loop-de-loops they took to get me home, I complained and Uber refunded me the whole fare, which I didn't even ask for. If this was a cab and even with a credit card charge (forget about cash) I would have just written it off.
Uber has done that for me a couple times, either whole or in part, when the driver get very lost and it takes double the time and distance.
Re: Ride-hailing apps may help to curb drunk driving
#83Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's not just about dirt cheap. You know that you're not going to get screwed by an uber driver, even if you're drunk. Can't say the same about cab drivers, who've definitely tried to pull things when they see drunk people. Not to mention the ones that'll just pass you by over and over, or won't come to your location at a certain time, or just not answer the phone. Cabs in general have been horrible.
I've been taken advantage of by Uber drivers while drunk. That said, when I woke up the next day^Wmonth and saw the charges and the loop-de-loops they took to get me home, I complained and Uber refunded me the whole fare, which I didn't even ask for. If this was a cab and even with a credit card charge (forget about cash) I would have just written it off.
Well if you didn't end up paying for it then they didn't really take advantage. They just attempted to and were stopped by the feedback loop ride sharing systems offer.
Re: Ride-hailing apps may help to curb drunk driving
#84Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's not he accessibility of ride-sharing services that is doing this, it is the ride-sharing services policy of artificially low pricing to facilitate rapid growth that is responsible. Those $9 rides are not sustainable. When the prices go back up to sustainable levels we will see many of these benefits evaporate.
And like you know, all the other things he listed: > it's easy to call one from a crowded/loud place, you know how much it will cost, they don't use cash, they know where you are, and you don't have to give directions. p.s., why do people like you want to hate on ride sharing services so much? Is it just that nothing can ever be good enough in your mind?
I upvoted you, but I think this needs reinforcement. These are very valuable considerations when getting a ride home after drinking.
In my personal experience, you call a cab, and they may not even come. There's no repercussion for that with traditional taxi services.
Uber may be subsidizing pricing now, but there is still a higher price point that provides additional value, particularly for those drinking.
Reliability, convenience, and accountability -- these are the keys.
Re: Ride-hailing apps may help to curb drunk driving
#85Earlier quoted context omitted.
And like you know, all the other things he listed: > it's easy to call one from a crowded/loud place, you know how much it will cost, they don't use cash, they know where you are, and you don't have to give directions. p.s., why do people like you want to hate on ride sharing services so much? Is it just that nothing can ever be good enough in your mind?
I upvoted you, but I think this needs reinforcement. These are very valuable considerations when getting a ride home after drinking. In my personal experience, you call a cab, and they may not even come. There's no repercussion for that with traditional taxi services. Uber may be subsidizing pricing now, but there is still a higher price point that provides additional value, particularly for those drinking. Reliabili…
All of these things are also huge for people who are disabled (deaf, mute, etc) and for people who are in foreign countries, and all sorts of other situations that most of us might not typically think of.
Re: Ride-hailing apps may help to curb drunk driving
#86A separate discussion that I'd like to have is – why do people drink so much, to the point of drunkenness? Why is this so common? Has this always been the case? Will this change?
Re: Ride-hailing apps may help to curb drunk driving
#87Based on personal experiences this isn't surprising. When I was in college in a small town in the late 00's, many friends and acquaintances would drive across town after heavy drinking. 10-15 minutes, straight roads, little traffic. Other than not going out, or not getting home, you didn't have many options. It was a hour long walk or a $20-40 cab ride, if you could get one. I was recently back in town for a wedding…
It's not he accessibility of ride-sharing services that is doing this, it is the ride-sharing services policy of artificially low pricing to facilitate rapid growth that is responsible. Those $9 rides are not sustainable. When the prices go back up to sustainable levels we will see many of these benefits evaporate.
It is not the cost of the ride, it is the fact that an Uber driver will actually show up. In many cities if you call a taxi company at 2am, no one will answer.
Re: Ride-hailing apps may help to curb drunk driving
#88Perhaps that should be phrased "the availability of drivers using a ride sharing platform has helped reduce drunk driving accidents." If Uber doesn't accept drivers as employees and isn't responsible for their actions, it shouldn't be credited with their collective contributions to a safer society.
Yeah, before Uber it was definitely easy to find someone to drive you home at 3 am from an arbitrary location with a full digital payment and accountability system.
Re: Ride-hailing apps may help to curb drunk driving
#89Earlier quoted context omitted.
Study credits Uber because specificity > vagueness. From 2011 - present Uber was responsible for vast the majority of ride-share rides: https://www.thestreet.com/story/13536061/1/uber-now-more-pop...
Living in New York for 2012-2015: it felt like there was about a 50:50 split on Lyft vs Uber. Lyft doesn't seem to have even near that sort of penetration in other cities from what I've experienced.
50-50 seems unlikely: http://toddwschneider.com/posts/taxi-uber-lyft-usage-new-yor...
Re: Ride-hailing apps may help to curb drunk driving
#90Earlier quoted context omitted.
Bitter/hating much? I know Uber is not liked, but the fact that they have done a great job at disturbing the market in a great way. (Lyft as well, but they are still a minority player) Having have to deal with NYC cabs often, when they will lock the doors and ask where you are going before letting you in, Uber is a great improvement overall. Also, a NYC taxi medallion would cost 500k to almost 750k (that's like a mor…
Have you really had that experience in NYC? I've lived in Brooklyn for 10 years and have only once had a cab refuse to drive me home.
Perhaps you haven't committed the crime of living in a poor neighborhood or looking like a minority.