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> because hailing a cab was - and still is - a shitty experience Consumer don't actually care that much about this. They care about price - they're very price

> because hailing a cab was - and still is - a shitty experience Consumer don't actually care that much about this. They care about price - they're very price sensitive. Uber WAS cheaper, so they won. The experience being better matters a little, but not much. And, again, it's not that much better! Certainly, I can catch a cab much faster than an Uber, and consumers are also time sensitive! > unapologetically exploitative As opposed to Uber, who categorizes all their employees as "gig" so they don't have to pay out benefits. And they don't take on any risk with the capital, the employees bring their own capital. Uber is extremely exploitative both to you, the consumer, and to workers. For you, you're not offered a fix rate. Your rate per mile varies by the minute and by who you are - not unlike a scammy Taxi. The difference is the Taxi's at least would sometimes not be scams and advertise a rate, this is not the case with Uber.

s1artibartfast 2y ago
Consumers like knowing the price for a trip before taking it so they can decide if it's worth it or not. I have no problem with variable pricing, provided it's stated before I agree to pay, not after. It can't be a scam if customers have full information before they agree.
- consteval 2y ago
  > It can't be a scam if customers have full information before they agree It absolutely can be, if customers don't know how that price is generated, which you don't. You agree but you don't have the full facts. Your friend could be paying half and you're getting ripped off. And, to be clear, many taxis before Uber did actually advertise their rates. This is the same situation then, but even better, because you know your rate isn't for you, it's for everyone.
  - s1artibartfast 2y ago
    How the price is determined is irrelevant in my mind. If you know the price, you can choose to accept it or not. I never took a taxi with posted trip cost. Best was price per mile/time and the cabbies wouldn't tell you how for or long it would take
    - CaptainFever 2y ago
      Note that the economic term for this is price discrimination, and it isn't necessarily a bad thing: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/price_discrimination.asp https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/price_discrimination.as...
      - s1artibartfast 2y ago
        Seller price discrimination is a different phenomenon from what I am discussing. I am hinting at how ex-ante price disclosure or negotiation reduces transactions costs of triangulation and trust.
kevstev 2y ago
| Consumer don't actually care that much about this. They care about price - they're very price sensitive. Uber WAS cheaper, so they won. The experience being better matters a little, but not much. And, again, it's not that much better! Certainly, I can catch a cab much faster than an Uber, and consumers are also time sensitive! You are rewriting history here. Most NYers have a story about a cab that either tried to take them for a ride and take a shitty route, charged them an exploitative fee to return their cellphone, had their credit card machine "break" until you insisted you didn't have any cash and it was either a CC card or you are getting out right now... etc. There was absolutely no accountability for them at all and Uber fixed this problem- getting a ride is now actually pleasurable and everything is negotiated up front with no haggling and a full paper trail. Your whole argument is ridiculous, not sure what your axe to grind against Uber is, but its clear you are not being objective here.
- hotspot_one 2y ago
  The world is bigger than NYC, and even New York is bigger than NYC. you are right about Uber bringing accountability, but Europe solved that through regulation. NYC could have done that-- the right to run a cab is linked to owning a government-issued medallion-- but regulation is not the US way.
  - jen20 2y ago
    Cabs in Europe are shit too, to be clear. New York probably has the _best_ taxi system in North America though.
  - mike50 2y ago
    Medallions only apply to yellow cabs and the green outer borough taxis. Any New Yorker will tell you stories of hail (yellow) cabs not stopping, not driving minorities, not driving to locations in the service area or not being present outside Manhattan. Calling for a cab, van, car service or limo does not require a medallion.
  - rangestransform 2y ago
    My taxi driver in barcelona still refused to turn on the meter until I argued with him for a few minutes, definitely not a solved problem The most recent time I was in the EU, I used freenow everywhere for upfront fares and driver ratings - would it even exist if not for uber?

s1artibartfast 2y ago

Consumers like knowing the price for a trip before taking it so they can decide if it's worth it or not. I have no problem with variable pricing, provided it's stated before I agree to pay, not after. It can't be a scam if customers have full information before they agree.

consteval 2y ago
> It can't be a scam if customers have full information before they agree It absolutely can be, if customers don't know how that price is generated, which you don't. You agree but you don't have the full facts. Your friend could be paying half and you're getting ripped off. And, to be clear, many taxis before Uber did actually advertise their rates. This is the same situation then, but even better, because you know your rate isn't for you, it's for everyone.
- s1artibartfast 2y ago
  How the price is determined is irrelevant in my mind. If you know the price, you can choose to accept it or not. I never took a taxi with posted trip cost. Best was price per mile/time and the cabbies wouldn't tell you how for or long it would take
  - CaptainFever 2y ago
    Note that the economic term for this is price discrimination, and it isn't necessarily a bad thing: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/price_discrimination.asp https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/price_discrimination.as...
    - s1artibartfast 2y ago
      Seller price discrimination is a different phenomenon from what I am discussing. I am hinting at how ex-ante price disclosure or negotiation reduces transactions costs of triangulation and trust.

kevstev 2y ago

| Consumer don't actually care that much about this. They care about price - they're very price sensitive. Uber WAS cheaper, so they won. The experience being better matters a little, but not much. And, again, it's not that much better! Certainly, I can catch a cab much faster than an Uber, and consumers are also time sensitive! You are rewriting history here. Most NYers have a story about a cab that either tried to take them for a ride and take a shitty route, charged them an exploitative fee to return their cellphone, had their credit card machine "break" until you insisted you didn't have any cash and it was either a CC card or you are getting out right now... etc. There was absolutely no accountability for them at all and Uber fixed this problem- getting a ride is now actually pleasurable and everything is negotiated up front with no haggling and a full paper trail. Your whole argument is ridiculous, not sure what your axe to grind against Uber is, but its clear you are not being objective here.

hotspot_one 2y ago
The world is bigger than NYC, and even New York is bigger than NYC. you are right about Uber bringing accountability, but Europe solved that through regulation. NYC could have done that-- the right to run a cab is linked to owning a government-issued medallion-- but regulation is not the US way.
- jen20 2y ago
  Cabs in Europe are shit too, to be clear. New York probably has the _best_ taxi system in North America though.
- mike50 2y ago
  Medallions only apply to yellow cabs and the green outer borough taxis. Any New Yorker will tell you stories of hail (yellow) cabs not stopping, not driving minorities, not driving to locations in the service area or not being present outside Manhattan. Calling for a cab, van, car service or limo does not require a medallion.
- rangestransform 2y ago
  My taxi driver in barcelona still refused to turn on the meter until I argued with him for a few minutes, definitely not a solved problem The most recent time I was in the EU, I used freenow everywhere for upfront fares and driver ratings - would it even exist if not for uber?