California passed a bill to the governor to sign, which clarifies the definition of independent contractors to gig companies like Uber and could force them to consider their drivers as employees, pay benefits, etc.

Luckily, it doesn't apply to Uber, according to Uber. Uber isn't a ride sharing company after all, they're a technology platform serving several digital marketplaces.

Phew. That was a close one.

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Re: Uber
By: poindexter FORTRAN to All on Fri Sep 13 2019 08:42 am

California passed a bill to the governor to sign, which clarifies the definition of independent contractors to gig companies like Uber and could force them to consider their drivers as employees, pay benefits, etc.

Luckily, it doesn't apply to Uber, according to Uber. Uber isn't a ride sharing company after all, they're a technology platform serving several digital marketplaces.

Phew. That was a close one.

I've heard people say Uber is basically acting as a taxi company but skirting regulations that normally apply to taxis, and ont vetting its drivers, etc.. It seemed sketchy to me, and I've wondered how Uber continues to operate.

Nightfox

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Re: Uber
By: Nightfox to poindexter FORTRAN on Fri Sep 13 2019 10:23 am

California passed a bill to the governor to sign, which clarifies the

I've heard people say Uber is basically acting as a taxi company but skirting regulations that normally apply to taxis, and ont vetting its drivers, etc.. It seemed sketchy to me, and I've wondered how Uber

They do pretty darn good in NYC. Where else can you enter the country illegaly. Obtain a drivers licence and make $1200.00 plus a week driving for Uber? At least Taxi companies pay for there madalians and are regulated by the city. Anyone can drive for Uber. I really feel for thm hard working cab drivers. It's just not right what the Uber drivers do to their business.

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On 09-13-19 10:23, Nightfox wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-

I've heard people say Uber is basically acting as a taxi company but skirting regulations that normally apply to taxis, and ont vetting its drivers, etc.. It seemed sketchy to me, and I've wondered how Uber continues to operate.

The taxi companies here are up in arms about Uber too for that reason, but the government has allowed Uber to operate. On the rare occasion I need that sort of transport, I still use a taxi though.


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Re: Uber
By: HusTler to Nightfox on Fri Sep 13 2019 02:04 pm

They do pretty darn good in NYC. Where else can you enter the country illegaly. Obtain a drivers licence and make $1200.00 plus a week driving for
Uber? At least Taxi companies pay for there madalians and are regulated by the city. Anyone can drive for Uber. I really feel for thm hard working cab
drivers. It's just not right what the Uber drivers do to their business.

Well, I cant speak for outside the US, but in Australia, I really like what Uber has done - it has cleaned up the taxi business here.

Before Uber:

* Taxi's would refuse to take you where you wanted to go (short trip), even though by law they had to,
* Their cars were dirty, smokey, smelly as were some drivers - even though there was a standard they had to maintain
* They often didnt know how to get to where you wanted to go - even though they should know common local landmarks to get their license
* They regularly skimmed my credit card and I often had to deal with banks disputing charges. (I'm talking $100-$150/month for 18+ months.) I had $10,000 come out from South Africa not long after I used my personal card in a taxi in Sydney.
* They would take a long way to get to your destination
* Never carried the right change (if you paid by cash), and would complain if you didnt have an appropriate denomination of funds.

I also travel internationally quite a bit, so its nice to arrive at a destination, key into an app where I want to go, know how much it will cost and not have to carry any local currency, haggle with a driver, or attempt to communicate in a foreign language.

I'm not saying it doesnt come with its own set of issues, but when you complain about the above and nothing is done its a business opportunity which Uber took advantage of.
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Re: Uber
By: Alterego to HusTler on Sat Sep 14 2019 09:36 am

They do pretty darn good in NYC. Where else can you enter the country illegaly. Obtain a drivers licence and make $1200.00 plus a week driving for

Well, I cant speak for outside the US, but in Australia, I really like what Uber has done - it has cleaned up the taxi business here.

Before Uber:

* Taxi's would refuse to take you where you wanted to go (short trip), even * Their cars were dirty, smokey, smelly as were some drivers - even though
* They regularly skimmed my credit card and I often had to deal with banks

Wow. I had no idea. So your saying the presence of Uber has made the Taxi service better or just gives you a better choice? I worked for a Cab company years ago and I will admit some drivers never cleaned their cars. I worked in the Suburbs were the Cab company was "the only show in town". It's been years but I'll bet Uber has changed Cab drivers attitude towards their Car and customers. ;-)

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Quoting Nightfox to poindexter FORTRAN <=-

I've heard people say Uber is basically acting as a taxi company but skirting regulations that normally apply to taxis, and ont vetting its drivers, etc.. It seemed sketchy to me, and I've wondered how Uber continues to operate.

I have always wondered that, the answer is money. They buy their way
into anything. In our area all they have to do is pay $40,000 a year
for all their vehicles. The great thing is bylaw doesn't police them
so they pick up flags and when customers at walmart order a taxi they
say "I'm uber I'll take you anywhere for $8" which of course isn't on
their uber app so no insurance.

Remember they don't know what a driver is. They are a tech company.

Shawn

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Re: Uber
By: HusTler to Alterego on Sat Sep 14 2019 09:48 am

* They regularly skimmed my credit card and I often had to deal with bank

Wow. I had no idea. So your saying the presence of Uber has made the Taxi service better or just gives you a better choice? I worked for a Cab company years ago and I will admit some drivers never cleaned their cars. I worked i the Suburbs were the Cab company was "the only show in town". It's been year but I'll bet Uber has changed Cab drivers attitude towards their Car and customers. ;-)

it's certainly made it harder for taxi drivers. maybe they had to step up their game a bit. it's true that taxi companies have to pay a lot more for their business to get established and pay other fees when uber drivers just get uber and go.
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Re: Uber
By: HusTler to Alterego on Sat Sep 14 2019 09:48 am

Wow. I had no idea. So your saying the presence of Uber has made the Taxi service better or just gives you a better choice? I worked for a Cab company years ago and I will admit some drivers never cleaned
their cars. I worked in the Suburbs were the Cab company was "the only show in town". It's been years but I'll bet Uber has changed Cab drivers attitude towards their Car and customers. ;-)

Both.

Its simple things - another example was calling for a cab - "When will it be here", the answer was "he's a few minutes a way (when it was way longer than that), or I dont know".

The cab companies here have now, implemented an app, that:

* Enables you to pay without having cash
* Lets you know where your car is at when you've booked one
* Lets you see where you need to go, and if they car is taking you the appropraite route
* Provide feedback on the car and driver

Its amazing, that you would complain about this stuff for years to see no real change or improvement. Uber came along, the cab industry now had a competitor and it was do something or sink.

Dont get me wrong, the Uber now has a competitor, and hopefully the winner out of all this is everbody, but as a consumer I'm now happier with the choices I have (and I use cab/ubers quite often).
...ëîå*

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On 09-15-19 10:44, Alterego wrote to HusTler <=-

The cab companies here have now, implemented an app, that:

* Enables you to pay without having cash
* Lets you know where your car is at when you've booked one
* Lets you see where you need to go, and if they car is taking you the appropraite route * Provide feedback on the car and driver

Yes, last time I booked a cab, I used an app. The booking went smoothly, and I was able to see where my cab was several minutes before it arrived, along with an estimate of arrival time. I'll definitely do that again.

Its amazing, that you would complain about this stuff for years to see
no real change or improvement. Uber came along, the cab industry now
had a competitor and it was do something or sink.

It is amazing what a bit of competition will do.


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Re: Uber
By: Alterego to HusTler on Sun Sep 15 2019 10:44:36

My flat mate used to use Uber all the time until Lyft came into town. Now he uses Lyft exclusevly. He says the drivers are just of a much higher caliber than Uber drivers. Ande here lately I see more and more drivers who are working for both companies at the same time.

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Vk3jed wrote to Alterego <=-

Yes, last time I booked a cab, I used an app. The booking went
smoothly, and I was able to see where my cab was several minutes before
it arrived, along with an estimate of arrival time. I'll definitely do that again.

Last time I booked a cab, I stood on a street corner and raised my hand, a
cab stopped, I told him where I wanted to go, and he took me there. I concluded the transaction by paying him the amount indicated on the display, plus a gratuity.

It all seems pretty straightforward and without need of disruption. ;)
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Re: Re: Uber
By: Vk3jed to Alterego on Sun Sep 15 2019 06:57 pm

Yes, last time I booked a cab, I used an app. The booking went smoothly, an was able to see where my cab was several minutes before it arrived, along wi an estimate of arrival time. I'll definitely do that again.

Its amazing, that you would complain about this stuff for years to see no real change or improvement. Uber came along, the cab industry now had a competitor and it was do something or sink.

It is amazing what a bit of competition will do.

last time i ordered a cab years ago it was a 40 min wait and ended up being 1:15. the guy didnt know where he was going in town. this is not a busy city.

and it cost us around 30 bucks in today's dollars to go across town.
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Re: Re: Uber
By: poindexter FORTRAN to Vk3jed on Sun Sep 15 2019 08:10 am

Vk3jed wrote to Alterego <=-

Yes, last time I booked a cab, I used an app. The booking went smoothly, and I was able to see where my cab was several minutes before it arrived, along with an estimate of arrival time. I'll definitely do that again.

Last time I booked a cab, I stood on a street corner and raised my hand, a cab stopped, I told him where I wanted to go, and he took me there. I concluded the transaction by paying him the amount indicated on the display, plus a gratuity.

It all seems pretty straightforward and without need of disruption. ;)

it's not like that everywhere. your experience is not the norm.
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On 09-15-19 08:10, poindexter FORTRAN wrote to Vk3jed <=-

Last time I booked a cab, I stood on a street corner and raised my
hand, a cab stopped, I told him where I wanted to go, and he took me there. I concluded the transaction by paying him the amount indicated
on the display, plus a gratuity.

I rarely use cabs that way. The excetion is the rare trip from an airport to a hotel, where I get one from the taxi rank. I'm most likely to catch a cab from home to the train station in the wee small hours at the start of a major trip away.


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On 09-15-19 14:02, MRO wrote to Vk3jed <=-

last time i ordered a cab years ago it was a 40 min wait and ended up being 1:15. the guy didnt know where he was going in town. this is
not a busy city.

Was there something on that day?

and it cost us around 30 bucks in today's dollars to go across town.

And how big is your city?


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Re: Re: Uber
By: Vk3jed to MRO on Mon Sep 16 2019 07:53 am

On 09-15-19 14:02, MRO wrote to Vk3jed <=-

last time i ordered a cab years ago it was a 40 min wait and ended up being 1:15. the guy didnt know where he was going in town. this is not a busy city.

Was there something on that day?

it was just a regular day. the car was the dude's daily driver too.
my city has struggled with having decent taxi companies.

and it cost us around 30 bucks in today's dollars to go across town.

And how big is your city?

it was a 15 min drive probably
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On 09-16-19 05:17, MRO wrote to Vk3jed <=-

Was there something on that day?

it was just a regular day. the car was the dude's daily driver too.
my city has struggled with having decent taxi companies.

Hmm, OK.

and it cost us around 30 bucks in today's dollars to go across town.

And how big is your city?

it was a 15 min drive probably

OK, sounds like a similar price to here, maybe slightly more expensive.


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Tiny wrote to Nightfox <=-

Remember they don't know what a driver is. They are a tech company.

Yes, all the time I'm looking to get somewhere I suggest we log onto a marketplace supporting digital commerce platforms in the hope of getting a
car and driver.


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Quoting poindexter FORTRAN to Tiny <=-

Yes, all the time I'm looking to get somewhere I suggest we log onto a marketplace supporting digital commerce platforms in the hope of
getting a car and driver.

When I needed a new doctor I looked for "How to distil moonshine in
your backyard" and there he was.

Shawn

... Footprints in the sands of time are never made by sitting down.

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