Uber/Lyft Destroyed The Taxi Industry.

[GMguy84]

Originally Posted by atikovi
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.



I think some auto manufactures had/Still have?? agreements with rideshare company for drivers to get a low cost lease on a new car I know GM did with Lyft a few years ago.

Dave

 

[oil_film_movies]

 

[BigCahuna]

Who doesn't like riding in a 10 year old cab that was a former cop car, with 350,000 mile on it, that rides like it has square wheels?

 

[Omahaug]

Originally Posted by Willclark
. 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.

How is that a huge lie? I literally said "some areas like NYC" not Deerborn, nothing I said was a lie.

http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2014/11/why-you-cant-get-a-taxi-when-its-raining.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/07/...y-ignoring-black-family-judge-rules.html

The first article touches on something I missed in my original post. The fact that ridesharing has made rides accessible to more people. Rather than a finite number of medallions in circulation, you now have way more drivers and thus more rides and less price gouging.

 

[javacontour]

How does ownership of a medallion give you a special right?

What destroyed the industry was greed, corruption and the unwillingness to adapt.

I get it, there was a major investment in a medallion. It's a protection racket. Buying protection from competition from the government instead of a mob boss.

Someone came in and disrupted the whole corrupt game. Yes, the game was corrupt even if there were players of fine moral fabric and high skill.

Look around, all matter of markets are being disrupted. Retail and manufacturing to name a couple. On line shopping, automation and off-shoring are changing markets.

Even in IT. Computing is going into the cloud. You don't think they are hiring US based engineers @100k to administer your systems in the cloud, do you? They are hiring someone in the far east at 10% of the costs. I know, I work with these folks everyday when I do the hardware maintenance on the systems. All manner of things are being disrupted by an increasingly more connected world.

Thirty years of experience in IT and multiple degrees, not to mention continuing education to stay current doesn't protect a 55 year old man from losing his job to a 25 year old who will work for 10% of what he's making.

If it can be done on a keyboard, it can be done anywhere in the world.

So while I feel your pain about the changing markets, taxicabs are no more special, nor should be any more immune from competition than are the rest of us.

Just as the markets adapt, we too must adapt.

Complaining and moaning about it does little to accomplish the necessary adaptation.

Originally Posted by Willclark
It's discrimination against the people who owned the highly sought after medallions. Often times, they were family heirlooms that were passed on from generation. Of course, the fact that most of the owners were minorities didn't mean much. In big cities, it was a systematic racism that destroyed the industry.

 

[ragtoplvr]

A crown vic with 10 layers of paint, 500K + miles and thick vinyl covered seats and the faint (hopefully) odor of vomit is not a very pleasant or safe vehicle.

A driver that smells and does not speak english well does not add to the confidence.

I have not done a lot of Uber, but the 20 or 30 rides I have taken have been vastly superior.

Rod

 

[oil_film_movies]

People like tracking the car on their app as the car makes its way to them. Taxi companies were slow to innovate.

 

[Omahaug]

Originally Posted by Willclark
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.

Yeah because we should hamper the progress of society for everyone else because of elderly people.

The focus should be on younger people, not on the elderly. Nothing is stopping elderly people from buying smartphones and learning how to use them either, you're not giving them enough credit. There's literally millions of elderly people on Facebook connecting with their families.

https://help.uber.com/riders/articl...eId=4319a198-1f20-40e0-afaa-8b545375c879

Let me guess, elderly people can't use the internet now?

Guess what? Time never stops and it goes in only one direction. Babies are born every day, elderly people pass away every day, nobody is going to set up a service that caters only to people at the end of the spectrum. That makes no sense and is completely asinine to cater to a shrinking market.

 

[PimTac]

Change is hard for some. You could have seen this coming years ago when Uber started. Same with cashiers. The job scene is always changing. This is nothing new either. The blacksmiths has to adapt as well.

Chicago the greatest city? It's nice to have pride but there is plenty wrong with Chicago including the homicide rate. I'll stay away.

 

[Hall]

Originally Posted by Willclark
I showered every day and spoke English.

What are you saying, that some taxi drivers don't bathe frequently enough and/or speak English ?

 

[Willclark]

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

I do find this a little hard to believe because the Chicago Police rarely even make traffic stops. I guess that's why people were cheering because they never seen such an event. lol

 

[c502cid]

To the OP, is your goal here to troll everyone who disagrees with you with snide comments? You stated something on a public forum, and got comments you don't like. You are doing exactly what everyone is saying, the taxi industry and you, are not listening to what the customer has to say and why they made the switch.

 

[talest]

Lyft costs too much, I frequently use Uber. Wouldn't use anything else when I am not able to transport myself and need a ride, sometimes even not local.

 

[Willclark]

I get it, there was a major investment in a medallion. It's a protection racket. Buying protection from competition from the government instead of a mob boss.

Someone came in and disrupted the whole corrupt game. Yes, the game was corrupt even if there were players of fine moral fabric and high skill.

The whole city of Chicago is corrupt. But the taxi industry was highly regulated and every car had to go through yearly "spot checks" to make sure they were road worthy.

 

[Willclark]

The focus should be on younger people, not on the elderly. Nothing is stopping elderly people from buying smartphones and learning how to use them either, you're not giving them enough credit. There's literally millions of elderly people on Facebook connecting with their families.

You expect elderly people to buy smart phones and figure out the confusing Uber/Lyft apps??? No, they will call or flag down the traditional taxi companies who have been giving them quality service for years. I admit, I use to take the "scenic route" but I also gave historical and valuable info on the many buildings we have in downtown Chicago. Could an Uber driver, do that?

 

[SZR48207]

Originally Posted by Willclark
The focus should be on younger people, not on the elderly. Nothing is stopping elderly people from buying smartphones and learning how to use them either, you're not giving them enough credit. There's literally millions of elderly people on Facebook connecting with their families.

You expect elderly people to buy smart phones and figure out the confusing Uber/Lyft apps??? No, they will call or flag down the traditional taxi companies who have been giving them quality service for years. I admit, I use to take the "scenic route" but I also gave historical and valuable info on the many buildings we have in downtown Chicago. Could an Uber driver, do that?


You ADMIT you long hauled your passengers and use that excuse? Your job was to get people from Point A to Point B, PERIOD.

 

[quint]

Originally Posted by Willclark
The Uber industry destroyed the "old school", traditional, taxi industry.


Good, and good riddance. If I never got into a professional cab again, that would be fine with me. Been ripped off too many times, too many rude drivers, or ones that barely even spoke English, filthy smelly cabs, etc. That whole industry is a rotten gas station toilet in desperate need of a flush and a good cleaning, and if it takes a decade or two for Uber/Lyft/whoever to prompt the change, then good for them.

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.


Oh please, this is nonsense.This describes every 'professional' cabbie I have ever dealt with a million times more than any Uber/Lyft driver I have had.

Every Uber/Lyft I have been in has been a clean, late model car and the people driving have been great. A couple of them a little quiet, maybe they just werent the outgoing type. Most of my drivers are younger, a few older people every now and then but many of them have been outgoing, clean cut talkative people just out making a buck between classes or after working at their regular job or whenever. Unlike so many cabs I've been in, none of my drivers have been rude, or creepy, and none of the cars have given me any reason for concern. I havent had an unpleasant Uber/Lyft ride yet. Not one. Wish I could say that about my cab experiences.

My last (literally my last) professional cab ride I cant believe the guy was able to get employment as a cabbie, he didnt speak a lick of English. Its bad when you need a ride to the airport, and in order to get the guy to understand where to go, you have to make wings with your thumb and pinky and wave your hand through the air making "PSSSSHHHHH" sounds like a jet so the guy can say "Oh dee airpanes, dee airpanes, yes yes air-pote air-pote yes yes" so now you know he knows you need to get the airport. With Uber or Lyft, they know where I'm going before they even accept the request, I have their name, make and model of their car, I know where they coming from, I know how long its going to be, and I know upfront what its going to cost. Whats not to like? The professional cab industry can keep up, make changes, or get out of the way. They dont have a choice.

 

[Willclark]

Okay, you guys win. Do you ever wonder or, a better question, even care how much the average Uber driver makes? The only thing you guys seem to care about is the price point. Of course, I'm not surprised as many of you stock up on Warren made Walmart oil. Uber drivers don't know anything about the neighborhoods they drive. Uber drivers don't know the history of where they are driving. When I was a professional driver these are things I did. And I made real money leasing my cab on the weekends. It saddens me how little these Uber drivers make. But I guess, I have to adapt and move one to a new career.

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted by Willclark
Okay, you guys win. Do you ever wonder or, a better question, even care how much the average Uber driver makes? The only thing you guys seem to care about is the price point. Of course, I'm not surprised as many of you stock up on Warren made Walmart oil. Uber drivers don't know anything about the neighborhoods they drive. Uber drivers don't know the history of where they are driving. When I was a professional driver these are things I did. And I made real money leasing my cab on the weekends. It saddens me how little these Uber drivers make. But I guess, I have to adapt and move one to a new career.

I'll say one thing, you sure have "burst onto the Bitog scene" since you joined this month. Off and running with all political posts, you're well on your way!

 

[Willclark]

You ADMIT you long hauled your passengers and use that excuse? Your job was to get people from Point A to Point B, PERIOD.[/quote]

Sure, if I was having a slow night I might. But then again, who could you complain to? You could always call 311 and talk to a Chicago human resource person. Good luck on that......