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A "cab" operating in San Francisco without a medallion is illegal...is [not] subject to..meter inspections Perfect example of regulations not keeping up with t

A "cab" operating in San Francisco without a medallion is illegal...is [not] subject to..meter inspections Perfect example of regulations not keeping up with technology. If I request a "cab" via an iPhone app, I know exactly how far I'm going and how much its going to cost me before I even get in the cab.

nostromo 16y ago
Not only that, but there could be a simple review system for drivers. It could actually improve quality by giving riders recourse. ("A+++ WOULD RIDE AGAIN")
- jessriedel 16y ago
  The last thing I want to do when hailing a cab for a 4 minutes drive is check ebay-style reviews. I just want a cab to appear in front of me when I step out of a building.
  - stretchwithme 16y ago
    yep. and as with most review sites, most people don't check them when they want a service right now right where they are. But they create incentives for good behavior and give those that have the time to plan information with which to make their decisions.
  - nostromo 16y ago
    I don't think you're being very imaginative. I'm thinking more along the lines of filters... like a setting that will only call cabs above a certain quality threshold.
    - jessriedel 16y ago
      But see that's the thing: already, you've agrees that it probably wouldn't be worth the effort to rate cabs on anything besides a single dimension (rating/quality/stars/whatever). At that point, why not simply have the city compile reviews and then require each taxi to paint it's number of stars on the side? And for me, it's not even worth that. I just want a taxi that's insured. I'm not against rating systems on top of what we have now. If it's worth it for you to wait a minute for a better cab, more power to you. (Hell, I might want to take some time to find a nice car if I were on a date or something.) But please don't take away the easy, efficient system we have now in most cities.
  - alanstorm 16y ago
    A+++ Would Ride Again!

nostromo 16y ago

Not only that, but there could be a simple review system for drivers. It could actually improve quality by giving riders recourse. ("A+++ WOULD RIDE AGAIN")

jessriedel 16y ago
The last thing I want to do when hailing a cab for a 4 minutes drive is check ebay-style reviews. I just want a cab to appear in front of me when I step out of a building.
- stretchwithme 16y ago
  yep. and as with most review sites, most people don't check them when they want a service right now right where they are. But they create incentives for good behavior and give those that have the time to plan information with which to make their decisions.
- nostromo 16y ago
  I don't think you're being very imaginative. I'm thinking more along the lines of filters... like a setting that will only call cabs above a certain quality threshold.
  - jessriedel 16y ago
    But see that's the thing: already, you've agrees that it probably wouldn't be worth the effort to rate cabs on anything besides a single dimension (rating/quality/stars/whatever). At that point, why not simply have the city compile reviews and then require each taxi to paint it's number of stars on the side? And for me, it's not even worth that. I just want a taxi that's insured. I'm not against rating systems on top of what we have now. If it's worth it for you to wait a minute for a better cab, more power to you. (Hell, I might want to take some time to find a nice car if I were on a date or something.) But please don't take away the easy, efficient system we have now in most cities.
- alanstorm 16y ago
  A+++ Would Ride Again!