Took my first Uber ride today

[rudeguy]

I got bored and broke my car, so I took an Uber to work today. It was great. The guy showed up in 5 minutes flat, was super polite and fun to talk to, got me to work in the same amount of time it normally takes me to drive myself and best of all it was free since I had an Amazon promo code.

I'm kicking myself for not using this sooner and more often. I don't need rides a lot but when I travel its not uncommon for me to walk rather than wait 30 minutes for a cab and I'm for sure not going to try to figure out public transportation in a town I don't know.

A+ Uber. Would ride again.

 

[Greenman]

Isn't uber just a taxi service that uses unlicensed drivers and doesn't pay taxes? I don't understand why they're in business.

 

[vi edit]

Isn't uber just a taxi service that uses unlicensed drivers and doesn't pay taxes? I don't understand why they're in business.

Uber is to a Taxi service as Netflix is to Brick and Mortar Blockbuster.

When I was in San Francisco last December we used Uber exclusively with the exception of getting out of the Airport when we first got in.

It was half the price of a cab, cars were there in minutes, every one of them of was immaculate inside, and payment exchange was hands free. It's an amazing service.

It's too bad though because they are getting so cutthroat in their rates that the aren't paying their drivers much anymore. It's going to bleed out and die as it's no longer something you can make money at as a driver.

 

[rudeguy]

Uber is to a Taxi service as Netflix is to Brick and Mortar Blockbuster.

When I was in San Francisco last December we used Uber exclusively with the exception of getting out of the Airport when we first got in.

It was half the price of a cab, cars were there in minutes, every one of them of was immaculate inside, and payment exchange was hands free. It's an amazing service.

It's too bad though because they are getting so cutthroat in their rates that the aren't paying their drivers much anymore. It's going to bleed out and die as it's no longer something you can make money at as a driver.

Yea the time factor is what I liked. 5 minutes flat for a pickup? When I've taken taxis it was always at least 30 minutes. Also it was so simple. 3 clicks to schedule the pickup, it knew right where I was and no waiting around after I got dropped off. I took my phone out of my pocket thinking I was going to have to confirm or something but nope. I felt kind of bad because I planned on tipping but that wasn't even an option?

 

[Black Octagon]

Uber is great.

The only problem with it is that taxi drivers around the world throw the odd hissy fit and protest against the competition, blocking streets, pissing everyone off and doing other things that are pretty much guaranteed to turn me off regular taxis even more.

 

[KeithTalent]

This reminded me to sign up. Thanks Rudey.

KT

 

[rudeguy]

This reminded me to sign up. Thanks Rudey.

KT

Check Amazon Local. There is a promo for a free ride up to $25.

 

[ultimatebob]

This reminded me to sign up. Thanks Rudey.

KT

I tried signing up, but some jerk in Europe already used my e-mail address to set up an account and then got the account suspended.

 

[KeithTalent]

Check Amazon Local. There is a promo for a free ride up to $25.

Thanks brah. You're the gift that keeps on giving.

I tried signing up, but some jerk in Europe already used my e-mail address to set up an account and then got the account suspended.

Lol. Sorry, that sucks, but it struck me as funny.

KT

 

[rudeguy]

Thanks brah. You're the gift that keeps on giving.


KT

That's what she said.

 

[jlee]

Uber is to a Taxi service as Netflix is to Brick and Mortar Blockbuster.

When I was in San Francisco last December we used Uber exclusively with the exception of getting out of the Airport when we first got in.

It was half the price of a cab, cars were there in minutes, every one of them of was immaculate inside, and payment exchange was hands free. It's an amazing service.

It's too bad though because they are getting so cutthroat in their rates that the aren't paying their drivers much anymore. It's going to bleed out and die as it's no longer something you can make money at as a driver.

Yup, I started Lyft just for fun -- on Valentine's Day night, I pulled ~$25/hr or better. Last weekend, $34 in 3 hours (this doesn't count fuel/depreciation/etc). Plus, it's 1099 income, so taxes suck.

Sooooo yeah. I will likely only go out on nights I expect to be super busy.

I do wish they'd keep the rates a bit higher. Even if they were close to taxi rates, instead of being half or less - ride with me and you get a clean Lexus GX470 and bottled water if you want it. Ride with a cab and you get a shitty Crown Vic with 250k miles, wait forever to get picked up, and pay twice as much. :/

 

[ViviTheMage]

I am fairly certain uber and lyft will go away at some point. They were low priced at the get go, but are getting more expensive, and not paying as well as they once did.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Nice.

Depending on the city, I could see Uber being great.

In New Orleans if I am out with my woman at night and we meander a couple miles from the hotel and wind up on bourbon street, we can generally get a Cab back to the hotel in 5 mins or so, and its pretty cheap.

When were were in Grand Rapids during KBS week, we tried calling several taxi companies and they all had hour plus waits... so naturally we walked ...

Some Cities have pretty awesome cab coverage, others, maybe not quite as strong.

 

[rudeguy]

Nice.

Depending on the city, I could see Uber being great.

In New Orleans if I am out with my woman at night and we meander a couple miles from the hotel and wind up on bourbon street, we can generally get a Cab back to the hotel in 5 mins or so, and its pretty cheap.

When were were in Grand Rapids during KBS week, we tried calling several taxi companies and they all had hour plus waits... so naturally we walked ...

Some Cities have pretty awesome cab coverage, others, maybe not quite as strong.

Grand Rapids absolutely sucks for cabs. Mainly because the city is so spread out. Nothing is close to anything. Even downtown it takes forever to get one. Our bus system isn't bad but again since everything is so spread out, it takes forever to get anywhere. What takes me 15 minutes in a car takes almost 2 hours on the bus.

I am seriously pissed at myself for not using this while I was in Vegas.

 

[edro]

I thought it was illegal.

 

[ThinClient]

I thought it was illegal.

There's no federal law against it. Some states are trying to tackle it. Several municipalities are trying to tackle it.

It's all about money and how the government isn't getting enough of it, stifling progress as usual.

 

[jlee]

I am fairly certain uber and lyft will go away at some point. They were low priced at the get go, but are getting more expensive, and not paying as well as they once did.

Not to my knowledge.

http://recode.net/2014/04/30/lyft-and-uber-price-wars-leave-some-drivers-feeling-crunched/

 

[bigrash]

I used uber for the first time this past weekend when I didn't wanna dig out my car from the snow. It was super easy. Will use again. A+

 

[DesiPower]

Uber is great.

The only problem with it is that taxi drivers around the world throw the odd hissy fit and protest against the competition, blocking streets, pissing everyone off and doing other things that are pretty much guaranteed to turn me off regular taxis even more.

There are choking a multi billion dollar industry, they will get resistance. In my city they are negotiating for a while now. Final ruling is today, Uber already knows what its getting and not happy and almost ready to shut down their doors in this city. Its a very socialist nanny city, big business have the govt in the pocket, so today Uber might as well leave for they will come around, its the future, nobody can stop it.

 

[Excelsior]

I love Uber. It's fulfilling a void in transportation. Clean, reliable, easy. Something taxis rarely are. I've even used it to get from LGA to Manhattan with ease.

 

[DesiPower]

I love Uber. It's fulfilling a void in transportation. Clean, reliable, easy. Something taxis rarely are. I've even used it to get from LGA to Manhattan with ease.

I also love the fact that its actual people making honest money and not illegal immigrants being leached by wealthy businesses

 

[Wreckem]

Uber is great.

The only problem with it is that taxi drivers around the world throw the odd hissy fit and protest against the competition, blocking streets, pissing everyone off and doing other things that are pretty much guaranteed to turn me off regular taxis even more.

The reality is there are now a lot of companies that operate fleets of uber vehicles very much like Taxi's. Uber drivers in Dallas act worse than Taxi drivers. Many of them are former taxi drivers. I loathe uber drivers in downtown Dallas. They block lanes moving lanes regularly, cut people off regularly, and regularly violate traffic laws.

 

[maddogchen]

I got bored and broke my car

what? you broke your car because you were bored?

 

[DesiPower]

The reality is there are now a lot of companies that operate fleets of uber vehicles very much like Taxi's. Uber drivers in Dallas act worse than Taxi drivers. Many of them are former taxi drivers. I loathe uber drivers in downtown Dallas. They block lanes moving lanes regularly, cut people off regularly, and regularly violate traffic laws.

I though the driver rating was the basic idea of Uber, if you get bad reviews, can you still drive? get customers?

 

[rudeguy]

what? you broke your car because you were bored?

Don't you ever get bored and take things apart just to see if you can put them back together? :awe:


I had a flat tire, battery go bad and either my starter or passlock system crap out within a few hours.