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From what I've read, the taxi companies are mad that Uber's cars are acting as taxi's, but aren't paying the upfront cost to get a medallion, use a meter, that

From what I've read, the taxi companies are mad that Uber's cars are acting as taxi's, but aren't paying the upfront cost to get a medallion, use a meter, that sort of thing. It's not the app that is causing problem, it's the unfair playing field.

Jgrubb 14y ago
I'm totally down with that part of the argument, but wouldn't it be a complete non-issue if it were as easy to hail a normal cab as it should be in 2013?
objclxt 14y ago
Especially when you consider that they're not going after Hailo, who are operating in Boston. Hailo's drivers are licensed taxi drivers. I find the two companies to be really interesting: they're both competing for roughly the same space (especially now Uber switched to a meter rate model in Boston), but Hailo takes a much more 'softly softly' approach. I suspect one reason for this is that Hailo's been co-founded by taxi drivers, so they're probably more sympathetic to existing market concerns.
crusso 14y ago
That information is in TFA, but you have to click over to the second page of it to read it. That pisses me off just as much as the taxi companies using protectionist tactics to protect their outdated business model. Decisions to bury important information like the legal reasons of why the taxi companies are suing is why I think that most media companies are fundamentally broken. I'm no student of journalism, but shouldn't best practice include guidelines like: "Make the best case for every side of an argument as soon as possible in an article. Do not bury important points that could be made early on in order to force the reader to turn the page or give the impression that one side is being favored."
- mysterywhiteboy 14y ago
  Paragraph 4 on the first page: "The taxi company argues Uber operates a taxi service without bothering with any of the rules and regulations that govern the industry." I too hate the page breaks in order to get more eyes on more adds - but this article seems fairly balanced to me.
  - crusso 14y ago
    Granted, they put that vague line in there on the first page, but really all of the meat that made the taxi companies look like greedy corporatists protecting their turf was on the first page. I still think that slanting articles - whether it's to get ad views or whether it's to express the bias of the reporter/publication is highly unethical and should be called out wherever possible.
dpatru 14y ago
"Unfair playing field" is exactly what taxi companies have built for themselves erecting government hurdles to keep out competition. Why are medallions necessary to protect the public? They are not. They are necessary to protect the above-market rates charged by the taxi companies.

Jgrubb 14y ago

I'm totally down with that part of the argument, but wouldn't it be a complete non-issue if it were as easy to hail a normal cab as it should be in 2013?

objclxt 14y ago

Especially when you consider that they're not going after Hailo, who are operating in Boston. Hailo's drivers are licensed taxi drivers. I find the two companies to be really interesting: they're both competing for roughly the same space (especially now Uber switched to a meter rate model in Boston), but Hailo takes a much more 'softly softly' approach. I suspect one reason for this is that Hailo's been co-founded by taxi drivers, so they're probably more sympathetic to existing market concerns.

crusso 14y ago

That information is in TFA, but you have to click over to the second page of it to read it. That pisses me off just as much as the taxi companies using protectionist tactics to protect their outdated business model. Decisions to bury important information like the legal reasons of why the taxi companies are suing is why I think that most media companies are fundamentally broken. I'm no student of journalism, but shouldn't best practice include guidelines like: "Make the best case for every side of an argument as soon as possible in an article. Do not bury important points that could be made early on in order to force the reader to turn the page or give the impression that one side is being favored."

mysterywhiteboy 14y ago
Paragraph 4 on the first page: "The taxi company argues Uber operates a taxi service without bothering with any of the rules and regulations that govern the industry." I too hate the page breaks in order to get more eyes on more adds - but this article seems fairly balanced to me.
- crusso 14y ago
  Granted, they put that vague line in there on the first page, but really all of the meat that made the taxi companies look like greedy corporatists protecting their turf was on the first page. I still think that slanting articles - whether it's to get ad views or whether it's to express the bias of the reporter/publication is highly unethical and should be called out wherever possible.

dpatru 14y ago

"Unfair playing field" is exactly what taxi companies have built for themselves erecting government hurdles to keep out competition. Why are medallions necessary to protect the public? They are not. They are necessary to protect the above-market rates charged by the taxi companies.