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Uber London loses licence to operate

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Uber London loses licence to operate

#391

Post by Nursie »

mattlondon wrote: post #389
PaulRobinson wrote: post #189

Londoner here. The license is not being renewed not because TfL isn't interested in innovation (they actively encourage it), not to retain power for the black cab drivers, and not because London isn't interested in companies like Uber operating here. It's because of the rapes. The Metropolitan Police (the part of the UK police force that polices London), has objected to their license. In 2015 alone, they had to deal…

> In the entire history of the hackney carriage (black cab) license - going back to 1662 - I know of only one case of a driver having been prosecuted for rape, about 5 years ago. Pardon? John Warboys - a registered black cab driver - was convicted of 12 rapes in 2009, and was thought to have carried out over 100. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Worboys David perry - a registered black cab driver - was convicted of…

Presumably a background check might catch priors?

Re: Uber London loses licence to operate

#392

Post by throwaway287391 »

nicolapede wrote: post #344
throwaway287391 wrote: post #282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've learned to always, ALWAYS ask when I first step into a cab whether they accept card payments, anywhere in the world. As far as I can remember, every time I've done this the answer has always been "yes" and the card payment worked without a hitch at the end of the ride. Yet just about every time I took a cab without asking about cards upfront, the driver would tell me his reader isn't working and he'd have to dri…

Counterexample -- happened near London. I asked to the cab driver if he accepted card payments and he says no. I asked him if we could stop to an ATM machine on the way and he said no and had me leave the cab (it was raining and there was a huge queue to get a cab).

Fair point -- if cabs are in high demand / short supply (and/or you're in a hurry) my strategy might not be ideal.

Re: Uber London loses licence to operate

#393

Post by [deleted] »

djsumdog wrote: post #386
foldr wrote: post #291

Earlier quoted context omitted.

London cabs can be hailed using apps and accept card payments, so Uber has no real advantage in those respects in London.

I hailed a cab during the big tube strike a few years back. 60 GBP got me, not to the airport, but the DLR (automated trains; no drivers). We had to stop by an ATM since he didn't take cards. Uber had surge pricing at the time due to the strike, so I'm not really sure which one would have been worse.

[deleted]

Re: Uber London loses licence to operate

#394

Post by corford »

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #257
jmkni wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Monzo, Monese and Revolut all offer this.

No banks I'll have heard of, then? Do you use one you'd recommend?

I and a lot of my friends use Revolut and it's excellent. They're a very well funded FinTech startup and have been around for a few years.

Re: Uber London loses licence to operate

#395

Post by jamiegreen »

orf wrote: post #362
jamiegreen wrote: post #289

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My experience does not match what you are saying. I was always taught that (unless a service charge is already included) you should tip 10-20% in good restaurants. Not to tip I believe is generally seen as rude/a sign that service was bad.

Sure, but you wouldn't leave a tip after getting a cup of tea at a wetherspoons, would you. I guess that's the UK equivalent of coffee at a diner. Some places accept tips, and perhaps in some you should. The vast vast vast majority don't expect them as par for the course.

I have never heard of someone getting a cup of tea at spoons ;)

Ok, but I still think restaurant = tip expected. But hey, you are free to tip/not tip as you see fit.

Re: Uber London loses licence to operate

#396

Post by yomly »

danpalmer wrote: post #256
PaulRobinson wrote: post #189

Londoner here. The license is not being renewed not because TfL isn't interested in innovation (they actively encourage it), not to retain power for the black cab drivers, and not because London isn't interested in companies like Uber operating here. It's because of the rapes. The Metropolitan Police (the part of the UK police force that polices London), has objected to their license. In 2015 alone, they had to deal…

Some anecdata related to this – discussing with colleagues today, one mentioned that she had got into an Uber where the driver was clearly not the person registered with Uber, and the car was not the one she was told would pick her up. She mentioned another case she knew of where a driver was sharing the Uber registration with his cousin to earn more money. This sort of activity severely impacts the safety and securi…

Surely when a car arrives with a different licence plate and a different driver, you don't get in? Moreover, you report the driver?

I'm not strictly pro-Uber but in any system there will be people who try to break the rules.

I would gladly wait another 20 minutes, and warn the driver of calling the police (were they to harass me) to get another Uber. Even fronting the £7 cancellation or w/e is worth it to me for the peace of mind to not have to deal with something shady like that.

Re: Uber London loses licence to operate

#397

Post by shrewduser »

danpalmer wrote: post #256
PaulRobinson wrote: post #189

Londoner here. The license is not being renewed not because TfL isn't interested in innovation (they actively encourage it), not to retain power for the black cab drivers, and not because London isn't interested in companies like Uber operating here. It's because of the rapes. The Metropolitan Police (the part of the UK police force that polices London), has objected to their license. In 2015 alone, they had to deal…

Some anecdata related to this – discussing with colleagues today, one mentioned that she had got into an Uber where the driver was clearly not the person registered with Uber, and the car was not the one she was told would pick her up. She mentioned another case she knew of where a driver was sharing the Uber registration with his cousin to earn more money. This sort of activity severely impacts the safety and securi…

same thing happens in cabs though all the time.

Re: Uber London loses licence to operate

#398

Post by gjjrfcbugxbhf »

Nursie wrote: post #391
mattlondon wrote: post #389

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In the entire history of the hackney carriage (black cab) license - going back to 1662 - I know of only one case of a driver having been prosecuted for rape, about 5 years ago. Pardon? John Warboys - a registered black cab driver - was convicted of 12 rapes in 2009, and was thought to have carried out over 100. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Worboys David perry - a registered black cab driver - was convicted of…

Presumably a background check might catch priors?

Except that in UK approx 95% of such offences are carried out be people with no prior convictions - so you don't weed out that many attackers this way.

Re: Uber London loses licence to operate

#399

Post by scaryclam »

JonAtkinson wrote: post #340
PaulRobinson wrote: post #189

Londoner here. The license is not being renewed not because TfL isn't interested in innovation (they actively encourage it), not to retain power for the black cab drivers, and not because London isn't interested in companies like Uber operating here. It's because of the rapes. The Metropolitan Police (the part of the UK police force that polices London), has objected to their license. In 2015 alone, they had to deal…

> In the entire history of the hackney carriage (black cab) license - going back to 1662 - I know of only one case of a driver having been prosecuted for rape, about 5 years ago. That's absolute bollocks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Worboys

Is it possible that that's the case PaulRobinson was referring to? A few years earlier than he thinks but it's plausable no?

Re: Uber London loses licence to operate

#400

Post by tresp »

AsyncAwait wrote: post #269
moomin wrote: post #241

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uber's rhetoric doesn't seem appreciably different in London from elsewhere. And yeah, I'm a Londoner, don't really feel the need for Uber to exist in my area.

In my city, especially as a disabled person, I've had vastly better experience with Uber than with regular cabs. Just being able to indicate precisely where to stop on a map is an incredible improvement for me over having to provide instructions to a cab driver who can't find the spot. Not having to deal with cash, drivers more willing to help etc. gives me a much better experience with an Uber.

Corporations are paying people to post on HN as well as reddit now adays??
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