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Uber now has to wait 15 minutes before picking you up in France

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Re: Uber now has to wait 15 minutes before picking you up in France

#13
post #7
post #2

An idea to "fix" this: In the beginning (after signing up) a bunch of orders are created and sent out to the drivers. The orders technically exist, but the drivers are told to not show up right now. Then, at least 15 minutes later, the user can tap a "show up now" button which tells the driver to actually pick up the user. So in the end you have to wait 15 minutes when using the service for the first time, but after…

That's a workaround, not a fix.

A"hack" if you will.....

Sorry I will stop using that word now.

Re: Uber now has to wait 15 minutes before picking you up in France

#14
post #10

"Back in October, the French government mentioned this piece of legislation as these new services would hurt traditional cab drivers." So? That's how the market and progress works. If a service can't stand up on it's own, it doesn't need to exist.

What a meaningless platitude. The world isn't quite as simple as that.

Re: Uber now has to wait 15 minutes before picking you up in France

#16

Presumably, the taxi industry is "heavily regulated" for the benefit of the customer, then shouldn't customers flock to this excellent, regulated service on their own? Why are those artificial and arbitrary limits necessary?

The last time I went to Brasserie Flo after a concert at New Morning I waited 90 minutes at a taxi stand for cabs behind a 50-foot line of other late-night revelers. Cabs came 10 minutes apart. I have never waited so long for a cab in a major city.

The industry may be heavily regulated, but it does not seem to be rigged in favor of the customer.

If I knew I would get a ride in 15 minutes, I would snap at this in every city I travel to.

Re: Uber now has to wait 15 minutes before picking you up in France

#17

Presumably, the taxi industry is "heavily regulated" for the benefit of the customer, then shouldn't customers flock to this excellent, regulated service on their own? Why are those artificial and arbitrary limits necessary?

Not necessarily, not if some companies are committing fraud, or creating a monopoly.

Re: Uber now has to wait 15 minutes before picking you up in France

#18
post #14
post #10

"Back in October, the French government mentioned this piece of legislation as these new services would hurt traditional cab drivers." So? That's how the market and progress works. If a service can't stand up on it's own, it doesn't need to exist.

What a meaningless platitude. The world isn't quite as simple as that.

Sure, but in regards to creative destruction it is almost always true in my experience.

Re: Uber now has to wait 15 minutes before picking you up in France

#19
Last October, France passed a bill against heavy discounting on books. They have this thing, to protect the existing market order against the disruption caused by new channels.

My first reaction is always to think that it's ridiculous; but then again maybe all those measures are only meant to minimize the casualties of progress, more than just being an obstacle to progress.

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