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I can't speak to the politics of the taxi commission and laws in NYC regarding Uber. I just got back from NYC, on arrival I took a yellow cab from JFK to Batte

I can't speak to the politics of the taxi commission and laws in NYC regarding Uber. I just got back from NYC, on arrival I took a yellow cab from JFK to Battery Park (far south end of Manhattan). Our cab ride was during the morning rush hour and since I had the time, I was checking out google maps and other traffic info. Looking at the route the cabby was taking, I asked him why he was going all the way up to the Williamsburg Bridge in order to get back down to Battery Park (basically hitting Midtown to have to go back downtown). He was rather indignant and said he had been driving for 20 years. He asked what direction I would take, I mentioned a few streets and one of the more southern tunnels or bridges. After sitting in a bunch of traffic, he mentioned that I was probably right, but that going surface streets in Brooklyn isn't always popular. Experience certainly means a lot, but realtime data can trump that. I think choice is a good thing and Uber will help with that. However, with highly concentrated markets like NYC, leveraging technology could provide even more benefit.

joshu 14y ago
Well, data-oriented experience will certainly get trumped by actual data. I can't believe most cabs don't have real time traffic data.
- jmspring 14y ago
  It is surprising. My last two trips to NYC have involved probably about two dozen cab rides plus two town car rides back to JFK. Not one of the vehicles had any visible device capable of real time traffic data (mounted smartphone, gps, etc). Maybe there is something in the laws governing cabs?
  - dmix 14y ago
    Most taxis companies have extremely low spending budgets. The cars, insurance, government inspection and hiring is a huge expense. Investing in traffic monitoring, training staff and keeping them safe from theft is a big investment.
  - untog 14y ago
    There is. NYC cab drivers are forbidden from using devices while driving. I forget the exact wording, but it's something that Uber will have to deal with- they mention in the article about only using the app when at a stand-still. Pretty stupid, but it is what it is.

joshu 14y ago

Well, data-oriented experience will certainly get trumped by actual data. I can't believe most cabs don't have real time traffic data.

jmspring 14y ago
It is surprising. My last two trips to NYC have involved probably about two dozen cab rides plus two town car rides back to JFK. Not one of the vehicles had any visible device capable of real time traffic data (mounted smartphone, gps, etc). Maybe there is something in the laws governing cabs?
- dmix 14y ago
  Most taxis companies have extremely low spending budgets. The cars, insurance, government inspection and hiring is a huge expense. Investing in traffic monitoring, training staff and keeping them safe from theft is a big investment.
- untog 14y ago
  There is. NYC cab drivers are forbidden from using devices while driving. I forget the exact wording, but it's something that Uber will have to deal with- they mention in the article about only using the app when at a stand-still. Pretty stupid, but it is what it is.