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Not defending Uber in particular, but another feature of the taxi apps is instant feedback about the driver. My father took a traditional taxi back home from t

Not defending Uber in particular, but another feature of the taxi apps is instant feedback about the driver. My father took a traditional taxi back home from the airport (SeaTac). The driver was on his cell phone the entire time and driving erratically. When my father went to the taxi board to report his behavior they told him "You have an appointment to stand before the board and make your case. It is Wednesday at 3:00PM". I don't know if the time exact, but the point it is during the day when most people are working. My father couldn't get that time off. The body responsible for overseeing drivers wasn't willing to take his complaint if he couldn't come and give it in person during the working day. It was an absurd policy that protected dangerous drivers. It is outrageous to me that the existing framework was clearly designed to protect bad drivers like that. With apps these days, you can give feedback right away inside the app. No need to go downtown to meet with bureaucrats. I think there is obviously a balance to strike here, but I don't think the current system has found it.

JOnAgain 9y ago
This, 1,000,000 times over. There are shitty cabbies the world over. They are constantly trying to scam me. In markets I'm familiar with I catch them and call them out. In markets I'm not, how do I know? Long way around or poor route selection, made up surcharges, putting a higher amount into a payment app than was on the meter, horrible riding experience due to BO, refusing to take me somewhere because it's too close, poor driving, or poor car condition. There is no feedback loop for these drivers. Contrast with Uber, when I have a bad ride, I complain and usually get my money back, or at least part of it. I also feel pretty confident those drivers won't be allowed on the network after a few of those. I realize there's another side to this, which is the drivers are overly penalized by poor reviews and some riders abuse that, but this seems a natural overreaction to the current situation of zero accountability. Uber, Lyft, or something else, whoever is providing the most pleasant riding experience at the cheapest price with convenience should win. From my experience, Taxi's are at the bottom of any list today.
gkya 9y ago
That's a problem with the local taxi organisation. In Istanbul if I have a problem with a taxi (or any other public transport vehicle/agent) it's enough to call 153 and report or fill out a form online. AFAIK they also accept SMS messages. Also, we have BiTaksi app here where we can give instant feedback and also see star-ratings about the drivers. So if your infra is bad, that does not necessarily mean the means is bad also.

JOnAgain 9y ago

This, 1,000,000 times over. There are shitty cabbies the world over. They are constantly trying to scam me. In markets I'm familiar with I catch them and call them out. In markets I'm not, how do I know? Long way around or poor route selection, made up surcharges, putting a higher amount into a payment app than was on the meter, horrible riding experience due to BO, refusing to take me somewhere because it's too close, poor driving, or poor car condition. There is no feedback loop for these drivers. Contrast with Uber, when I have a bad ride, I complain and usually get my money back, or at least part of it. I also feel pretty confident those drivers won't be allowed on the network after a few of those. I realize there's another side to this, which is the drivers are overly penalized by poor reviews and some riders abuse that, but this seems a natural overreaction to the current situation of zero accountability. Uber, Lyft, or something else, whoever is providing the most pleasant riding experience at the cheapest price with convenience should win. From my experience, Taxi's are at the bottom of any list today.

gkya 9y ago

That's a problem with the local taxi organisation. In Istanbul if I have a problem with a taxi (or any other public transport vehicle/agent) it's enough to call 153 and report or fill out a form online. AFAIK they also accept SMS messages. Also, we have BiTaksi app here where we can give instant feedback and also see star-ratings about the drivers. So if your infra is bad, that does not necessarily mean the means is bad also.