Uber?

Quote: AZDuffman

Nobody really cares that a cab driver has a special license. There is nothing special about operating a cab skill-wise, cabs are just cars. There are no street pickups in any city I have lived in, you have to call to have a cab come to you with the exception that a very few cabs wait near the popular bars and such. Easier and faster to use an app to call.

No way I want the service banned just so some entrenched interests can keep their protected franchise. Cab companies are thinking they are God because they have that medallion and other trappings the the rider sees no value in. We should not be banning freedom and free enterprise.

I'm shocked that a free thinking, small government conservative would suggest any different, to be honest. Uber is disruptive. Whether or not it's a good deal for the drivers, I'm not sure it's the government's job to protect the wages of Taxi drivers. I am definitely sure it's not in the remit of a true right-wing government.

Quote: Wizard

If taxes are an issue, then I would suggest making Uber drivers pay a commensurate amount per mile driven as cab drivers. Both are using city streets for their business and both should be expected to pay for the additional wear and tear they cause.

No need for a per-mile tax. Uber drivers pay the same gas tax as anybody else who fills up.

Quote: DRich

My understanding is Uber has a program with another company that they will rent you the car for $200 a week and you keep it all 24 hours.

Ouch, that is kind of pircey, even if they take care of all repairs.

Quote:

One driver told me he bought a new car just for Uber and rents it to his friend for $150 a week for the half of the day that he doesn't drive it for Uber.

More of the informal sharing economy. It is here, folks. Cars are expensive and going up. More and more people would rather just use and thus pay when they need via Uber, ZipCar, etc. This is just another informal way, smart guys!

Quote:

It seemed the average was working about 4 hours per day for the drivers I spoke to. One guy told me he turns his phone on at home at doesn't start working until his first call comes in. They always dispatch the nearest driver so he said he is rarely five minutes away for his first pick up.

Right, people want flexibility. I drive by the cab line at the airport daily. Sometimes 20 lined up for a fare. There were already 3 when I stopped by at about 3:00 AM. That is a lot of waiting. Easier to wait for the app to go off.

Quote: Evenbob

They are special. They were born in the Depression, in NYC.
Everybody who had a car was a cabbie and nobody was making
any money. So the city issued 12,000 medallions, and today,
75 years later, there are only 13,000. In NYC, the medallions
will win, it's inevitable. Every dumb ass with a car is a cabbie
again, I don't think so..

They are only special because the cabbies and government make them so. Years ago there might have been a need for a medallion to show a customer that the cab was inspected and the cabbie vetted. But Uber inspects the car and vets the driver now. Cab companies seem to think there is more value in the government doing it. Reality is showing that most people do not care if the government does it or Uber/Lyft.

Reputation is now what matters. 10 people giving a good driver rating means more to me than a government medallion. The medallion thing is simply to prevent new entries in the market and limit competition.

The paper yesterday had an item about an app for hailing cabs within Mexico City. The details were distressingly vague, but it seems they're trying an imitation of Uber, indicating the model car, license plate and driver's name and photo. No word on whether the fare would be shown (likely not ,as taxis rely on meters), or whether there'd be an option to pay by credit or debit card.

In principle it's a good idea. In practice, we shall see.

Quote: AZDuffman

No need for a per-mile tax. Uber drivers pay the same gas tax as anybody else who fills up.

Gas taxes aren't enough to cover the expense of maintaining America's roads. I think they cover about 1/3 of it. In my opinion, gas taxes should be increased to an amount to completely cover that expense.

Quote: AZDuffman

There were already 3 when I stopped by at about 3:00 AM. That is a lot of waiting.
They are only special (medallions) because the cabbies and government make them so..

You act they wait hours for a fare. Airports
move a lot of cabs, that's why they're there.
And it's usually a big fare, $25-$50. Even
30 years ago it was $20 here to go DT.

Medallions are there for one reason only, to
keep from having too many cabs.
Without regulation every dimwit with
a car is giving people 'rides', like they
do now with all these new companies.
It will get to where nobody is making
any money and the streets are clogged
with drivers with their thumbs up their asses
waiting for the phone to ring.

Quote: Evenbob

You act they wait hours for a fare. Airports
move a lot of cabs, that's why they're there.
And it's usually a big fare, $25-$50. Even
30 years ago it was $20 here to go DT.

No idea how long they wait. But at 3:00 AM my guess is they want to be first at rush hour as there are no flights coming at that time. The other day there were so many lined that they could not line up any more.

Quote:

Medallions are there for one reason only, to
keep from having too many cabs.

I've been saying that in this thread for days now! Medallions give the consumer no benefit, they only benefit entrenched interests.

Quote: AZDuffman

No idea how long they wait. But at 3:00 AM my guess is they want to be first at rush hour as there are no flights coming at that time. The other day there were so many lined that they could not line up any more.

There is no business of any kind at 3am, might
as well sit where you know there will be some.
There are always lines cabs at airports, there
is always a lot where the overflow cabs wait.
We even had one at our small aitport.

Quote: AZDuffman

I've been saying that in this thread for days now! Medallions give the consumer no benefit, they only benefit entrenched interests.

It has to be regulated or it will spiral
out of control. That's what coming,
this 'sharing' BS will be regulated like
everything else. Even now in some
cities there are so many of these
drivers for Uber and Lyft and whoever,
they sit for an hour without a fare
at times, and when they get one, it's
granny going 4 blocks to the store.

This whole thing reminds me of Ebay.
I sold on Ebay for the first 7 years it
was there, and it was great. Not anymore.
It's a monster that is being sued by just
about everybody. Look it up. They became
totally customer oriented and started
screwing the sellers over big time. Now
they want to cater only to the big box
stores who sell there, Target, Sam's, Walmart,
Best Buy, on and on. That's where the huge
money is. What started out great eventually
got ruined, just like all this 'sharing' crap
will. Mark my words.

Quote: Evenbob

There is no business of any kind at 3am, might
as well sit where you know there will be some.
There are always lines cabs at airports, there
is always a lot where the overflow cabs wait.
We even had one at our small aitport.

This is a lot. Cabs line up and they let a few out at a time to get their fares.

Quote:

It has to be regulated or it will spiral
out of control. That's what coming,
this 'sharing' BS will be regulated like
everything else. Even now in some
cities there are so many of these
drivers for Uber and Lyft and whoever,
they sit for an hour without a fare
at times, and when they get one, it's
granny going 4 blocks to the store.

Well, so what?

Quote: AZDuffman

Well, so what?

So these are the champagne days, why
is everybody acting like it will be this
way forever. It won't last, it never does.
Cities will figure out how to regulate
the new companies, they already are
in some EU cities. One thing they're
nailing Uber on is the shoddy background
checks they do. The point of getting a
taxi license is, every city does a complete
check for a criminal record so passengers
feel safe. Uber does a half assed one and
criminals are slipping thru the cracks.

This will change, it will all tighten and drivers
will be saying 'gee, weren't those first couple
years of Uber great'.

Quote: Evenbob

So these are the champagne days, why
is everybody acting like it will be this
way forever. It won't last, it never does.

So what? In 1980 there were 1,800 auto manufacturers in the USA. Did we decide who we needed to license? How many OS were there in PCs in 1982? Free markets work this way. In 10 years we might have a yet better idea than Uber.