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Won't somebody please think of the children and the broken taxi industry! Before Uber and Lyft hit the scene, you only had a small pool to pick your taxi from o

Won't somebody please think of the children and the broken taxi industry! Before Uber and Lyft hit the scene, you only had a small pool to pick your taxi from only to discover all major taxi companies are in cahoots together anyway. Uber to me is reliable, it's cheaper and it's safer. I couldn't count the number of times I've ordered a taxi that just didn't show up (presumably they took a more profitable fare elsewhere), rude drivers, drivers that speed without any kind of accountability. You complain to the taxi company and they couldn't really care less. Instead of embracing change, taxi companies are clinging to their lobbyist and broken ways. Look how well that turned out for the music industry when they tried to fight digital music and streaming... It's the same situation happening all over again. Uber and Lyft will eventually win, it's only a matter of time.

SDGT 12y ago
Agree, it's like life is a constant game of "maintain the status quo", and we measure innovation by how pissed people get that had already invested in said status quo. I just called Time Warner yesterday to complain until they gave me better pricing and ended up arguing with the retention guy about how it would cost them less if they just killed their analog output (which still runs in my area) and gave internet users the BW. TWC is finally doing so in the area, but not after milking every last drop out of the aging analog cable crowd. >You complain to the taxi company and they could care less ...twitch... couldn't care less
droopyEyelids 12y ago
There are many different municipalities with many different qualities of taxi service. And there are many different laws affecting who can operate taxi services in those areas. I don't know how things were in Virginia, but in Chicago regular taxis are vastly better than uberx/lyft in every way except price. Also, taxi drivers are required to have a chauffeur's license that tests them for TB along with city knowledge. Uber works well for you and many of us. But don't portray this as a hero's fight against a broken industry when in reality it's a nuanced decision and there are valid points of view on both sides of the argument.
- andymcsherry 12y ago
  I've used both Uber and the local taxi service in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Columbus, OH. I can tell you that Uber is vastly superior in every way. The cars are cleaner and newer, the drivers are friendlier, the service is cheaper, getting a ride is easier, and with Uber I don't need to deal with the inevitable argument about why I'm trying to pay with a credit card instead of cash.
  - waps 12y ago
    > I don't need to deal with the inevitable argument about why I'm trying to pay with a credit card instead of cash. This.
- astrange 12y ago
  Your taxi drivers are tested for tuberculosis? In SF bay the traditional taxi drivers are great at just not bothering to come, and the dispatchers will yell at you and make you call back if you happen to call the wrong city's number for the same company. Then they practically threaten you if you try to pay with a card.
- mikeash 12y ago
  I don't know about Lyft, but the situation with Uber in the DC area is the opposite of what you describe: taxis are cheaper but substantially worse.

SDGT 12y ago

Agree, it's like life is a constant game of "maintain the status quo", and we measure innovation by how pissed people get that had already invested in said status quo. I just called Time Warner yesterday to complain until they gave me better pricing and ended up arguing with the retention guy about how it would cost them less if they just killed their analog output (which still runs in my area) and gave internet users the BW. TWC is finally doing so in the area, but not after milking every last drop out of the aging analog cable crowd. >You complain to the taxi company and they could care less ...twitch... couldn't care less

droopyEyelids 12y ago

There are many different municipalities with many different qualities of taxi service. And there are many different laws affecting who can operate taxi services in those areas. I don't know how things were in Virginia, but in Chicago regular taxis are vastly better than uberx/lyft in every way except price. Also, taxi drivers are required to have a chauffeur's license that tests them for TB along with city knowledge. Uber works well for you and many of us. But don't portray this as a hero's fight against a broken industry when in reality it's a nuanced decision and there are valid points of view on both sides of the argument.

andymcsherry 12y ago
I've used both Uber and the local taxi service in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Columbus, OH. I can tell you that Uber is vastly superior in every way. The cars are cleaner and newer, the drivers are friendlier, the service is cheaper, getting a ride is easier, and with Uber I don't need to deal with the inevitable argument about why I'm trying to pay with a credit card instead of cash.
- waps 12y ago
  > I don't need to deal with the inevitable argument about why I'm trying to pay with a credit card instead of cash. This.
astrange 12y ago
Your taxi drivers are tested for tuberculosis? In SF bay the traditional taxi drivers are great at just not bothering to come, and the dispatchers will yell at you and make you call back if you happen to call the wrong city's number for the same company. Then they practically threaten you if you try to pay with a card.
mikeash 12y ago
I don't know about Lyft, but the situation with Uber in the DC area is the opposite of what you describe: taxis are cheaper but substantially worse.