5 ms·

Most people are more concerned about getting somewhere than reading contracts, seeing proof of insurance, etc. -- this based on seeing how commuter sharing syst

by nxzero 11y ago

Most people are more concerned about getting somewhere than reading contracts, seeing proof of insurance, etc. -- this based on seeing how commuter sharing systems work in the wild. If you're super concerned, next time you flag down a taxi make sure you make sure they're not a "rogue" cabbie; them being uninsured is the the least of your concerns.

dmix 11y ago
> Most people are more concerned about getting somewhere than reading contracts Indeed. I'd also add "Getting somewhere cheap..." as a primary incentive for these rides. I've used Craigslist "ride shares" between Montreal<>Toronto ($30) on a number of occasions. I fully understood the risks I was taking compared to paying 3x as much for a safer train ride ($100). The vehicle is advertised as being a Mercedes mini-bus [1] with seating for ~8 people but usually only has 6 passengers and plenty of extra space. The driver was usually an immigrant from China who drove the route everyday, so they know the route well and are always very efficient and reliable. Their lack of english-speaking skills was somewhat of a concern but never caused any issues in practice. I was more concerned about how they managed to survive on what was basically a minimum-wage payout for a full-day of driving. But there is clearly a supply of workers. Plus they made extra money doing deliveries of newspapers between cities. Paying for an over-packed Megabus for a comparable $30 price was out of the question because it's always full, always noisy, full of extra stops in between, smells halfway through if you're near the back, etc, etc. Consumers are capable of making economic cost comparisons. You go on Craigslist searching for bottom-of-the-market rides to save money, there's always a certain expectation of added risk. Same goes with Megabus, almost all of the worst bus drivers I've seen are employed by them, but being outside of the 'sharing' economy seems to protect them from similar scrutiny. [1] http://www.carsberry.com/photogallery/zxn3vt402kfz.jpg http://www.carsberry.com/photogallery/zxn3vt402kfz.jpg
- iMiiTH 11y ago
  Montreal<>Toronto is around $45 on VIA, no? Or are you talking about a round trip?
  - r00fus 11y ago
    I presume the < > means to and from. In my specs shorthand that usually implies bidirectional communication.
- Spooky23 11y ago
  My brother does regulation of motor carriers for a living. The answer to "how do they do it" is -- the companies are run by organized crime, use illegal immigrant labor, and do zero maintenance. When I say "no maintenance", I don't mean ripped carpets and dirty windows. We're talking no functioning brakes. When there's an accident, the bus driver just runs off.
  - eru 11y ago
    Just like for drugs, we should probably legalize this form of transport.
- nxzero 11y ago
  Right, if people could "magically" be anywhere they wanted instantly, safely, free, etc. - who would go somewhere any other way unless it was for the experience of doing so. Most people don't even realize how dangerous driving is currently relative to other risks to health and life; sorry, but I'd take zero risk over being insured for it any day.
omginternets 11y ago
> make sure they're not a "rogue" cabbie; them being uninsured is the the least of your concerns. Could you elaborate?
- eli 11y ago
  Guessing they mean the fairly common (around me) practice of a cab driver loaning their car to a friend or relative who may not have the correct licenses or carry the correct insurance.
  - omginternets 11y ago
    Right, but why would this be the least of my concerns? What's the greater concern here?
    - nxzero 11y ago
      Getting robbed, kidnapped, raped, killed, etc. - I personally had a "ghost" cabbie try to swipe my credit card data using a card swipper, demand to take me to an ATM, etc. - lucky, nothing "bad" happened; after the fact, called in his ID number and it wasn't real. This is a bigger issues in some areas, Uber first introduced a panic button in countries were cabbie attacks were a larger issue, but believe they're even adding it to some cities in the US now.
      - baddox 11y ago
        Depends what you mean by "greater concern." Obviously getting robbed, kidnapped, raped, or killed are among the worst possible outcomes of any scenario, but when I think of "greater concern" I tend to consider the likelihood of each outcome and not just the desirability.
venomsnake 11y ago
That is why I always call taxi on address. And when I can't I usually use cars of big reputable companies.

by nxzero 11y ago

dmix 11y ago

> Most people are more concerned about getting somewhere than reading contracts Indeed. I'd also add "Getting somewhere cheap..." as a primary incentive for these rides. I've used Craigslist "ride shares" between Montreal<>Toronto ($30) on a number of occasions. I fully understood the risks I was taking compared to paying 3x as much for a safer train ride ($100). The vehicle is advertised as being a Mercedes mini-bus [1] with seating for ~8 people but usually only has 6 passengers and plenty of extra space. The driver was usually an immigrant from China who drove the route everyday, so they know the route well and are always very efficient and reliable. Their lack of english-speaking skills was somewhat of a concern but never caused any issues in practice. I was more concerned about how they managed to survive on what was basically a minimum-wage payout for a full-day of driving. But there is clearly a supply of workers. Plus they made extra money doing deliveries of newspapers between cities. Paying for an over-packed Megabus for a comparable $30 price was out of the question because it's always full, always noisy, full of extra stops in between, smells halfway through if you're near the back, etc, etc. Consumers are capable of making economic cost comparisons. You go on Craigslist searching for bottom-of-the-market rides to save money, there's always a certain expectation of added risk. Same goes with Megabus, almost all of the worst bus drivers I've seen are employed by them, but being outside of the 'sharing' economy seems to protect them from similar scrutiny. [1] http://www.carsberry.com/photogallery/zxn3vt402kfz.jpg http://www.carsberry.com/photogallery/zxn3vt402kfz.jpg

iMiiTH 11y ago
Montreal<>Toronto is around $45 on VIA, no? Or are you talking about a round trip?
- r00fus 11y ago
  I presume the < > means to and from. In my specs shorthand that usually implies bidirectional communication.
Spooky23 11y ago
My brother does regulation of motor carriers for a living. The answer to "how do they do it" is -- the companies are run by organized crime, use illegal immigrant labor, and do zero maintenance. When I say "no maintenance", I don't mean ripped carpets and dirty windows. We're talking no functioning brakes. When there's an accident, the bus driver just runs off.
- eru 11y ago
  Just like for drugs, we should probably legalize this form of transport.
nxzero 11y ago
Right, if people could "magically" be anywhere they wanted instantly, safely, free, etc. - who would go somewhere any other way unless it was for the experience of doing so. Most people don't even realize how dangerous driving is currently relative to other risks to health and life; sorry, but I'd take zero risk over being insured for it any day.

omginternets 11y ago

> make sure they're not a "rogue" cabbie; them being uninsured is the the least of your concerns. Could you elaborate?

eli 11y ago
Guessing they mean the fairly common (around me) practice of a cab driver loaning their car to a friend or relative who may not have the correct licenses or carry the correct insurance.
- omginternets 11y ago
  Right, but why would this be the least of my concerns? What's the greater concern here?
  - nxzero 11y ago
    Getting robbed, kidnapped, raped, killed, etc. - I personally had a "ghost" cabbie try to swipe my credit card data using a card swipper, demand to take me to an ATM, etc. - lucky, nothing "bad" happened; after the fact, called in his ID number and it wasn't real. This is a bigger issues in some areas, Uber first introduced a panic button in countries were cabbie attacks were a larger issue, but believe they're even adding it to some cities in the US now.
    - baddox 11y ago
      Depends what you mean by "greater concern." Obviously getting robbed, kidnapped, raped, or killed are among the worst possible outcomes of any scenario, but when I think of "greater concern" I tend to consider the likelihood of each outcome and not just the desirability.

venomsnake 11y ago

That is why I always call taxi on address. And when I can't I usually use cars of big reputable companies.