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SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

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Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#191

Post by Grishnakh »

tzs wrote: post #99
Grishnakh wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The downside to that, which I've read many people complain about, is that during those peak times, you simply can't get a cab . With a constrained supply and fixed pricing, demand outstrips supply and then you may or may not be lucky enough to get a ride. That's the whole reason they have surge pricing: to get more drivers out during those times to handle the load. Cab drivers have little incentive to bother driving…

> Cab drivers have little incentive to bother driving during peak hours since they get paid the same. Won't a cab driver make more during peak hours because he will have less down time between fares?

Marginally maybe, but when there's already a shortage of drivers for the demand, it's not like he's sitting around waiting for a fare most of the time anyway.

Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#192

Post by fweespeech »

criddell wrote: post #181
fweespeech wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never said they were perfect but pretty much every single person who defends Uber falsely claims that Uber is complying and/or not engaging in activity that is shady. And when it comes to things like insurance and background checks, Uber is worse than the Taxi companies in many areas. [e.g. Houston ]

I think a more interesting question revolves around the effectiveness of regulations. Maybe it's time to deregulate the Taxi business and see how things go. If there's a big problem, reintroduce regulations that make sense.

Well would you agree hiring felons that then rape drunk women they pick up via Uber is a problem?

Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#193

Post by mattieuga »

sirkneeland wrote: post #184
nommm-nommm wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've had Google maps tell me to go the wrong way down a one way street. Two different times! You gotta be paying attention to where the GPS is telling you to go. Knowing the roads in invaluable for a driver. That being said I've had many cabbies who had no idea where they were going.

To this day Google/Waze will suggest I get onto the 101's Octavia entrance by just driving down market and turning right onto the 101, neglecting the very longstanding rule that you have to run the Octavia St gauntlet to get on the 101's Octavia route.

If you report data errors, Google is pretty good about fixing them quickly.

Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#194

Post by SilasX »

randycupertino wrote: post #163
mikeash wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven't used Uber a lot, but when I have the drivers universally love it. I've had them spend an entire 20 minute trip telling me how much the love Uber and how great it is to work for/with them. Are they really exploitative or is this just perception from outsiders?

Yeah but they lie about how much they like it. I mean, nobody likes a downer, and they need to get rated well so they can keep their ratings high enough to keep driving. You think you'd rate them perfectly if they complained about driving for Uber the whole ride? Plenty of articles online and forums online show how unhappy the drivers really are. don't trust what they tell you when you're paying them and their tip an…

If someone is just trying not to be a downer, they'll say something mildly positive (or very positive with a weak tone) and move on to another topic.

If they're continuously gushing about it and extend discussion of that topic far beyond what you attempted, they're probably serious.

Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#195

Post by habosa »

There are a lot of comments in this thread about the problems Uber solves. I'd like to pose a different question: which of those problems is not solved by Flywheel?

For those who don't know, Flywheel is an app that lets you call a regular taxi cab with an Uber-like dispatch system. You watch the cab arrive with GPS and pay on your phone. It is some small fixed cost over the cost of a cab, no surging obviously. And you can put in your destination for the driver to navigate to via GPS, just like Uber.

Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#196

Post by sbuttgereit »

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.

Have to agree with some of the other responses. So what if they "have to" take cards. I believe that voluntary trades are the only moral ones; to use coercive force against someone in a commercial trade just to get my way seems rather thuggish. Also, once I manage to force them to take me against their will: what service should I expect? Top notch, or the sort of service a resentful party is likely to give when they didn't want the business in the first place.

Nope. Even if it were my only option to get I ride... I'd not use this sort of law to get it.

Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#197

Post by yazaddaruvala »

muaddirac wrote: post #46
kw71 wrote: post #5

What's it like to ride in a SF taxi? I'm not a frequent taxi user, but last time I rode in an NYC cab, the partition made me feel like I was going to jail and the advertising screen made me feel like I was riding public transportation. No doubt the normal private cars are more comfortable.

Where I live there is a minimum fare of $75 imposed on Uber cars leaving from the airport. I took an Uber there and had a great, simple experience ($34 fare) but had to take a taxi back when returning from my trip. The cab was falling apart. One of the doors didn't open from the inside. The axles made horrible, periodic thunking sounds (I'd guess the CV joints but am no car expert). The engine light, the wheel stabil…

Life Hack: Put the "pin" in the Uber app, near the airport (where there is no fee). As soon as you get a driver, call and let them know you're at the airport, which terminal/exit you're at.

This avoids any fees, and also gets around the "We do not service this area" blockers.

I've never had a driver complain about it.

Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#198

Post by lnanek2 »

Good to hear. The few times I've called a cab in SF it never showed up. I've heard there is no penalty to them if they just pick someone else up instead on the way. So glad their company got the penalty for poor service in the end.

Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#199

Post by dbg31415 »

Please please please let Austin's Taxi companies be the next to fall.

Between shitty customer service, not showing up on time (or at all), and having drivers that will always try and take the slowest shittiest way to get anywhere to inflate the bill... I can't wait for them to go out of business.

Spot the cab driver with a passenger... he'll drive 50 MPH in a 65 zone. Spot the cab driver without one... he does 90. So not only do they rip the passenger off, but they fuck up traffic for everyone behind them. Fucking cunts, they all deserve to be put out of business.

Can not count the number of times I called a cab to the airport in the last 10 years, only to have the cab not show up on time leaving me in a spot where I'd have to beg a neighbor to take me to the airport, or drive myself and pay for week-long parking my company didn't cover when I had to take a business trip.

Uber and Lyft... they may not be perfect, but they're infinitely better than taxis. Infuckingfinetly better.

Taxis going out of business... 1) natural selection, and 2) good riddance.

Re: SF Yellow Cab to file for bankruptcy

#200

Post by sjwright »

k-mcgrady wrote: post #82
kbatten wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not going to contest your experience because my experience with uber in the city was for tourism/getting home after a night of partying, not work. In my experience uber drivers took my word over the GPS every single time when I gave directions. I know that the driver can affect my rating like I can theirs so its in all our best interest to have a good ride.

>> "drivers took my word over the GPS every single time when I gave directions" So wouldn't a driver knowledgable of the city streets that you don't ever have to give directions to be better? I use Uber all the time but I find that regular taxi drivers are better in traffic as they tend to know ways around it the GPS doesn't provide. I also regularly get GPS focussed drivers taking 1 turn too early and driving in a c…

You're assuming that the driver will use their knowledge of the city's streets to save your time and money, instead of to make them more profit.
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