Uber

Discussion in 'Automotive' started by Patsy Faye, Dec 11, 2018.

  1. Patsy Faye

    Patsy Faye Supreme Member
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    I was reading about them yesterday, a 65 billion company, that pay little in taxes
    Over here, the black cabs are not happy - the Uber drivers are taken for a ride as the 'company'
    take 25 per cent from them. They are mainly foreigners that don't speak a much English, so no
    use to tourists or conversation :rolleyes:
    How do other countries deal with Uber ? On the chin perhaps …………?
     
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  2. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
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    Uber is very popular here. Ive used it, my kids have used it and my grandson in college uses it a lot. We even give him Uber cards as gifts.

    But lately Ive been reading of too many incidents with the drivers...like rape, etc.

    So, I don't know if I'd feel comfortable after reading that.

    We also have Lyft here but Ive never used it.
     
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  3. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I have used Uber several times and much prefer it to taxis. Uber drivers love it because they can pay off cars that they could never afford to buy otherwise. For active drivers, Uber even finances. When I use Uber in Washington, DC, the drivers are always happy about the job. Some drive Uber full-time, while most do so when they are off of their regular jobs, usually in order to make car payments or earn extra money.

    One of our Uber drivers took a shortcut through the Pentagon parking lot because he works at the Pentagon. We were there when the shift changed at the Pentagon and he showed us on his monitor (which shows other Uber drivers in the area) that the moment Pentagon employees got into their car after getting off-shift, they were on duty for Uber.

    In contrast, taxi drivers rarely speak English well enough to carry on a conversation, and I often get the feeling that they are driving us the long way in order to add to the pay-off. With Uber, you know what the cost will be before they even arrive.

    Eventually, there will be crime involved in pretty much everything and I suspect that crimes involving Uber drivers are exaggerated in the media. Uber knows who they are, where they picked you up, and which route they took, so the chances of an Uber driver getting away with the crime is pretty low.
     
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  4. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
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    Also with taxis if you have a bigger family you needed to take two cabs..with uber you can ask for a minivan.

    All my experiences were good with Uber.

    I also agree about cabs driving you the long way. My house is a straight shot to Yosemite International airport and once coming home a driver was taking me a roundabout way and it wasn't because of traffic.
     
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  5. Patsy Faye

    Patsy Faye Supreme Member
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    Nice to hear a positive side - had a feeling I would
     
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  6. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I have only used Uber in the Washington, DC/Virginia/Maryland area, however.
     
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  7. Tim Burr

    Tim Burr Veteran Member
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    We use Lyft to get downtown due to the parking situation, for concerts and such.

    Taxi is about twice as much from our house to downtown and you never know when they will show
    up.
    With Lyft and Uber, you can track them on you phone and if there is a location problem, they call you.

    It's how we get around on vacations and so far, have had nothing but
    excellent drivers.

    Also, they are so popular here that for large events, they set up Lyft and Uber tents where you
    can relax and wait for your driver to show up.

    They also set up special drop off and pickup lanes.

    This is great after a huge event like a football game gets over. Just head to the 'tent', request your
    ride on your phone and have a sit with entertainment and a beverage.:)
     
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  8. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I haven't used Lyft but a lot of our Uber drivers said they drive for Lyft too.
     
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  9. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    I haven't used Uber or Lyft yet although I think we have both here in our City. If I was younger, an extrovert, and liked driving this would be a good way to make some money and meet all kinds of people. We usually only hear the bad news about Uber, etc. from the media but I think Uber and Lyft are beneficial to many people who may not prefer to take a regular taxi.

    My daughter used Uber in Houston when she attended a before the wedding party for the Bride and Bride maids...and she said the Uber vehicle she rode in was a Kia Soul the same color as ours. :)
     
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  10. Tim Burr

    Tim Burr Veteran Member
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    We started with Lyft in the beginning of this type of service because you could add a tip directly to the bill and just pay it on line.

    Uber, at the time, didn't offer this so you would dig in your wallet and tip in cash.
    They have since added the tip feature to their web site.

    We also notice that most drivers drive for both companies.
     
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  11. Tim Burr

    Tim Burr Veteran Member
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    Also, at least with Lyft, when you request a ride, the site will show a picture of the car or van, and the drivers name.
    This keeps the confusion to a minimum and you know who to look out for.

    We feel pretty safe using this type of service to get around when the situation calls for it.
     
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  12. Patsy Faye

    Patsy Faye Supreme Member
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    Judging by the responses, not a problem for you over there
    Here, its the 'main' city, London - may be similar in New York with their traditional yellow cabs
    A lot of research has been done and the drivers don't get a good deal at all, in fact we have to subsidise their income
    via benefits. The fact that Uber pays 'little' in tax - so what's new there :rolleyes:
     
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  13. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
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    All I know is that the taxis are/ were angry about Uber but don't know the details.
     
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  14. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    Judging from the DC area, I think that Uber forced the taxi companies to invest in newer vehicles. I have noticed that the taxis all seem to be newer models now, whereas they were ratty old vehicles not so long ago. I'm sure that Uber and Lyft is taking a lot of the taxi business away from them. Plus, I think that taxi companies and/or drivers have to pay a lot of money in licensing fees, while Uber and Lyft do not.
     
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  15. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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