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In a lot of places, Uber/Lyft is a significantly better experience. The cars show up when you call them - reliably and quickly. The drivers don't long-haul you
by Kalium 10y ago
In a lot of places, Uber/Lyft is a significantly better experience. The cars show up when you call them - reliably and quickly. The drivers don't long-haul you to rip you off. They go places taxis won't to pick you up. They're generally cheaper and cleaner.
Ten years ago, taxis were terrible. Even in San Francisco. Now there's Uber and Lyft.
- prawn 10y agoThe question wasn't really why are they better than taxis, but why is Lyft considered a more ethical business than Uber, which has faced criticism, especially recently.
- mikeyouse 10y agoAdmittedly one of the first reasons I preferred Uber to taxis was that I didn't have to deal with tipping but Lyft does at least offer the option whereas Uber drivers are left with whatever scraps the company decides to throw them that week.
- smileysteve 10y agoUber's official tipping policy changed last year to suggest that drivers can ask for tips, have tip jars, and HBR suggests trade tips for reviews. https://hbr.org/2016/05/ubers-new-tipping-policy-is-a-mistake https://hbr.org/2016/05/ubers-new-tipping-policy-is-a-mistak... An uber driver even offered square for tip.
- techsupporter 10y agoThat's what I was getting at, thank you. I understand that taxis are regarded as horrible but I don't get why Lyft is seen as "the better way" (either by investors or customers) when Uber is increasingly reviled. Lyft has the same systemic flaws as Uber but does so behind a pink mustache and a CEO that seems a bit more restrained. Neither company took the opportunity to "fix" a broken taxi system by ensuring that both drivers and passengers get a better deal. If anything, it looks like Uber and Lyft looked at the taxi industry and said "hey, if we made that into an app, we can make bank for ourselves while incrementally shafting the very people we need for our service!" and proceeded to do so and Lyft does so in a more camouflaged way.
- cgag 10y agoSeems likely to me that many of the 100k+ Lyft/Uber drivers are better off than they were before Lyft and Uber.
- bendoernberg 10y agoSetting aside the merits of Lyft, everyone is watching to see what consequences Uber experiences as a result of their chronic antisocial behavior. If people continue to use Uber and their business succeeds, it sends a message to other companies that treating workers humanely is optional and unnecessary. Even if Lyft is substantively identical, there is still signaling value in punishing Uber and helps establish norms. Weak, but better than nothing.
- Fomite 10y ago"...and a CEO that seems a bit more restrained." When distinguishing between two effectively identical products, something like "The CEO seems less of an asshole" is a perfectly reasonable means of differentiating.
- jschwartzi 10y agoI would rather not give money to a company which pays Mike #2's salary.
- ironchef 10y agoI know one nice thing was last I knew they were like ... half female executives. So they would appear to be doing better on diversity issues than most of the valley. Anecdata I know...