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>We have a perfectly healthy cab ecosystem in my city, app-driven and with fare competition and city regulation Sure, but that doesn't exist in the majority of

>We have a perfectly healthy cab ecosystem in my city, app-driven and with fare competition and city regulation Sure, but that doesn't exist in the majority of cities. The user experience is why I use Uber.

moomin 9y ago
Uber's rhetoric doesn't seem appreciably different in London from elsewhere. And yeah, I'm a Londoner, don't really feel the need for Uber to exist in my area.
- AsyncAwait 9y ago
  In my city, especially as a disabled person, I've had vastly better experience with Uber than with regular cabs. Just being able to indicate precisely where to stop on a map is an incredible improvement for me over having to provide instructions to a cab driver who can't find the spot. Not having to deal with cash, drivers more willing to help etc. gives me a much better experience with an Uber.
  - foldr 9y ago
    London cabs can be hailed using apps and accept card payments, so Uber has no real advantage in those respects in London.
    - AsyncAwait 9y ago
      My concern is more about the precedent that this sets for other cities to follow suit.
    - djsumdog 9y ago
      I hailed a cab during the big tube strike a few years back. 60 GBP got me, not to the airport, but the DLR (automated trains; no drivers). We had to stop by an ATM since he didn't take cards. Uber had surge pricing at the time due to the strike, so I'm not really sure which one would have been worse.
      - deleted 9y ago
        [deleted]
  - tresp 9y ago
    Corporations are paying people to post on HN as well as reddit now adays??
    - dang 9y ago
      This breaks the HN guidelines badly. Please read them and don't do this again. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
  - DanBC 9y ago
    In the UK Uber (and other private cab companies) keep being sued for not taking wheelchairs or dogs, or trying to charge extra for doing so. Here's an interview with a woman who got uber drivers prosecuted: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0783lhl http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0783lhl Here's another article about the same woman: http://metro.co.uk/2016/04/19/blind-woman-repeatedly-turned-away-by-uber-drivers-because-of-guide-dog-5826761/ http://metro.co.uk/2016/04/19/blind-woman-repeatedly-turned-... A different case: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-30523449 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-30523449 And another: http://metro.co.uk/2011/02/28/blind-yvonne-saint-john-guide-dog-made-to-pay-extra-for-taxi-641763/ http://metro.co.uk/2011/02/28/blind-yvonne-saint-john-guide-... Uber is far from unique in refusing service dogs or wheelchairs. It seems the rules are more clearly explained to regulated taxis than they are to less regulated minicabs.
- lucaspiller 9y ago
  Here in Vilnius I feel the same. Uber was late to the game (which is weird as they have an engineering office here) so there were a number of other apps launched by local companies that worked with the existing taxi companies. They provided exactly the same service (mobile app where you can specify pickup and drop off locations, and card payment) as Uber, so when they finally launched it wasn’t a big deal. It’s been two years since Uber launched and they still haven’t really taken off, mainly because they are a lot more expensive than the other apps and don’t have as many cars. Although Uber’s cars are a bit nicer (executive car vs 10yo Prius), people here are cost sensitive so that isn’t really a selling point.
cyclonetiger 9y ago
> The user experience is why I use Uber. User experience is why I avoid Uber. I've only used ride hailing services at airports, and Uber drivers tended to be very aggressive on the roads compared to Lyft or regular cab drivers. I had one driver miss an exit on a freeway, and then proceed to REVERSE on the freeway to get back to the exit. That about sealed it for me with Uber.
- 8ytecoder 9y ago
  Yes, I hate that about Uber and Lyft drivers but I don't blame the company for it. It's the passengers. They could rate these aggressive drivers one star. It will correct driver behavior.
  - djsumdog 9y ago
    Uber has a maximum driver count in most cities. In many places if you get below a 5 from multiple riders, you get cut. In Seattle, this meant a lot of them switched to Lyft exclusively after Uber dropped them. Lyft drivers in Seattle were terrible. One didn't stop for an ambulance. Another cut off several cars in an intersection. I still prefer Lyft and haven't had big problems in other cities. But it's worth mentioning.
- dalore 9y ago
  UK doesn't have Lyft. I'm sure if we did it would be similar. I tried out Lyft in Miami. Was good.

moomin 9y ago

Uber's rhetoric doesn't seem appreciably different in London from elsewhere. And yeah, I'm a Londoner, don't really feel the need for Uber to exist in my area.

AsyncAwait 9y ago
In my city, especially as a disabled person, I've had vastly better experience with Uber than with regular cabs. Just being able to indicate precisely where to stop on a map is an incredible improvement for me over having to provide instructions to a cab driver who can't find the spot. Not having to deal with cash, drivers more willing to help etc. gives me a much better experience with an Uber.
- foldr 9y ago
  London cabs can be hailed using apps and accept card payments, so Uber has no real advantage in those respects in London.
  - AsyncAwait 9y ago
    My concern is more about the precedent that this sets for other cities to follow suit.
  - djsumdog 9y ago
    I hailed a cab during the big tube strike a few years back. 60 GBP got me, not to the airport, but the DLR (automated trains; no drivers). We had to stop by an ATM since he didn't take cards. Uber had surge pricing at the time due to the strike, so I'm not really sure which one would have been worse.
    - deleted 9y ago
      [deleted]
- tresp 9y ago
  Corporations are paying people to post on HN as well as reddit now adays??
  - dang 9y ago
    This breaks the HN guidelines badly. Please read them and don't do this again. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- DanBC 9y ago
  In the UK Uber (and other private cab companies) keep being sued for not taking wheelchairs or dogs, or trying to charge extra for doing so. Here's an interview with a woman who got uber drivers prosecuted: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0783lhl http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0783lhl Here's another article about the same woman: http://metro.co.uk/2016/04/19/blind-woman-repeatedly-turned-away-by-uber-drivers-because-of-guide-dog-5826761/ http://metro.co.uk/2016/04/19/blind-woman-repeatedly-turned-... A different case: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-30523449 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-30523449 And another: http://metro.co.uk/2011/02/28/blind-yvonne-saint-john-guide-dog-made-to-pay-extra-for-taxi-641763/ http://metro.co.uk/2011/02/28/blind-yvonne-saint-john-guide-... Uber is far from unique in refusing service dogs or wheelchairs. It seems the rules are more clearly explained to regulated taxis than they are to less regulated minicabs.
lucaspiller 9y ago
Here in Vilnius I feel the same. Uber was late to the game (which is weird as they have an engineering office here) so there were a number of other apps launched by local companies that worked with the existing taxi companies. They provided exactly the same service (mobile app where you can specify pickup and drop off locations, and card payment) as Uber, so when they finally launched it wasn’t a big deal. It’s been two years since Uber launched and they still haven’t really taken off, mainly because they are a lot more expensive than the other apps and don’t have as many cars. Although Uber’s cars are a bit nicer (executive car vs 10yo Prius), people here are cost sensitive so that isn’t really a selling point.

cyclonetiger 9y ago

> The user experience is why I use Uber. User experience is why I avoid Uber. I've only used ride hailing services at airports, and Uber drivers tended to be very aggressive on the roads compared to Lyft or regular cab drivers. I had one driver miss an exit on a freeway, and then proceed to REVERSE on the freeway to get back to the exit. That about sealed it for me with Uber.

8ytecoder 9y ago
Yes, I hate that about Uber and Lyft drivers but I don't blame the company for it. It's the passengers. They could rate these aggressive drivers one star. It will correct driver behavior.
- djsumdog 9y ago
  Uber has a maximum driver count in most cities. In many places if you get below a 5 from multiple riders, you get cut. In Seattle, this meant a lot of them switched to Lyft exclusively after Uber dropped them. Lyft drivers in Seattle were terrible. One didn't stop for an ambulance. Another cut off several cars in an intersection. I still prefer Lyft and haven't had big problems in other cities. But it's worth mentioning.
dalore 9y ago
UK doesn't have Lyft. I'm sure if we did it would be similar. I tried out Lyft in Miami. Was good.