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SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

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Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#121

Post by mikeash »

criddell wrote: post #61
toomanybeersies wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is a bit concerning that Uber is hemorrhaging money right now, being able to cost themselves lower than conventional cabs because they have such a massive amount of capital. Outpricing your competition by making a loss/no profit is a nasty tactic, especially when your competition can't compete at a loss (for whatever reasons) and then goes out of business, only for the surviving business to then rise their prices…

> being able to cost themselves lower than conventional cabs because they have such a massive amount of capital Is Uber less expensive than regular cabs? My experience in Uber so far has been uniformly excellent and my experience in regular cabs has ranged between ok and dismal. I think I would probably be willing to pay around a 25% premium to use Uber over a regular cab. The traditional taxi operators haven't neede…

UberX typically is cheaper than a cab. The price is the same or lower, and you don't tip. If you go for a black car it's a bit pricier.

Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#122

Post by dmerrick »

bstanfield wrote: post #103
rhino369 wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

GPS still doesn't beat a good driver 9 out of 10 times for city driving. Uber drives consistently miss exits, head down clearly mistaken paths created by GPS errors, sit there staring at the GPS rather than the road I uber to work everyday and 90% of the time the uber driver blindly follows GPS through an alley that isn't really meant for traffic, ignoring the much simpler and faster route that whatever GPS uber uses…

You Uber to work every day? Isn't that terribly expensive?

Might still be cheaper than owning a car.

Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#123

Post by bdamm »

xxpor wrote: post #108
randomdrake wrote: post #94

This is not surprising at all. Traveling around the world, cab drivers are often times some of my favorite people. I like the profession, generally finding cab drivers to be interesting and knowledgeable of local areas. In San Francisco, I try to take regular cabs when I can just to meet people and support the old profession and working class folks. Bay Area, about a week ago. It was dark, cold, and raining around 5:…

Why do you let them tell you they don't take cards? From a quick googling, it seems like taxis in SF must take cards. If they drive me somewhere and the machine's broken, that's not my problem.

SF is not Silicon Valley proper, in the sense that the jurisdiction of SF over its taxi fleet does not extend south of San Francisco city proper and its airport. Anywhere else is different county rules.

Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#124

Post by rayiner »

bstanfield wrote: post #103
rhino369 wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

GPS still doesn't beat a good driver 9 out of 10 times for city driving. Uber drives consistently miss exits, head down clearly mistaken paths created by GPS errors, sit there staring at the GPS rather than the road I uber to work everyday and 90% of the time the uber driver blindly follows GPS through an alley that isn't really meant for traffic, ignoring the much simpler and faster route that whatever GPS uber uses…

You Uber to work every day? Isn't that terribly expensive?

Uber Pool is like $6 from Union Station to my office, no tip. I rarely have to put up with another person and many drivers don't even seem to realize they are supposed to wait for one.

Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#125

Post by selectodude »

godzillabrennus wrote: post #114
bstanfield wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You Uber to work every day? Isn't that terribly expensive?

I'm in Chicago and it's about an $8 cost per trip on average to go from one part of the city to another. The subway system is about $2.50 for the same trip but it's not on demand. If you only care about cost in a big city there are likely less expensive options but if time is more valuable to you then cost isn't the big concern.

If I'm by myself in Chicago the CTA is the way to go. But once you get to two people, not taking an uber is just silly.

Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#126

Post by praneshp »

bstanfield wrote: post #103
rhino369 wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

GPS still doesn't beat a good driver 9 out of 10 times for city driving. Uber drives consistently miss exits, head down clearly mistaken paths created by GPS errors, sit there staring at the GPS rather than the road I uber to work everyday and 90% of the time the uber driver blindly follows GPS through an alley that isn't really meant for traffic, ignoring the much simpler and faster route that whatever GPS uber uses…

You Uber to work every day? Isn't that terribly expensive?

not the person you were asking, but that would really depend. It costs $18 to take the caltrain both ways from San Jose, and I could see uber being cheaper if he both lives and works in Santa Clara, for example.

Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#127

Post by JoshTriplett »

Grishnakh wrote: post #53
Tiktaalik wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have had a SF cab driver input the wrong address in GPS and start driving the entirely wrong direction, so it is pretty good to have a driver that knows the city. Hilariously though, this clueless driver wasn't a Uber/Lyft driver, but a traditional taxi cab driver!

The problem there is that the driver had to manually input the address. With Uber/Lyft, that problem doesn't exist, because you input the address into your phone's app, and that's relayed to the driver's phone and automatically used to route them. Any time you have humans entering data, you're bound to have problems like this.

> The problem there is that the driver had to manually input the address. With Uber/Lyft, that problem doesn't exist, because you input the address into your phone's app, and that's relayed to the driver's phone and automatically used to route them.

That doesn't work if you use the mobile site, m.uber.com, rather than the app. That site doesn't even offer the option to enter a destination.

(I use the mobile site because unlike the app, it doesn't ask for a pile of invasive permissions.)

Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#128

Post by xxpor »

bdamm wrote: post #123
xxpor wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you let them tell you they don't take cards? From a quick googling, it seems like taxis in SF must take cards. If they drive me somewhere and the machine's broken, that's not my problem.

SF is not Silicon Valley proper, in the sense that the jurisdiction of SF over its taxi fleet does not extend south of San Francisco city proper and its airport. Anywhere else is different county rules.

Ah, yes, my mistake. I read too quickly and assumed SF.

Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#129

Post by toomanybeersies »

criddell wrote: post #61
toomanybeersies wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is a bit concerning that Uber is hemorrhaging money right now, being able to cost themselves lower than conventional cabs because they have such a massive amount of capital. Outpricing your competition by making a loss/no profit is a nasty tactic, especially when your competition can't compete at a loss (for whatever reasons) and then goes out of business, only for the surviving business to then rise their prices…

> being able to cost themselves lower than conventional cabs because they have such a massive amount of capital Is Uber less expensive than regular cabs? My experience in Uber so far has been uniformly excellent and my experience in regular cabs has ranged between ok and dismal. I think I would probably be willing to pay around a 25% premium to use Uber over a regular cab. The traditional taxi operators haven't neede…

UberX is the only Uber available in NZ, and without surge pricing it's about 25% cheaper than a normal cab, and almost half the price for me to get to the airport, due to outrageous taxi fees at the airport.

Uber in NZ also operates much closer to a Taxi too, drivers must have a P endorsement, which allows you to commercially charge passengers, and requires you to pass a test and have a govt run background check, and have a clearly visible govt issued ID card while carrying passengers.

Most of the drivers for uber are therefore former taxi drivers, who drive for uber because it pays better and gives better flexibility.

Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#130

Post by xxpor »

mikeash wrote: post #118
xxpor wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you let them tell you they don't take cards? From a quick googling, it seems like taxis in SF must take cards. If they drive me somewhere and the machine's broken, that's not my problem.

It's easier to go with someone who wants my business than to try to force someone who doesn't want it to take me anyway.

I just wouldn't ask in the first place.
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