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In Brooklyn, Uber is now bigger than taxis

toddwschneider.com

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Re: In Brooklyn, Uber is now bigger than taxis

#91

Post by mkolodny »

HoyaSaxa wrote: post #66

Uber really doesn't have that great of a value proposition in NYC IMHO. While Uber provides a huge value add in most markets via markedly lower rates and the convenience of not finding a taxi, this is not the case in NYC. Drivers still need to be licensed by the taxi commission so rides end up being more or less the same cost all in with the 20% tip as a normal yellow cab. More importantly, a cab is often the worst w…

Until Uber is cheaper than the subway (maybe with self-driving cars?), I totally agree that taking the subway in NYC generally makes more sense. But compared to taking a taxi, Uber is a way better experience. In taxis I'm always stressed out the whole time making sure that the driver isn't going the long way to jack up the fare.

Re: In Brooklyn, Uber is now bigger than taxis

#93

Post by killa_kyle »

stuxnet79 wrote: post #89
imagist wrote: post #74

Brooklynite here. In theory, I want to be behind taxi drivers. They're a local business owners with ties in the community, and I would rather support them than a Silicon Valley startup with a questionable stance on privacy and poor treatment of their workers. In reality though, taxis need to fix a few issues: 1. I don't need to be able to hail a cab anywhere--I can't really hail Ubers, either. But if I call a cab, I'…

> I've gotten in the habit of flagging cabs for black people, and even after the cab stops, sometimes when they realize that it's a black person getting in the cab instead of me, they drive off. Good on you. This is terrible - I've never been to NYC but I always hear from black people down there how difficult it is to flag a cab. Wasn't aware that it was still happening to this extent in 2016. The fact that the cab s…

This is my primary reason for using Uber. Getting a taxi as a black person in NYC is tough. I usually have to wait on the curb for my (non-black) wife to flag one and then walk up to it once it stops for her.

With Uber/Lyft/Juno etc, there's at least some accountability for the driver. NYC's 311 process isn't enough to deter cabbies that just don't want to pick up black people.

Re: In Brooklyn, Uber is now bigger than taxis

#94

Post by jrnichols »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #60
brendoncrawford wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In contrast to that, in Los Angeles, Uber drivers quite often are not familiar with the area they serve, so they are glued to their navigation apps. This can not only create unsafe driving conditions, but sometimes can cause an Uber ride to take twice as long as a taxi ride. If convenience, comfort, and customer service are not a priority, and I just need to get somewhere fast, the taxi is still the way to go.

> but sometimes can cause an Uber ride to take twice as long as a taxi ride I never imagined navigation apps could suck like that! I have no love for Uber, but I always imagined any navigation app will on average outperform even a knowledgeable driver.

I noticed this in San Francisco and i really think it depends on the devices. The iPhone users? Mostly spot on. But several other Uber/Lyft experiences with drivers that had lower cost phones (mostly the freebie Samsung or Motorola Android devices) were having issues with navigation.

The iPhone and higher end Samsung devices definitely have more accurate GPS chipsets built in and were doing a way better job of keeping track of where we were.

Re: In Brooklyn, Uber is now bigger than taxis

#95

Post by dajohnson89 »

ihsw wrote: post #18
ethanbond wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Important point: while costing to the customer the same, if not more. The result? Uber operating at huge losses. The result of that? Well, austerity measures. You can already see the signs of Uber starting to clamp down and make their service worse and worse. Recommended pickup locations -> No longer door to door? Assigning next rides before the previous one has completed -> No longer "feeling like a baller" while yo…

Not parent commenter but I'll still take that over filthy cabs and sketchy-as-hell drivers.

For some reason I feel safer and more comfortable with Taxi drivers than with Uber drivers. I understand the whole background check thing, and that helps. But a taxi driver, whether you like it or not, is a full-time professional. Whereas an Uber driver is just somebody with a gig on the side (usually).

Taxi drivers less frequently ask me overly personal questions. Taxi drivers in general don't seem to give a fuck about their customers, and I've come to appreciate that. When I'm hailing a ride, chances are I'm not interested in exchanging life stories, or being impressed by how cool my driver is.

In a crowded city, the distance is welcome.

edit: one more thing -- Taxi drivers invariably know the roads better. Sometimes that doesn't matter. But in the event of traffic problems, or if you're really in a rush, it helps tremendously.

Re: In Brooklyn, Uber is now bigger than taxis

#96

Post by potatolicious »

stuxnet79 wrote: post #89
imagist wrote: post #74

Brooklynite here. In theory, I want to be behind taxi drivers. They're a local business owners with ties in the community, and I would rather support them than a Silicon Valley startup with a questionable stance on privacy and poor treatment of their workers. In reality though, taxis need to fix a few issues: 1. I don't need to be able to hail a cab anywhere--I can't really hail Ubers, either. But if I call a cab, I'…

> I've gotten in the habit of flagging cabs for black people, and even after the cab stops, sometimes when they realize that it's a black person getting in the cab instead of me, they drive off. Good on you. This is terrible - I've never been to NYC but I always hear from black people down there how difficult it is to flag a cab. Wasn't aware that it was still happening to this extent in 2016. The fact that the cab s…

> "You say Uber offers a solution to this - what is it?"

Drivers don't get to pick and choose their fares, and canceling a fare after assignment counts against the driver - do it too much and you get kicked off Uber completely.

Uber does some incredibly dodgy things, but on this front they are an absolute and unalloyed improvement over the previous status quo.

Re: In Brooklyn, Uber is now bigger than taxis

#97

Post by ceras »

CPLX wrote: post #47
ethanbond wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Important point: while costing to the customer the same, if not more. The result? Uber operating at huge losses. The result of that? Well, austerity measures. You can already see the signs of Uber starting to clamp down and make their service worse and worse. Recommended pickup locations -> No longer door to door? Assigning next rides before the previous one has completed -> No longer "feeling like a baller" while yo…

I agree, Uber drivers seem to be getting progressively more clueless and inexperienced. Last night I had one that would just stare at the moving map on the GPS, without any situational awareness at all, up to the point where we were down to about 15mph on an interstate highway while he tried to figure out which of the tangle of exit ramps it wanted him to take, which was wildly unsafe. It did occur to me that for all…

Counter-anecdote: I've had an NYC cab driver stop in the middle of the interstate trying to figure out which way to go next to JFK. It was pretty scary. The driver quality in both services seems very low to me.

Re: In Brooklyn, Uber is now bigger than taxis

#98

Post by CptJamesCook »

imagist wrote: post #74

Brooklynite here. In theory, I want to be behind taxi drivers. They're a local business owners with ties in the community, and I would rather support them than a Silicon Valley startup with a questionable stance on privacy and poor treatment of their workers. In reality though, taxis need to fix a few issues: 1. I don't need to be able to hail a cab anywhere--I can't really hail Ubers, either. But if I call a cab, I'…

In theory you want to support a group of people that are blatantly racist, provide terrible service, and are create a noisy, stressful environment?

This is actually one of most convincing pro-Uber comments I've ever seen.

Re: In Brooklyn, Uber is now bigger than taxis

#99

Post by ceras »

HoyaSaxa wrote: post #66

Uber really doesn't have that great of a value proposition in NYC IMHO. While Uber provides a huge value add in most markets via markedly lower rates and the convenience of not finding a taxi, this is not the case in NYC. Drivers still need to be licensed by the taxi commission so rides end up being more or less the same cost all in with the 20% tip as a normal yellow cab. More importantly, a cab is often the worst w…

I mostly agree for lower and midtown Manhattan, but NYC is much, much bigger than that. Elsewhere cabs are far less frequent, and subways less likely to be the fastest route (especially during weekend and late night service).

Re: In Brooklyn, Uber is now bigger than taxis

#100

Post by [deleted] »

HoyaSaxa wrote: post #66

Uber really doesn't have that great of a value proposition in NYC IMHO. While Uber provides a huge value add in most markets via markedly lower rates and the convenience of not finding a taxi, this is not the case in NYC. Drivers still need to be licensed by the taxi commission so rides end up being more or less the same cost all in with the 20% tip as a normal yellow cab. More importantly, a cab is often the worst w…

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