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I remember the nightlife before Uber in Paris... It sucked. The ridiculously rare taxis were always only taking people that accepted to (over)pay in cash. In ot

by Jyaif 8y ago

I remember the nightlife before Uber in Paris... It sucked. The ridiculously rare taxis were always only taking people that accepted to (over)pay in cash. In other words you were basically auctioning a ride home. Also, I doubt that they were declaring that cash as income. I love Uber and all their competitors.

jordigh 8y ago
Doesn't Uber do that auctioning too? They call it price surging. Typically only happens during events where there's a spike in demand, like a very popular concert, for example.
- whorleater 8y ago
  Sure, but the auction itself is largely hidden away from you, instead of competing with other riders on price. In this case availability + east of use trumps "weird auctioning for rides"
- lozenge 8y ago
  Uber just shows you the price, whereas it's less fun when you wonder "will I get a better price from the next taxi, and how long will it take until I see one"
- dantheman 8y ago
  Uber also increases what it pays drivers so it uses the added money to increase supply.
jseliger 8y ago
"Everybody" hates Uber, except for the people who matter most: Uber's customers. Who love Uber. Because access to Uber makes their lives batter.
- toomuchtodo 8y ago
  This is an easy mistake to make. Uber’s customers matter the least, with the citizens who live in communities where Uber operates (ie voters) coming first, and Uber’s drivers coming second.
  - dantheman 8y ago
    Do you think voters like the taxi cartel? Do you think they like regulatory capture? It's the classic case of dispersed costs and concentrated benefits. The taxi companies push for legislation to increase their power because it makes them rich, to the average citizen the costs (time, effort, money) to fight taxis aren't worth it. This is why markets are great - they allow consumers to vote with their dollars. I don't know anyone who would choses a taxi over uber/lyft.
    - toomuchtodo 8y ago
      I think voters don’t like taxi cartels or abusive tech companies. Regulated markets are great. Unregulated markets are a terrible thing, and what Uber and Lyft are shooting for.
- bb88 8y ago
  I don't love Uber. I use them because cabs are mostly worse, in terms of quality and expense. "Uber" is German for good, but often "Scheisse" is a much better word.
anyfoo 8y ago
I remember the nightlife in Munich before Uber. Taxis were always plentiful and clean, usually Mercedes E class. Most Taxi drivers were very professional and educated about their job. The strong regulations really worked in the favor of that industry.
- influx 8y ago
  Just got back from Munich, Taxis were plentiful, clean and Mercedes E class. Also didn't accept credit cards, got denied service from the train station because the address was deemed too close and the fare too small for the guy to lose his spot in line. Ended up walking several miles with luggage because I couldn't get a Uber. Not a fan.
  - anyfoo 8y ago
    > Also didn't accept credit cards Credit cards aren't so widely accepted in Germany, that being said I was always able to get a taxi that takes credit card if necessary. > Ended up walking several miles with luggage I find that hard to believe in a city with such dense and extensive public transport? I lived there for 30 years and don't think I ever had to walk several miles, provided I was still within city limits. Where were you that you were without public transportation?
    - influx 8y ago
      Oh I'm absolutely sure I could have found a bus or tram, but I literally got off new into the city and didn't know the routes or how to buy fare. Contrast, when I got to Paris and London, I opened the same Uber app that I have in the USA, with the same credit card and it "just worked".
      - anyfoo 8y ago
        So basically you not only did not do your basic homework before arriving in a new city (which would also have told you that credit cards are less than ideal in Germany), you didn't even bother reading the informational material that's plastered all around the train station? Or just asked someone? Or at least, after failing to accomplish what millions of citizens and tourists do every day, try to hail another taxi while walking "several miles" (which is an insane distance to walk in a city for European standards)? As someone who is now living in the US after the mentioned 30 years in Munich, I almost understand how looking up the basics of transportation for a brand new city escaped you, but still, you get absolute no sympathies for me. Your argument boils down to you expecting something to be the same as what you know, not it being better. You expect a good system to get worse because of your ineptitude to navigate a non-US city.
AzzieElbab 8y ago
Agreed, although London is opposite. Cabbys are legendary while Uber drivers can't drive and don't know the city
- lozenge 8y ago
  Very few people in London would be getting a black cab home, it's too expensive. They'd get a licensed mini cab instead, which can vary in quality. Uber also operates as a licensed mini cab company, their only difference to others being their per mile pricing, which previously was something only black cabs could do, but Uber found a loophole (calculating fares in a server room in Luxembourg instead of in the car). Also, while I've had plenty of complaints about Uber drivers, bad driving is not one of them.
- baby 8y ago
  Nobody use cabs in London. It literally takes more time than public transport and makes you want to throw up because of the small streets
  - Gustomaximus 8y ago
    There are 21,000 black cabs in London. People use them. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackney_carriage https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackney_carriage
    - baby 8y ago
      that was an exaggeration aimed at GP. No sane people use cabs is pretty much the meaning intended.
gav 8y ago
Everyone involved in bars and restaurants here is Los Angeles that I’ve talked to loves Uber; it’s had a transformative affect, tax revenue on booze up 9% while DUIs are down 24% over the last five years.

by Jyaif 8y ago

jordigh 8y ago

Doesn't Uber do that auctioning too? They call it price surging. Typically only happens during events where there's a spike in demand, like a very popular concert, for example.

whorleater 8y ago
Sure, but the auction itself is largely hidden away from you, instead of competing with other riders on price. In this case availability + east of use trumps "weird auctioning for rides"
lozenge 8y ago
Uber just shows you the price, whereas it's less fun when you wonder "will I get a better price from the next taxi, and how long will it take until I see one"
dantheman 8y ago
Uber also increases what it pays drivers so it uses the added money to increase supply.

jseliger 8y ago

"Everybody" hates Uber, except for the people who matter most: Uber's customers. Who love Uber. Because access to Uber makes their lives batter.

toomuchtodo 8y ago
This is an easy mistake to make. Uber’s customers matter the least, with the citizens who live in communities where Uber operates (ie voters) coming first, and Uber’s drivers coming second.
- dantheman 8y ago
  Do you think voters like the taxi cartel? Do you think they like regulatory capture? It's the classic case of dispersed costs and concentrated benefits. The taxi companies push for legislation to increase their power because it makes them rich, to the average citizen the costs (time, effort, money) to fight taxis aren't worth it. This is why markets are great - they allow consumers to vote with their dollars. I don't know anyone who would choses a taxi over uber/lyft.
  - toomuchtodo 8y ago
    I think voters don’t like taxi cartels or abusive tech companies. Regulated markets are great. Unregulated markets are a terrible thing, and what Uber and Lyft are shooting for.
bb88 8y ago
I don't love Uber. I use them because cabs are mostly worse, in terms of quality and expense. "Uber" is German for good, but often "Scheisse" is a much better word.

anyfoo 8y ago

I remember the nightlife in Munich before Uber. Taxis were always plentiful and clean, usually Mercedes E class. Most Taxi drivers were very professional and educated about their job. The strong regulations really worked in the favor of that industry.

influx 8y ago
Just got back from Munich, Taxis were plentiful, clean and Mercedes E class. Also didn't accept credit cards, got denied service from the train station because the address was deemed too close and the fare too small for the guy to lose his spot in line. Ended up walking several miles with luggage because I couldn't get a Uber. Not a fan.
- anyfoo 8y ago
  > Also didn't accept credit cards Credit cards aren't so widely accepted in Germany, that being said I was always able to get a taxi that takes credit card if necessary. > Ended up walking several miles with luggage I find that hard to believe in a city with such dense and extensive public transport? I lived there for 30 years and don't think I ever had to walk several miles, provided I was still within city limits. Where were you that you were without public transportation?
  - influx 8y ago
    Oh I'm absolutely sure I could have found a bus or tram, but I literally got off new into the city and didn't know the routes or how to buy fare. Contrast, when I got to Paris and London, I opened the same Uber app that I have in the USA, with the same credit card and it "just worked".
    - anyfoo 8y ago
      So basically you not only did not do your basic homework before arriving in a new city (which would also have told you that credit cards are less than ideal in Germany), you didn't even bother reading the informational material that's plastered all around the train station? Or just asked someone? Or at least, after failing to accomplish what millions of citizens and tourists do every day, try to hail another taxi while walking "several miles" (which is an insane distance to walk in a city for European standards)? As someone who is now living in the US after the mentioned 30 years in Munich, I almost understand how looking up the basics of transportation for a brand new city escaped you, but still, you get absolute no sympathies for me. Your argument boils down to you expecting something to be the same as what you know, not it being better. You expect a good system to get worse because of your ineptitude to navigate a non-US city.

AzzieElbab 8y ago

Agreed, although London is opposite. Cabbys are legendary while Uber drivers can't drive and don't know the city

lozenge 8y ago
Very few people in London would be getting a black cab home, it's too expensive. They'd get a licensed mini cab instead, which can vary in quality. Uber also operates as a licensed mini cab company, their only difference to others being their per mile pricing, which previously was something only black cabs could do, but Uber found a loophole (calculating fares in a server room in Luxembourg instead of in the car). Also, while I've had plenty of complaints about Uber drivers, bad driving is not one of them.
baby 8y ago
Nobody use cabs in London. It literally takes more time than public transport and makes you want to throw up because of the small streets
- Gustomaximus 8y ago
  There are 21,000 black cabs in London. People use them. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackney_carriage https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackney_carriage
  - baby 8y ago
    that was an exaggeration aimed at GP. No sane people use cabs is pretty much the meaning intended.

gav 8y ago

Everyone involved in bars and restaurants here is Los Angeles that I’ve talked to loves Uber; it’s had a transformative affect, tax revenue on booze up 9% while DUIs are down 24% over the last five years.