Cab companies unite against Uber and other ride-share services

They used to call these illegal ride sharing services 'jitney' cabs back in Chicago, where they would service areas where regular cab drivers were reluctant to venture into, so they served a valid purpose, albeit an illegal one. Uber on the other hand, is designed to profit off of the younger I-phone generation, and serves no purpose other than to sidestep the regulations enforced by the cab companies, and which will one day lead to 'killer' cab rides, or maybe just 'rapist'... compliments of Uber.

"Cabdrivers say the new services have an unfair advantage because, in most cases, they are allowed to operate free of the rules, regulations and licensing requirements of traditional taxis."

Cab companies unite against Uber and other ride-share services - The Washington Post

kramercat said:

They used to call these illegal ride sharing services 'jitney' cabs back in Chicago, where they would service areas where regular cab drivers were reluctant to venture into, so they served a valid purpose, albeit an illegal one. Uber on the other hand, is designed to profit off of the younger I-phone generation, and serves no purpose other than to sidestep the regulations enforced by the cab companies, and which will one day lead to 'killer' cab rides, or maybe just 'rapist'... compliments of Uber.

"Cabdrivers say the new services have an unfair advantage because, in most cases, they are allowed to operate free of the rules, regulations and licensing requirements of traditional taxis."

Cab companies unite against Uber and other ride-share services - The Washington Post

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Why would regulations be enforced by the cab companies rather than the gov't? I can see the need for a commercial driver's license, insurance and vehicle inspections but little else.

They're just pissed that people prefer it because they're actually on time and the payment process is simpler.

Around here, when I call a cab, I call 3 companies at once. Why? Because there's a good chance one or two of them won't show up, or will take half an hour to do so, despite saying it would take 5 minutes. Sometimes they'll just lose my call, which I only find out when I've called again long after I was supposed to already be where I'm going. There's really no excuse for this. I live in the most populous residential area in the city, a 5 minutes drive from an actual taxi dispatch lot.

Uber drivers show up when they're supposed to show up.

Reviews are readily available to check your driver, and no real info about me is given. If the reviews are bad, or there are none and you're uncomfortable with that, cancel and get another driver. I really don't see how the risk is hugely greater. I mean, if an Uber driver decides to off you, there will be data -- on your personal phone, on theirs, and on the system -- showing where you were and who picked you up. It would be the easiest murder case to solve ever. They wouldn't get away with it any easier than a cabbie. Uber drivers are also background checked. Some offenses don't disqualify you, but that's true of taxi drivers too.

I've had maybe 2 good cab experiences in my entire life, compared to no bad experiences with Uber. And I used it a lot for a few months, because I had to get places off the transit grid for family/legal stuff.

Suggestion for taxi companies: if you want to stop losing customers, pick up your game.

SmokeAndMirrors said:

They're just pissed that people prefer it because they're actually on time and the payment process is simpler.

Around here, when I call a cab, I call 3 companies at once. Why? Because there's a good chance one or two of them won't show up, or will take half an hour to do so, despite saying it would take 5 minutes. Sometimes they'll just lose my call, which I only find out when I've called again long after I was supposed to already be where I'm going. There's really no excuse for this. I live in the most populous residential area in the city, a 5 minutes drive from an actual taxi dispatch lot.

Uber drivers show up when they're supposed to show up.

Reviews are readily available to check your driver, and no real info about me is given. If the reviews are bad, or there are none and you're uncomfortable with that, cancel and get another driver. I really don't see how the risk is hugely greater. I mean, if an Uber driver decides to off you, there will be data -- on your personal phone, on theirs, and on the system -- showing where you were and who picked you up. It would be the easiest murder case to solve ever. They wouldn't get away with it any easier than a cabbie. Uber drivers are also background checked. Some offenses don't disqualify you, but that's true of taxi drivers too.

I've had maybe 2 good cab experiences in my entire life, compared to no bad experiences with Uber. And I used it a lot for a few months, because I had to get places off the transit grid for family/legal stuff.

Suggestion for taxi companies: if you want to stop losing customers, pick up your game.

Click to expand...

I dont disagree with you. Taxi companies should have had apps with GPS finding systems years ago.. it aint hard. Living in a place that taxi´s and delivery companies have a hard time finding despite being on the main road.. a system where I can on Google Maps point out.. go here, would be a god send and it would save companies tons of money in wasted time for their cars.

My problem with Uber and similar services is the lack of control of the drivers and service.. for all I know I could be getting into a car with an ax murderer where as I would never venture that thought with a regular taxi.

PeteEU said:

I dont disagree with you. Taxi companies should have had apps with GPS finding systems years ago.. it aint hard. Living in a place that taxi´s and delivery companies have a hard time finding despite being on the main road.. a system where I can on Google Maps point out.. go here, would be a god send and it would save companies tons of money in wasted time for their cars.

My problem with Uber and similar services is the lack of control of the drivers and service.. for all I know I could be getting into a car with an ax murderer where as I would never venture that thought with a regular taxi.

Click to expand...

Like I said, their background policies don't seem notably less strict than those for taxis, and it would be just as easy to catch them as it would for a cabbie, thus there's really no incentive difference between the two for a criminal. If anything, with how disorganized a lot of taxi companies are, I'd trust Uber's tracking more than theirs, and thus their ability to catch/deter someone.

kramercat said:

They used to call these illegal ride sharing services 'jitney' cabs back in Chicago, where they would service areas where regular cab drivers were reluctant to venture into, so they served a valid purpose, albeit an illegal one. Uber on the other hand, is designed to profit off of the younger I-phone generation, and serves no purpose other than to sidestep the regulations enforced by the cab companies, and which will one day lead to 'killer' cab rides, or maybe just 'rapist'... compliments of Uber.

"Cabdrivers say the new services have an unfair advantage because, in most cases, they are allowed to operate free of the rules, regulations and licensing requirements of traditional taxis."

Cab companies unite against Uber and other ride-share services - The Washington Post

Click to expand...

Cab drivers shouldn't have any rules or regulations.....

The concept is very simple - you pick someone up and drop them off - does such an easy concept need to have rules and regulations?

Besides all these rules and regulations are in place so government can stick their hand in the till....

Why should someone have to pay 10 grand to the government to get a Taxi medallion???? All they're doing is giving people rides for money - in what universe should that be illegal if you don't pay this POS government?

kramercat said:

They used to call these illegal ride sharing services 'jitney' cabs back in Chicago, where they would service areas where regular cab drivers were reluctant to venture into, so they served a valid purpose, albeit an illegal one. Uber on the other hand, is designed to profit off of the younger I-phone generation, and serves no purpose other than to sidestep the regulations enforced by the cab companies, and which will one day lead to 'killer' cab rides, or maybe just 'rapist'... compliments of Uber.

"Cabdrivers say the new services have an unfair advantage because, in most cases, they are allowed to operate free of the rules, regulations and licensing requirements of traditional taxis."

Cab companies unite against Uber and other ride-share services - The Washington Post

Click to expand...

Like many services outdated by the internet, I see unwanted changes ahead for cab companies.

Yell and scream all they like, but enforcing regulations on this is going to be a nightmare.

I give a guy a ride, he offers me gas money...whose to know?

For all those times left stranded in the rain in New York, snow in Montreal because the ride was too far, wondering what route this is in San Fransisco, good on them.

kramercat said:

They used to call these illegal ride sharing services 'jitney' cabs back in Chicago, where they would service areas where regular cab drivers were reluctant to venture into, so they served a valid purpose, albeit an illegal one. Uber on the other hand, is designed to profit off of the younger I-phone generation, and serves no purpose other than to sidestep the regulations enforced by the cab companies, and which will one day lead to 'killer' cab rides, or maybe just 'rapist'... compliments of Uber.

"Cabdrivers say the new services have an unfair advantage because, in most cases, they are allowed to operate free of the rules, regulations and licensing requirements of traditional taxis."

Cab companies unite against Uber and other ride-share services - The Washington Post

Click to expand...

Uber and Lyft are great. Fast service, nice people, good prices, and good opportunities for people to make money, and, it is much easier than standing on the corner in the rain trying to get a cab to stop.

Other cool thing is: renting cars from other people. They go on a trip, leave car at airport lot, and lease it out to other drivers.

SmokeAndMirrors said:

Like I said, their background policies don't seem notably less strict than those for taxis, and it would be just as easy to catch them as it would for a cabbie, thus there's really no incentive difference between the two for a criminal.

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Err disagree fully. Drivers for taxi companies, at least over here in Europe are fully vetted and registered.

If anything, with how disorganized a lot of taxi companies are, I'd trust Uber's tracking more than theirs, and thus their ability to catch/deter someone.

Click to expand...

You cant be more disorganized than a bunch of random people giving out rides via a smartphone app. I dont trust Uber or any similar service because of the lack of vetting and registration by public entity or the fact that you have no idea if the cars you are getting into are actually legal or maintained correctly.

PeteEU said:

Err disagree fully. Drivers for taxi companies, at least over here in Europe are fully vetted and registered.

You cant be more disorganized than a bunch of random people giving out rides via a smartphone app. I dont trust Uber or any similar service because of the lack of vetting and registration by public entity or the fact that you have no idea if the cars you are getting into are actually legal or maintained correctly.

Click to expand...

Well, like I said, the background policies for Uber don't seem much different than they are for most taxi companies here.

Uber's data is all in their system, because it has to be -- Uber functions entirely digitally. Not only that, but it's also on your phone, the driver's phone, your bank statement, and a million other places.

Taxi companies here are still stuck in the 20th century technologically and can't even keep track of their calls, much less who went where, when.

I think it'd be faster to catch a murderous Uber driver than a murderous cabbie. The information is much more organized, redundant, and persistent.

SmokeAndMirrors said:

Well, like I said, the background policies for Uber don't seem much different than they are for most taxi companies here.

Click to expand...

They are here in Europe, which is why Uber is meeting headwinds. One of the sticky points is the lack of vetting of drivers.

Uber's data is all in their system, because it has to be -- Uber functions entirely digitally. Not only that, but it's also on your phone, the driver's phone, your bank statement, and a million other places.

Taxi companies here are still stuck in the 20th century technologically and can't even keep track of their calls, much less who went where, when.

Click to expand...

I dont disagree at all. The taxi companies should have implemented technology years ago.. it aint that hard to do. Hopefully this will force them to do so... but I would rather have the strict regulations plus tech, than another wild west system that will end in some sort of tragedy.

I think it'd be faster to catch a murderous Uber driver than a murderous cabbie. The information is much more organized, redundant, and persistent.

Click to expand...

Rather not have a driver that was a criminal.. and with a taxi company I have a very good chance of not getting one... on Uber.. well I fear the worst.

PeteEU said:

They are here in Europe, which is why Uber is meeting headwinds. One of the sticky points is the lack of vetting of drivers.

I dont disagree at all. The taxi companies should have implemented technology years ago.. it aint that hard to do. Hopefully this will force them to do so... but I would rather have the strict regulations plus tech, than another wild west system that will end in some sort of tragedy.

Rather not have a driver that was a criminal.. and with a taxi company I have a very good chance of not getting one... on Uber.. well I fear the worst.

Click to expand...

Welp, dunno what the regs are like in the EU, but here, there's not much difference.

The point in my saying that is that if someone wants to chop up bodies for fun, working for Uber offers them no more cover than they'd have at a taxi company, and most likely even less due to data redudancy and persistence. The incentive isn't there, basically.

And besides that, Uber does filter out serious offenders anyway. Some offenders are allowed to participate, but the same is true of taxi companies here.

kramercat said:

They used to call these illegal ride sharing services 'jitney' cabs back in Chicago, where they would service areas where regular cab drivers were reluctant to venture into, so they served a valid purpose, albeit an illegal one. Uber on the other hand, is designed to profit off of the younger I-phone generation, and serves no purpose other than to sidestep the regulations enforced by the cab companies, and which will one day lead to 'killer' cab rides, or maybe just 'rapist'... compliments of Uber.

"Cabdrivers say the new services have an unfair advantage because, in most cases, they are allowed to operate free of the rules, regulations and licensing requirements of traditional taxis."

Cab companies unite against Uber and other ride-share services - The Washington Post

Click to expand...

Seriously, **** those guys. True story: in Los Angeles we have a train that sort of goes to all the major parts of the city, but it stops just half a mile shy of LAX, the city's major international airport. Can you guess why? I'll give you a hint: it's because of the taxi companies.

Yeah, that green line you see not going anywhere near the concourse is the train.

PeteEU said:

I dont disagree with you. Taxi companies should have had apps with GPS finding systems years ago.. it aint hard. Living in a place that taxi´s and delivery companies have a hard time finding despite being on the main road.. a system where I can on Google Maps point out.. go here, would be a god send and it would save companies tons of money in wasted time for their cars.

My problem with Uber and similar services is the lack of control of the drivers and service.. for all I know I could be getting into a car with an ax murderer where as I would never venture that thought with a regular taxi.

Click to expand...

So what's wrong with an ax-murder? He'll get you there much faster, albeit perhaps in 2 different pieces.