Hmmm... Industry disruption met with resistance is solid evidence that you are on the right track. The biggest innovation was the move from Checker Cabs to Prius ! Ha. I was a brand manager at Chevrolet and teamed up with Joe Boxer to run van taxis in NYC with a portion of fare going to charity. Chevy didnt want to go beyond test even though the customers LOVED it. Sort of TOMs of taxis. That could be a next innovation in the space...social give back or "free" Uber rides where the passenger could add on an amount that goes into a pool for low income folks to get to the store, etc. Anyway - NONE of that coming from the traditional taxis....
Taxi industry lawsuit against Uber transferred from state to US court
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Re: Taxi industry lawsuit against Uber transferred from state to US court
#12Boston cabs have been refusing rides to other neighborhoods forever-- drivers just keep their doors locked and ask you where you're going. If they don't like the answer, they drive off. Blatantly illegal, but it happens all the time. Funny that they didn't seem to have a big problem with this behavior until Uber got involved.
> If they don't like the answer, they drive off.
A simple fix for this issue is lying.
Re: Taxi industry lawsuit against Uber transferred from state to US court
#13In New York, cabbies are not allowed to refuse you ride a particular neighborhood either. I never announce where I want to go before I get in (I have some friends in BKLN). One time I did get a driver who bitched about having to take me somewhere. So I made an overt stretch to look at his details posted inside the car, and then pretended to be taking a note of it. He VERY quickly complied. I didn't have to say a word…
Except when they lock the doors and won't let you in. Want to report them? Go ahead.. the TLC requires you to take a day off work and appear in person in court. If you don't, complaint is thrown out. Taxi drivers know that it is too much work for most people.
Re: Taxi industry lawsuit against Uber transferred from state to US court
#14Boston cabs have been refusing rides to other neighborhoods forever-- drivers just keep their doors locked and ask you where you're going. If they don't like the answer, they drive off. Blatantly illegal, but it happens all the time. Funny that they didn't seem to have a big problem with this behavior until Uber got involved.
In New York, you can file a complaint online in about 10 seconds. Then you have to phone into a hearing scheduled at your convenience. The driver rarely shows up, and they hand out $200 fines like candy.
When I've tried to do this in the past, it required appearing in person. Have you actually phoned in?
Re: Taxi industry lawsuit against Uber transferred from state to US court
#15In New York, cabbies are not allowed to refuse you ride a particular neighborhood either. I never announce where I want to go before I get in (I have some friends in BKLN). One time I did get a driver who bitched about having to take me somewhere. So I made an overt stretch to look at his details posted inside the car, and then pretended to be taking a note of it. He VERY quickly complied. I didn't have to say a word…
The NYC TLC does actually follow through on complaints about drivers not following the rules (CC broken, won't take you out of Manhattan, etc.) and they have an online reporting form http://www.nyc.gov/apps/311/allServices.htm?requestType=topS...
Re: Taxi industry lawsuit against Uber transferred from state to US court
#16I love the comments in the article: people from East Boston saying that it's the only way they can get a cab.
I took an Uber in Boston today. I never call cabs any other way. It's faster, more convenient, they're more accountable, and when I'm in Cambridge it allows me to get a Boston cab as opposed to the horrible, horrible Cambridge cabbies.
The drivers seem to like it too- every Boston cabbie I've taken an Uber with has told me they get lots of money from Uber rides and that it's way better than Dispatch. Some even stopped paying for dispatch and rely entirely on Uber and driving around.
Re: Taxi industry lawsuit against Uber transferred from state to US court
#17Boston cabs have been refusing rides to other neighborhoods forever-- drivers just keep their doors locked and ask you where you're going. If they don't like the answer, they drive off. Blatantly illegal, but it happens all the time. Funny that they didn't seem to have a big problem with this behavior until Uber got involved.
> If they don't like the answer, they drive off. A simple fix for this issue is lying.
And the taxi can leave you wherever, whenever they figure this out.
Re: Taxi industry lawsuit against Uber transferred from state to US court
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
In New York, you can file a complaint online in about 10 seconds. Then you have to phone into a hearing scheduled at your convenience. The driver rarely shows up, and they hand out $200 fines like candy.
When I've tried to do this in the past, it required appearing in person. Have you actually phoned in?
I filed an online claim and didn't have to do either (the driver pled guilty). I imagine that the requirement cuts both ways (i.e., the driver has to actually appear to contest the claim, in which case they require testimony - if they can't/won't appear they have to pled guilty).
Re: Taxi industry lawsuit against Uber transferred from state to US court
#19I felt I got burned by Uber the first time I used them during Hurricane Sandy when I was charged a hefty fee because of their dynamic pricing. I gave them another try a month back and now find myself using the service no fewer than 5 times a week. It literally eliminates every thing I hate about calling a cab. I love it now and almost rely on it at times.
I make sure to ask every single new driver about their experience with Uber and I have heard positive things across the board, save for a few minor complaints (usually about how the cut drivers get aren't that much higher than what they'd get at a traditional cab company). Most say they love it, many say they make extra cash using it on their off-times, and some say they have entire fleets running on Uber. Overall, from my experience, the drivers love and rely on it too.
I think the secret to their success is that they've simplified and streamlined the process elegantly for both drivers and passengers. A few taps and I'm on my way without worry of if I'll even get a cab (although, to be fair, it is at times difficult to find Uber cabs in Brooklyn), and whether I brought cash/credit. But what's really interesting is how they've seemed to simplify the process just enough for drivers. They tell me that everything is provided for them, down to the dashboard mount for the included iPhone. The software itself is simple enough to work and isn't wrought with rules and requirements, and that let's drivers find their own way to make the most out of the software in ways I'm sure the creators didn't expect. For example, one driver actually ended my trip early while I was still in the car, meaning I got charged less, because he didn't want to miss any potential pickups waiting for him at my destination, which I thought was a clever trick.
My point is that Uber is providing a service that both drivers and passengers seem to universally love. No one, as to my knowledge, is getting screwed for the benefit of another. That's why all these lawsuits seem like desperate attempts to take down a company whose service they know is better on all fronts.