Uber VS Taxis

[Benz]

Re: Uber VS Taxis

And we have this genius blocking an ambulance on University Avenue

http://www.citynews.ca/2015/12/09/vi...uring-protest/

Perhaps the ambulance driver should have made his request in Hindi.....

[Jeffc]

Re: Uber VS Taxis

I have zero sympathy for cab drivers. Maybe if they treated their customers with a fraction of the class I've received from Uber drivers, I would feel sorry for them. Especially here in Montreal, in almost a year of being here, not a single cab driver has allowed me to pay debit/credit, even though legally they have to. If I'm in the car already, as soon as we reach the destination they will say the machine is not working, forcing me to go to a close by ATM. When I've asked before I get into the cab whether they take debit/credit, 100% of them have either said no, or simply just drove off without even giving me an answer. This used to happen to me all the time in Toronto also.

Once, I had bought a fairly large painting around Yonge/Queen and since I didn't know if it would fit in a regular cab, I called to request a van to take me home to Bay/Wellesley. Once I arrived home, the driver told me it would be $10 more on top of the fare because I had requested a van. When I argued about it, he (without looking at me) reached his arm back and started tapping on some breakdown of charges sheet, which said something to the effect of "driver has authority to charge an extra fee for transportation of large item" or some nonsense.

So no, I have no sympathy, and will continue to use Uber for as long as its here.

yep. happened to me this summer in MTL. And he suddenly forgot how to speak English when the problem arose....

[Pimento Cheese]

Re: Uber VS Taxis

And we have this genius blocking an ambulance on University Avenue

http://www.citynews.ca/2015/12/09/vi...uring-protest/

I don't get the stupidity of many of these cabbies.

If you don't have public support, you're going to have a harder time getting results from the politicians. If you make the public hate you, the politicians will be reminded that you don't re-elect them, the public that hates you does. It's pretty damn simple.

And it should also be pretty darn simple to see that if the public hates you and if Uber exists and is cheaper, there's going to be very little motivation to ride with the expensive a-holes.

And yet, we've got the traffic blocking today, the near assault of the Uber driver, and the blocking of an ambulance ...

Do the taxi drivers not strategize? And has it not occurred to them that engaging in a war with the public might not be in their best interests?

It's a matter of "we want support you in principle, but man, you're a bunch of dicks." That's not going to end well for the cabbies.

[mpare]

Re: Uber VS Taxis

After having tried to forcibly enter the car, and having banged his fist on the side window, he's fortunate that the driver didn't open the door, jump out of the car and deck him.

what a diick.

he's doing a great job representing his fellow cabbies

[NineNineSix]

Re: Uber VS Taxis

I have zero sympathy for cab drivers. Maybe if they treated their customers with a fraction of the class I've received from Uber drivers, I would feel sorry for them. Especially here in Montreal, in almost a year of being here, not a single cab driver has allowed me to pay debit/credit, even though legally they have to. If I'm in the car already, as soon as we reach the destination they will say the machine is not working, forcing me to go to a close by ATM. When I've asked before I get into the cab whether they take debit/credit, 100% of them have either said no, or simply just drove off without even giving me an answer. This used to happen to me all the time in Toronto also.

Once, I had bought a fairly large painting around Yonge/Queen and since I didn't know if it would fit in a regular cab, I called to request a van to take me home to Bay/Wellesley. Once I arrived home, the driver told me it would be $10 more on top of the fare because I had requested a van. When I argued about it, he (without looking at me) reached his arm back and started tapping on some breakdown of charges sheet, which said something to the effect of "driver has authority to charge an extra fee for transportation of large item" or some nonsense.

So no, I have no sympathy, and will continue to use Uber for as long as its here.

Interesting, I've never had that experience in Toronto, although I don't take cabs that frequently I can say that 100% of the time I do I pay by credit card.

For me, it's not even about the cost although I assume Uber is quite a bit cheaper I've never really compared the two. It's just the user experience is so much better all around. I can easily 'call' an Uber on the app...I can see exactly where it is and when it will arrive...I can see the exact route the app tells the driver to go so I know I'm not getting taken on some BS long route, and I don't have to worry about tipping, I just get out of the car and payment is done automatically. It's fantastic. The cars are ALWAYS better than a cab, and the drivers are generally friendlier. If there's ever an issue I have GPS proof of exactly what route I took, exactly when, and exactly with whom.

I do have some sympathy for cabbies just because like anyone else they are just trying to earn a living and must be absolutely getting killed by Uber, but I'm sorry, Uber is just a fantastically better product.

[SeanFTW]

Re: Uber VS Taxis

Interesting, I've never had that experience in Toronto, although I don't take cabs that frequently I can say that 100% of the time I do I pay by credit card.

In my later days in Toronto, paying by debit/credit was more common than it had been in years prior, but nowhere close to the majority of times, and certainly not weekend nights. Even the times when I was able to pay debit/credit, the machines were painfully slow and often had to be rebooted.

You're right, the user experience is just far superior. It's not even really about the fact that it's cheaper, I would happily pay more than cabs for this service. Uber really is having your cake and eating it too.

[ace in the hazard]

Re: Uber VS Taxis

In my later days in Toronto, paying by debit/credit was more common than it had been in years prior, but nowhere close to the majority of times, and certainly not weekend nights. Even the times when I was able to pay debit/credit, the machines were painfully slow and often had to be rebooted.

You're right, the user experience is just far superior. It's not even really about the fact that it's cheaper, I would happily pay more than cabs for this service. Uber really is having your cake and eating it too.

Why go to an ATM? I've just said no before and the machine magically starts working.

[NineNineSix]

Re: Uber VS Taxis

In my later days in Toronto, paying by debit/credit was more common than it had been in years prior, but nowhere close to the majority of times, and certainly not weekend nights. Even the times when I was able to pay debit/credit, the machines were painfully slow and often had to be rebooted.

You're right, the user experience is just far superior. It's not even really about the fact that it's cheaper, I would happily pay more than cabs for this service. Uber really is having your cake and eating it too.

I always ask as I'm sitting down "you take credit cards?"....I don't think anyone has ever said no, at least not that I can remember. The machines are often very slow though. If at the end of a trip the machine wasn't working I'd just walk out.

Uber really should be more expensive, not less, than cabs. I wonder if we will see their price rise to reflect the fact that it's a better service.

[pendlebg]

Re: Uber VS Taxis

I am sure when this is all settled that a large contributing factor of the taxi problem is going to be the idiotic plate system that creates a business model that was simply waiting to be toppled to actually be toppled. Not familiar with how other cities work but am guessing Toronto is not in isolation with the plate model hence the popularity of Uber worldwide.

When the shift finally happens I am sure people will look back at the plate system as idiotic for everyone except the fortunate few who got to bank the money by doing next to nothing to contribute to the industry.

Sooner or later the taxi business model was going to implode. Looks like it is in the process of happening now.

[pendlebg]

Re: Uber VS Taxis

I always ask as I'm sitting down "you take credit cards?"....I don't think anyone has ever said no, at least not that I can remember. The machines are often very slow though. If at the end of a trip the machine wasn't working I'd just walk out.

Uber really should be more expensive, not less, than cabs. I wonder if we will see their price rise to reflect the fact that it's a better service.

Is Uber pricing not variable and changing in near real time to reflect demand? If so then one could say Uber does a better job of charging what the market will bear than a flat rate system. In that world Uber may be more or less than a taxi depending on the demand of where you are and where you want to go, no? I may not understand Uber in depth but thought that is how the pricing model worked.

[Pimento Cheese]

Re: Uber VS Taxis

Has anyone had recent troubles getting cabbies to take plastic? I haven't been given a hard time about it in years -- sometimes I wonder if it's even worth asking anymore, because the answer is always "yes."

They've always been able to take credit card, at least as far back as I remember. They used to do it on paper. Back then they always gave you a hard time because it was a pain for them to pull out the receipts and the machine they used to get the imprint of your card. But they've all got electronic readers on network now -- it's a piece of cake. I can't imagine why they would give someone a hard time about it, to be honest.

[SeanFTW]

Re: Uber VS Taxis

Why go to an ATM? I've just said no before and the machine magically starts working.

I've done that before also, but there have been times where it's just not worth the argument that will ensue.

Interestingly, I was in an UberX a couple weeks ago and the driver had told me he used to drive taxi's, but decided to quit and start driving UberX. He was making more money and was genuinely more happy with UberX than driving a cab.

What these protestors don't seem to understand, is that while they all take the day off to protest, the people who rely on cabs during those times are just calling an Uber. They are handing over customers to the company they are fighting.

[SeanFTW]

Re: Uber VS Taxis

Has anyone had recent troubles getting cabbies to take plastic? I haven't been given a hard time about it in years -- sometimes I wonder if it's even worth asking anymore, because the answer is always "yes."

They've always been able to take credit card, at least as far back as I remember. They used to do it on paper. Back then they always gave you a hard time because it was a pain for them to pull out the receipts and the machine they used to get the imprint of your card. But they've all got electronic readers on network now -- it's a piece of cake. I can't imagine why they would give someone a hard time about it, to be honest.

In Montreal it's really bad, not once have I been able to pay by card in a cab here. Toronto is better now. The cab drivers hate it, and will often roll their eyes or pout about it, but for the most part they have to let you pay by card.

[Jeffc]

Re: Uber VS Taxis

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/culture/commentary/taxi-industry-losing-war-to-uber-because-of-customer-service-not-technology/article27656590/

[hackerhare]

Re: Uber VS Taxis

Case of supply management. Before UBER, the supply of cabs is restricted by licensing. That is why there is an economic value to the license. But with UBER, there is literally unlimited supply. Therefore, the value of the cab licenses are going to zero. UBER will make it rich, everyone else is going to suck, including the UBER drivers. That is until someone comes out with a better mouse trap.