Uber/Lyft Destroyed The Taxi Industry.
- Thread starter Willclark
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I will say I've had better luck with airport shuttle companies, to give some credit to something that isn't Uber/Lyft.
For a while, I was using a local shuttle company for all my airport rides, but their fares were based on which zone you lived in, so I knew exactly the fare each time I got in. They would occasionally hassle me about wanting cash, but all of the drivers used Square and I'd be able to pay with a credit card and get a digital emailed receipt.
They only had vans (minivans up through 3500 type crew vans) and kept them meticulously clean. Most were worn out mechanically and had very bumpy and squeaky rides, though.
For a while, I was using a local shuttle company for all my airport rides, but their fares were based on which zone you lived in, so I knew exactly the fare each time I got in. They would occasionally hassle me about wanting cash, but all of the drivers used Square and I'd be able to pay with a credit card and get a digital emailed receipt.
They only had vans (minivans up through 3500 type crew vans) and kept them meticulously clean. Most were worn out mechanically and had very bumpy and squeaky rides, though.
Originally Posted by Willclark
I live in Chicago and refuse to take Uber. The Uber industry destroyed the "old school", traditional, taxi industry. I think 10 years a ago a taxi medallion was valued at $150,000 down and it has plummeted to less than $30,000. I drove a taxi for a few years and was required to go through a 2 week course plus pass a written exam. It was not as easy as people think. Plus, I went through an extensive city background check. I see Uber drivers on the news getting into all sorts of criminal mischief. It's because they don't go through as an extensive of a background check. It may be a bit cheaper (except surge pricing) but you are not getting a professional driver. A GPS or driving app can only help you so much in major cities like Chicago, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, ect...
When I was still forced to ride cabs I stead of rideshare, my ride-to-screwed ratio was 10-to-7. I have been screwed by cabs so many times that I can't even begin to tell you. If I had to sum it up into a few general experiences, it was:
*Ride refusal with no notice. Called and nobody showed. Waited hours stranded because nobody wanted my ride.
*Line-of-sight ride refusal. Tall man alone at night? Needs a ride? Forget him. Leave him to walk home in the rain.
*Tour of the city. This was worst in Manhattan. Had to constantly yell at drivers that you don't have to go to 8th Avenue to get from West End Avenue to 10th Avenue.
*Ridiculous fares. After completely defecating on me, then I have to pay $35+ to go a few miles? No thanks.
I understand that you are a part of that industry, and you obviously have great esteem for it, and likely we're a true professional at it. But your colleagues we're completely awful to the general public and suffered from a major case of "what are you going to do? You have no choice but to use us." attitude.
Your industry is a rigged, corrupt, and complacent market that deserves every bad thing that has and will happen to it. I am a customer and so is everyone else. We don't owe you anything on the face of the Earth and I'd you don't get it from us then you and the rest of your industry needs to fix your problems and attract customers. The slanted and manipulated Cash cow is over. Sorry.
I live in Chicago and refuse to take Uber. The Uber industry destroyed the "old school", traditional, taxi industry. I think 10 years a ago a taxi medallion was valued at $150,000 down and it has plummeted to less than $30,000. I drove a taxi for a few years and was required to go through a 2 week course plus pass a written exam. It was not as easy as people think. Plus, I went through an extensive city background check. I see Uber drivers on the news getting into all sorts of criminal mischief. It's because they don't go through as an extensive of a background check. It may be a bit cheaper (except surge pricing) but you are not getting a professional driver. A GPS or driving app can only help you so much in major cities like Chicago, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, ect...
When I was still forced to ride cabs I stead of rideshare, my ride-to-screwed ratio was 10-to-7. I have been screwed by cabs so many times that I can't even begin to tell you. If I had to sum it up into a few general experiences, it was:
*Ride refusal with no notice. Called and nobody showed. Waited hours stranded because nobody wanted my ride.
*Line-of-sight ride refusal. Tall man alone at night? Needs a ride? Forget him. Leave him to walk home in the rain.
*Tour of the city. This was worst in Manhattan. Had to constantly yell at drivers that you don't have to go to 8th Avenue to get from West End Avenue to 10th Avenue.
*Ridiculous fares. After completely defecating on me, then I have to pay $35+ to go a few miles? No thanks.
I understand that you are a part of that industry, and you obviously have great esteem for it, and likely we're a true professional at it. But your colleagues we're completely awful to the general public and suffered from a major case of "what are you going to do? You have no choice but to use us." attitude.
Your industry is a rigged, corrupt, and complacent market that deserves every bad thing that has and will happen to it. I am a customer and so is everyone else. We don't owe you anything on the face of the Earth and I'd you don't get it from us then you and the rest of your industry needs to fix your problems and attract customers. The slanted and manipulated Cash cow is over. Sorry.
Originally Posted by Willclark
Um, that's not how a free market works. It's not the job of us customers to protect economic dynasties.
As an Uber customer, I hope you enjoy ripping them off. Every Uber driver I know, regrets it after 1 year. So, kudos to you, for taking advantage of the "free market". I bet your the type who goes to the "early bird" special dinner also? [/quote]
I am a business man who has to COMPETE for customers. No free handouts. A friend of mine has been driving for Uber for 3 years. He has zero regrets over it.
Um, that's not how a free market works. It's not the job of us customers to protect economic dynasties.
As an Uber customer, I hope you enjoy ripping them off. Every Uber driver I know, regrets it after 1 year. So, kudos to you, for taking advantage of the "free market". I bet your the type who goes to the "early bird" special dinner also? [/quote]
I am a business man who has to COMPETE for customers. No free handouts. A friend of mine has been driving for Uber for 3 years. He has zero regrets over it.
Originally Posted by KD0AXS
Uber and Lyft didn't destroy the taxi industry, the taxi industry was complacent and failed to compete.
I'd rather ride the bus than take a cab.
Why are we still collecting money for cab medallions and propping up 2-bit cab operators? I know NYC, SF and Oakland have propped up the families who had a monopoly on the cab market. I'd rather see taxpayer money go towards public transit than taxis.
Case in point - Oakland. The former mayor had a very cozy relationship with the family who owned the only cab company in town(but had two or three "brands" to give them the impression of competition - Veteran's Cab and Metro Yellow is the same as Friendly Cab) and the city gave that family taxpayer funds to hire more drivers. Turned out they opened up a hydroponics shop and their kids went to Dubai and Yemen on the city's dime. And those cabs were decrepit, it was a Crown Vic or Prius welded together. Even the transit agency(AC Transit) kept better care of their buses! Uber has driven them to a skeleton operation.
Uber and Lyft didn't destroy the taxi industry, the taxi industry was complacent and failed to compete.
I'd rather ride the bus than take a cab.
Why are we still collecting money for cab medallions and propping up 2-bit cab operators? I know NYC, SF and Oakland have propped up the families who had a monopoly on the cab market. I'd rather see taxpayer money go towards public transit than taxis.
Case in point - Oakland. The former mayor had a very cozy relationship with the family who owned the only cab company in town(but had two or three "brands" to give them the impression of competition - Veteran's Cab and Metro Yellow is the same as Friendly Cab) and the city gave that family taxpayer funds to hire more drivers. Turned out they opened up a hydroponics shop and their kids went to Dubai and Yemen on the city's dime. And those cabs were decrepit, it was a Crown Vic or Prius welded together. Even the transit agency(AC Transit) kept better care of their buses! Uber has driven them to a skeleton operation.
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Originally Posted by Willclark
As an Uber customer, I hope you enjoy ripping them off. Every Uber driver I know, regrets it after 1 year. So, kudos to you, for taking advantage of the "free market". I bet your the type who goes to the "early bird" special dinner also?
I think I've identified the problem...
As an Uber customer, I hope you enjoy ripping them off. Every Uber driver I know, regrets it after 1 year. So, kudos to you, for taking advantage of the "free market". I bet your the type who goes to the "early bird" special dinner also?
I think I've identified the problem...
I realize that I am on an oil forum where you cheapskates argue that Walmart (Warren) Synthetic 5 30 is just as good as name brand stuff. Most of you are just looking at the bottom line. The lowest price. And it's shame. The funny thing is in, Chicago, the legit taxi drivers still make money but it's a little harder. Elderly people, who don't have cell phones don't understand Uber. There will always be a plays for the professional taxi driver.
Why are we still collecting money for cab medallions and propping up 2-bit cab operators? I know NYC, SF and Oakland have propped up the families who had a monopoly on the cab market. I'd rather see taxpayer money go towards public transit than taxis.
I don't know about those cities. I'm only talking about Chicago. The greatest city in the U.S..
I don't know about those cities. I'm only talking about Chicago. The greatest city in the U.S..
Originally Posted by Willclark
I realize that I am on an oil forum where you cheapskates argue that Walmart (Warren) Synthetic 5 30 is just as good as name brand stuff. Most of you are just looking at the bottom line. The lowest price. And it's shame. The funny thing is in, Chicago, the legit taxi drivers still make money but it's a little harder. Elderly people, who don't have cell phones don't understand Uber. There will always be a plays for the professional taxi driver.
The American consumer is free to look for the lowest price, what's wrong with that? That's not exactly an unreasonable goal. If you're saying they should pay more for reason X, what's the reason? I'm willing to bet it's something to subsidize someone else, no thanks. Why should the American consumer pay more to subsidize someone else? Is that other person going to subsidize them?
Uber, Lyft and ridesharing destroyed the taxi industry because the taxi industry has had decades of monopoly and grew complacent, period. The Sears v. Amazon comparison mentioned earlier is spot on.
Most if not all ridesharing companies started out not even owning a fleet and the majority of their business is still not actually owning a fleet. Why? Because they operate in the gig economy and make their money between the rider and the fleet/driver, where as the taxi industry ignored that aspect entirely.
Think about all of the reasons why people prefer Uber:
1. A centralized, reliable name in transportation that is available across multiple countries. Most of the taxi industry is local, you have the NYC Taxis, then smaller taxi companies within each country, et cetera.
2. A lack of a customer service system. Customer service is huge, some industries live and die based on customer service alone. I've taken taxis all the time in NYC, you know how many times I was asked for feedback? Never. The taxi industry is fine with pay for your ride, then leave, ridesharing companies realized that asking customers for feedback, then looping that back into their drivers to have their drivers change pain points results in better service and more money. Inversely bad drivers who aren't receptive to feedback are weeded out. The taxi industry can't even come close to this.
3. Hailing a ride itself is a nightmare. In some areas like NYC people stand out in the rain with their arm out and still get passed over. In some cases there was alleged racial discrimination at play. Growing up we had to call by phone. Modern ridesharing companies built platforms that let hailing occur over the internet, with location matching, intelligent routing algorithms that factor in cost and distance to save time and money, routing and assignments being done by algorithm so that discrimination is minimized since less of the control is given to humans, AKA the actual driver or dispatcher.
4. Passengers themselves are scored/ranked and can be outright banned for unprofessional behavior. This gives drivers a way to counter bad customers.
5. The pricing, there are numerous stories of drivers running long routes unnecessarily to run the meter longer. The ridesharing companies invert this and throw it on to the driver, not the passenger, the driver is given an ideal route and if they can get there faster or have knowledge to minmize the route, they come out on top. This is a far better system for the consumer so they're going to choose it.
6. Finally there's the convenience aspect. Your card is linked to your account, your payment is done automatically without having a driver sit there and count your money. It's also arguably safer for the driver since it eliminates people who ride and dash.
Notice what all of these have in common? They have nothing to do with an actual physical fleet and very little of this was addressed by the industry, because the industry ignored this stuff which was between the passenger and the driver. This is all done in software, from the algorithm that dispatches drivers to passengers, the calculation of routes, where the drivers are, feedback mechanisms, driver/passenger ranking systems, the mobile app. They realized that what sucked about the industry was how they handled everything between the driver and the passenger, not the actual fleet itself. The passenger never had problems with the fleet, they had problems with everything else in between. Ridesharing companies fixed that and therefore destroyed the competitors that didn't.
If things like this didn't happen we'd still be having ice delivered to our houses. If there's a problem, people come along to solve it, period. The taxi industry never looked itself in the mirror.
The taxi industry and the medallion system is crony capitalism, just like states banning Tesla from selling their vehicles due to the dealership industry, nobody should accept crony capitalism. You don't think it's wrong that people used to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for a medallion? That they saw that as an investment because it was a guaranteed way to stiff the consumer? It was supposed to be used to control the amount of drivers on the road, its rise in value tells you it was completely distorted for personal gain. They can find other ways to mitigate traffic without shafting consumers.
I realize that I am on an oil forum where you cheapskates argue that Walmart (Warren) Synthetic 5 30 is just as good as name brand stuff. Most of you are just looking at the bottom line. The lowest price. And it's shame. The funny thing is in, Chicago, the legit taxi drivers still make money but it's a little harder. Elderly people, who don't have cell phones don't understand Uber. There will always be a plays for the professional taxi driver.
The American consumer is free to look for the lowest price, what's wrong with that? That's not exactly an unreasonable goal. If you're saying they should pay more for reason X, what's the reason? I'm willing to bet it's something to subsidize someone else, no thanks. Why should the American consumer pay more to subsidize someone else? Is that other person going to subsidize them?
Uber, Lyft and ridesharing destroyed the taxi industry because the taxi industry has had decades of monopoly and grew complacent, period. The Sears v. Amazon comparison mentioned earlier is spot on.
Most if not all ridesharing companies started out not even owning a fleet and the majority of their business is still not actually owning a fleet. Why? Because they operate in the gig economy and make their money between the rider and the fleet/driver, where as the taxi industry ignored that aspect entirely.
Think about all of the reasons why people prefer Uber:
1. A centralized, reliable name in transportation that is available across multiple countries. Most of the taxi industry is local, you have the NYC Taxis, then smaller taxi companies within each country, et cetera.
2. A lack of a customer service system. Customer service is huge, some industries live and die based on customer service alone. I've taken taxis all the time in NYC, you know how many times I was asked for feedback? Never. The taxi industry is fine with pay for your ride, then leave, ridesharing companies realized that asking customers for feedback, then looping that back into their drivers to have their drivers change pain points results in better service and more money. Inversely bad drivers who aren't receptive to feedback are weeded out. The taxi industry can't even come close to this.
3. Hailing a ride itself is a nightmare. In some areas like NYC people stand out in the rain with their arm out and still get passed over. In some cases there was alleged racial discrimination at play. Growing up we had to call by phone. Modern ridesharing companies built platforms that let hailing occur over the internet, with location matching, intelligent routing algorithms that factor in cost and distance to save time and money, routing and assignments being done by algorithm so that discrimination is minimized since less of the control is given to humans, AKA the actual driver or dispatcher.
4. Passengers themselves are scored/ranked and can be outright banned for unprofessional behavior. This gives drivers a way to counter bad customers.
5. The pricing, there are numerous stories of drivers running long routes unnecessarily to run the meter longer. The ridesharing companies invert this and throw it on to the driver, not the passenger, the driver is given an ideal route and if they can get there faster or have knowledge to minmize the route, they come out on top. This is a far better system for the consumer so they're going to choose it.
6. Finally there's the convenience aspect. Your card is linked to your account, your payment is done automatically without having a driver sit there and count your money. It's also arguably safer for the driver since it eliminates people who ride and dash.
Notice what all of these have in common? They have nothing to do with an actual physical fleet and very little of this was addressed by the industry, because the industry ignored this stuff which was between the passenger and the driver. This is all done in software, from the algorithm that dispatches drivers to passengers, the calculation of routes, where the drivers are, feedback mechanisms, driver/passenger ranking systems, the mobile app. They realized that what sucked about the industry was how they handled everything between the driver and the passenger, not the actual fleet itself. The passenger never had problems with the fleet, they had problems with everything else in between. Ridesharing companies fixed that and therefore destroyed the competitors that didn't.
If things like this didn't happen we'd still be having ice delivered to our houses. If there's a problem, people come along to solve it, period. The taxi industry never looked itself in the mirror.
The taxi industry and the medallion system is crony capitalism, just like states banning Tesla from selling their vehicles due to the dealership industry, nobody should accept crony capitalism. You don't think it's wrong that people used to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for a medallion? That they saw that as an investment because it was a guaranteed way to stiff the consumer? It was supposed to be used to control the amount of drivers on the road, its rise in value tells you it was completely distorted for personal gain. They can find other ways to mitigate traffic without shafting consumers.
6. Finally there's the convenience aspect. Your card is linked to your account, your payment is done automatically without having a driver sit there and count your money. It's also arguably safer for the driver since it eliminates people who ride and dash.
And what happens to elderly folks who don't have smart phones? They are unable to obtain this "Gods greatest gift" Uber service. Believe it or not, there are plenty of people out there with out smart phones and call the standard taxi service. The taxi service has no choice but to raise the rate on these poor people. I no longer drive but I don't blame the real taxi drivers "stiffing" customers. They have no choice today.
And what happens to elderly folks who don't have smart phones? They are unable to obtain this "Gods greatest gift" Uber service. Believe it or not, there are plenty of people out there with out smart phones and call the standard taxi service. The taxi service has no choice but to raise the rate on these poor people. I no longer drive but I don't blame the real taxi drivers "stiffing" customers. They have no choice today.
. Hailing a ride itself is a nightmare. In some areas like NYC people stand out in the rain with their arm out and still get passed over. In some cases there was alleged racial discrimination at play. Growing up we had to call by phone. Modern ridesharing companies built platforms that let hailing occur over the internet, with location matching, intelligent routing algorithms that factor in cost and distance to save time and money, routing and assignments being done by algorithm so that discrimination is minimized since less of the control is given to humans, AKA the actual driver or dispatcher.
That's a huge lie right there. Anyone downtown on Deerborn, State or Michigan Ave. can hail a taxi with a whistle or the raise of their arm. That is a convenience. You don't have to engage your cell phone and risk hacking. You raise your arm and a cab appears. Chicago taxis have always been professional run by the city. Even the newly elected Mayor Lori Lightfoot vows to crack down on the Uber/Lyft menace.
That's a huge lie right there. Anyone downtown on Deerborn, State or Michigan Ave. can hail a taxi with a whistle or the raise of their arm. That is a convenience. You don't have to engage your cell phone and risk hacking. You raise your arm and a cab appears. Chicago taxis have always been professional run by the city. Even the newly elected Mayor Lori Lightfoot vows to crack down on the Uber/Lyft menace.
A taxi medallion worth $1 million, is about as justifiable as a union auto worker getting paid $38.00 @ hour to play pool. One is already extinct. The other soon will be. Neither will be missed.
Originally Posted by billt460
A taxi medallion worth $1 million, is about as justifiable as a union auto worker getting paid $38.00 @ hour to play pool. One is already extinct. The other soon will be. Neither will be missed.
When you were an aerospace machinist, what was your working arrangement regarding demarcation and remuneration ?
I've been interested in a long while on that one...
edit...and the retirement income...that's ALL self made contributions right ???
A taxi medallion worth $1 million, is about as justifiable as a union auto worker getting paid $38.00 @ hour to play pool. One is already extinct. The other soon will be. Neither will be missed.
When you were an aerospace machinist, what was your working arrangement regarding demarcation and remuneration ?
I've been interested in a long while on that one...
edit...and the retirement income...that's ALL self made contributions right ???
Last edited:
Wow lots of posts on this one. Just my 2 cents we have Lyft in my area and I really like it. I used to have to wait a half hour or more to get a taxi. A Lyft arrives within a few minutes.
Originally Posted by skyactiv
The free market has decided taxis suck.
This. Plus the passenger is less likely to get "long hauled".
The free market has decided taxis suck.
This. Plus the passenger is less likely to get "long hauled".
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Originally Posted by GMguy84
Talking about Chicago cabs........
Years ago being picked up @ O'hare by a Taxi to my Hotel. The "dirty" Taxi driver TRIED to charge me an "Airport fee". But I pointed out the sticker ON THE WINDOW OF HIS CAR that it was a fee TO the airport, Not FROM the airport. He staid quite rest of the trip and of course no tip for his [censored] lol
I'm also from Chicago and it was well known cabbies have a BAD stigma of driving like morons and trying to rip off general public. They've been screwing over the public for decades !! Glad they're the getting a HARD douse of KARMA.
On a related note, Yellow cab division just went out of business in OKC a few weeks ago, No one batted a eye lol
Dave
You haven't lived till you've had a Chicago taxi cab cut you off then yell at you like it's your fault!
Believe it or not years ago near Clark and Belmont in the city, I witnessed a CRAZY "White unicorn" rare event !!! A Chicago PD paddy wagon pulled over a cab after just cutting off a car !!!
And funny thing is people were clapping and cheering on the cops for it lol
But gotta keep this story on on the "low low" or Will clark will hunt me down and a tag my house as a "Cab hater"
Dave
Originally Posted by GMguy84
Talking about Chicago cabs........
Years ago being picked up @ O'hare by a Taxi to my Hotel. The "dirty" Taxi driver TRIED to charge me an "Airport fee". But I pointed out the sticker ON THE WINDOW OF HIS CAR that it was a fee TO the airport, Not FROM the airport. He staid quite rest of the trip and of course no tip for his [censored] lol
I'm also from Chicago and it was well known cabbies have a BAD stigma of driving like morons and trying to rip off general public. They've been screwing over the public for decades !! Glad they're the getting a HARD douse of KARMA.
On a related note, Yellow cab division just went out of business in OKC a few weeks ago, No one batted a eye lol
Dave
You haven't lived till you've had a Chicago taxi cab cut you off then yell at you like it's your fault!
Believe it or not years ago near Clark and Belmont in the city, I witnessed a CRAZY "White unicorn" rare event !!! A Chicago PD paddy wagon pulled over a cab after just cutting off a car !!!
And funny thing is people were clapping and cheering on the cops for it lol
But gotta keep this story on on the "low low" or Will clark will hunt me down and a tag my house as a "Cab hater"
Dave
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Originally Posted by skyactiv
The free market has decided taxis suck.
This. Plus the passenger is less likely to get "long hauled".
this,typical cost for a ride from Love Field to DFW : $80 Uber ? $ $20 - $30 .
Originally Posted by skyactiv
The free market has decided taxis suck.
This. Plus the passenger is less likely to get "long hauled".
this,typical cost for a ride from Love Field to DFW : $80 Uber ? $ $20 - $30 .
Originally Posted by Willclark
The majority of Uber drivers are "down on their luck" and are unemployable. It's pretty much their last line of profession from being unemployed.
Yet they manage to drive a nice late model car. Doesn't seem down on their luck at all.
The majority of Uber drivers are "down on their luck" and are unemployable. It's pretty much their last line of profession from being unemployed.
Yet they manage to drive a nice late model car. Doesn't seem down on their luck at all.
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