[ 2014 ] Uber [taxi service]

A.Win · Aug 31, 2014

I just tried the Uber taxi service 4 times the past week. I was extremely impressed by the entire experience. The rides were 25 to 40% cheaper than taxis. The ability to track the entire ride on your smartphone is amazing. This makes the ride safe too.

It was more convenient than a traditional taxi because there were several Uber drivers within 5 minutes of my location. 2 of the 4 Uber drivers called me to say that they had trouble with traffic and finding the exact location. When you book a taxi, you don't know exactly when they will come. Here you can track all their movements on your phone. Simply amazing.

All 4 drivers were first or second generation immigrants, with English as their second language. Foreigners have taken over all of these types of service jobs. I think it is a win-win situation. Uber keeps costs down for travelers like us, and gives the drivers an opportunity to make an honest living.

[Deleted: Posting offers that you receive some benefit from, is not permitted on TUG.]

Mister Sir · Aug 31, 2014

Yup, UBER will hire anyone to drive their cars; no qualifications necessary. :whoopie:

mjm1 · Aug 31, 2014

I just used Uber in San Francisco for the first time and it went very smoothly. Since my credit card is already on file, the payment process was very easy and smooth as well. Will definitely use them and/or Lyft in the future.

Rent_Share · Aug 31, 2014

Mister Sir said:
Yup, UBER will hire anyone to drive their cars; no qualifications necessary. :whoopie:

A taxi company will hire anyone to drive (lease as owner operators) their cars, they pay a lease fee and the fuel, and are independent contractors

Uber drivers supply their own cars and insurance, also independent contractors

Who can drive with Uber Anyone with a valid drivers license, personal car insurance, a clean record, and a car. No special drivers license or previous experience required. Your car must have 4 doors (ex. Prius, Fusion, Accord, etc) and meet your city’s requirements (usually 2005 or newer). Do I need a special insurance policy to drive with Uber? No. Your personal insurance policy is all you need. Please make sure you carry the appropriate insurance to cover your liability to other parties (liability insurance), damage to your vehicle (optional collision insurance) and injury to yourself (health insurance). If you are unsure about your coverage, check with your insurance provider.
Am I covered under a commercial insurance policy? Yes, you are covered under a commercial insurance policy for rideshare drivers. As of 2014, we've added coverage to make sure you are protected both during trip and while you are waiting for a ride request through the Uber app. It’s the best coverage of any ridesharing option out there. More details can be found at http://blog.uber.com/ridesharinginsurance What does it cost to drive with Uber It's free to sign up. Once you start driving, a standard percentage of your fares (ranging from 5 to 20%) goes to getting you more riders, better tools, and legal advocacy to keep your business running. $10 is automatically deducted every week to cover the Uber phone we send you. You keep the rest.

Fern Modena · Aug 31, 2014

Not true. Taxi drivers in Clark County, NV must pass a DOT Physical, have three years clean driving record, pass a criminal check, etc. Besides everything I've mentioned above, they have much better insurance in case where an empty vehicle is on the way to a call and has an injury accident.

For those reasons and more, Uber and Lyft are not (legally) allowed to operate in Clark County NV. In many instances (although not here) they have started operating without government permissions, figuring it is easier to get the rules changed once they are operating.

I don't need to save money bad enough to use them.

Fern

Rent_Share said:
A taxi company will hire anyone to drive (lease as owner operators) their cars, they pay a lease fee and the fuel, and are independent contractors

Uber drivers supply their own cars and insurance, also independent contractors

IngridN · Aug 31, 2014

Mister Sir said:
Yup, UBER will hire anyone to drive their cars; no qualifications necessary. :whoopie:

Yep, just like the taxi companies. Hell pretty much has to freeze over before I'll hire a taxi. Let's see...the one on the cell having a seizure while his gf was breaking up with him...the one screaming at us in who knows what language while looking at us driving 80 down the freeway...the one so loaded we didn't think we'd make it to the airport, the I can't count........you get the picture.

Ingrid

tillamookrn · Aug 31, 2014

Get some free miles and save $30 on your Uber fare!

A.Win said:
I just tried the Uber taxi service 4 times the past week. I was extremely impressed by the entire experience. The rides were 25 to 40% cheaper than taxis. The ability to track the entire ride on your smartphone is amazing. This makes the ride safe too.

United Airlines Uber Promotion: $30 Uber Credit + 1,000 Bonus MileagePlus Miles

http://loyaltylobby.com/2014/08/28/...-30-uber-credit-1000-bonus-mileageplus-miles/

simpsontruckdriver · Sep 1, 2014

In Orlando, both Uber and Lyft are having trouble. Our taxi monopoly (Mears) has created an app similar to Uber's, and they have petitioned the city and Orange County to ban them, and Orlando was happy to oblige. If Uber/Lyft cars park where taxis usually park, their cars are towed. There hasn't been any crimes with them (nor with Mears taxis), other than parking illegally and operating without a taxi license.

TS

Htoo0 · Sep 1, 2014

Big controversy in OKC as well. Looks like they will have to meet all the requirements of the taxi companies (fees, taxes, inspections, etc.) so there probably won't be a large price advantage.

MULTIZ321 · Sep 2, 2014

Uber and Lyft Have Become Indistinguishable Commodities - by Farhad Manjoo/ State of the Art/ Bits/ The New York Times.com

"If you need a ride, pull out your phone and load up the Lyft app. Or try Uber. Really, it doesn’t matter which you pick.

Though the two ride-sharing giants have carried on like the bitterest of enemies recently, their services have become pretty much indistinguishable. In many places, they both offer ubiquitous, cheap and mostly high-quality service.

They’ve become commodities.

That’s my conclusion based on the last two months of riding Lyft and Uber in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s difficult to say that either is much better, or much worse, than the other. From pickup speed, to driver and car quality, to price, they’re both pretty good.

But you don’t have to take my word for it. Take Uber’s. This week The Verge published memos detailing Uber’s campaign to recruit Lyft drivers. According to the report, Uber hires contractors who request Lyft rides and, before the ride is out, attempt to recruit drivers to sign up for Uber..."

Richard

MULTIZ321 · Sep 2, 2014

German Court Bans Uber Service Nationwide -by Mark Scott and Melissa Eddy/ Bits:The Business of Technology/ The New York Times.com

"LONDON — The most popular service of the ride-hailing company Uber has been barred from operating in Germany in one of the most severe legal restrictions the company has faced since it was founded five years ago.

The move, the first nationwide ban of an Uber service, is the latest in a number of legal setbacks that the company, based in San Francisco, has faced in Europe and North America as it tries to expand its car service globally..."

A German court has slapped an injunction on the popular car pick-up service Uber, saying it lacks the needed legal permits.Credit Britta Pedersen/DPA, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Richard

Talent312 · Sep 3, 2014

That's right...
Ban anything innovative that doesn't fit neatly within existing regulations and threatens entrenched/decaying business models. Schesch.

Used Uber. Liked it. Will use 'em again (except where banned).

DavidnRobin · Sep 3, 2014

Über is great - I will never use a taxi again if I can help it.
Taxis in SF Bay Area suck in every way possible.

For anyone down against Uber - I suggest trying one first.

pacodemountainside · Sep 3, 2014

Sounds better than resorts getting in car rental business!

Fern Modena · Sep 3, 2014

If it walks like a duck

My maw always told me if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, its a duck. My maw had a lot of smarts.

Uber and Lyft are *not* "ride sharing services," no matter what they call themselves. They are vehicles for hire, which are regulated most everywhere.

When I share a ride with someone I know, I don't charge them. If I were picking up an assignment from a dispatch source, whether it was a voice dispatch, a computer dispatch, or an app, and the person I picked up was being charged for the ride, even if they didn't hand me the money directly, it is a business transaction, a ride for hire, *not* a ride share.

'nuff said.

Fern

DavidnRobin · Sep 3, 2014

Why does it matter how it is defined? I suggest trying it before condemning - here in SF it was much needed (aka disruptive technology) - clean, efficient, inexpensive, etc - the COMPLETE opposite (dirty, inefficient, costly...) to the SF taxi system. I have never used Über in Las Vegas - but have used taxis there many times and they also suck, but not as dirty/costly as SF, but the drivers are much more sleazy (no doubt).

The over regulation of taxis in SF (and many other places) is also a huge culprit that brought Uber to life in the 1st place - it filled a much needed space.

MULTIZ321 · Jul 16, 2015

Uber Hit With Multimillion-Dollar Fine for Refusing to Reveal Business Data in US - From Associated Press in San Francisco/ Home/ Tech/ TheGuardian/ theguardian.com

"A judge in California has fined the ride-sharing company US$7.3m for not filing reports that were a condition of its approval to operate in the state.

Uber picked up a substantial fare in California on Wednesday when a judge fined the taxi-alternative company $7.3m (£4.7m, A$9.9m) for refusing to give state regulators information about its business practices, including accident details and how accessible vehicles are to disabled riders.

The fine was part of a ruling by an administrative law judge at the California Public Utilities Commission, the regulatory agency that allowed Uber and its competitors such as Lyft to operate in the state as long as the companies reported aspects of their activities..."

Richard

VacationForever · Jul 16, 2015

The California court's ruling will change both Lyft's and Uber's operating model and make it not viable. Rides will become too expensive.

http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-and-lyft-employee-lawsuits-could-change-business-models-2015-6

am1 · Jul 16, 2015

I have used uber and was impressed. It is safer in the sense that your movements are tracked on your phone. You know when you are going off route and if anything happens there is a record of where the phone went and whose car you got in to. It is efficient as Uber drivers may just drive before and after big events or into to the city in the morning and out at night.

Anything that helps keep cars off the road is a plus. I would prefer that taxi owners own their car or at least their plate/medallion. Not an investment fund. How much of my fare is going to the owner vs the driver?

All Uber drivers have and know how to use a smartphone.

Taxis are showing their true colours by protesting uber instead of regulating their drivers and cleaning up their cars. They do the same with public transit as well.

I can see why airports do not want uber drivers picking up passengers and not just because of the lack of fees. I would charge every car a fee to enter an airport but offer a public transportation alternative.

It seems like it is just a matter of time till Uber is legal everywhere.

In the 3rd world uber is more expensive and people still use it.

[ 2014 ] Uber [taxi service]

A.Win

Mister Sir

mjm1

TUG Review Crew: Expert

Rent_Share

Fern Modena

IngridN

tillamookrn

simpsontruckdriver

Htoo0

MULTIZ321

MULTIZ321

Talent312

TUG Review Crew: Veteran

DavidnRobin

pacodemountainside

Fern Modena

DavidnRobin

MULTIZ321

VacationForever

TUG Review Crew

am1