Uber are getting shirty
Discussion
All of the waffle, excuses and blah blah blah aside, the Black Cab is dead. The elephant in the room is price and convenience. 99.999% of people prefer to use uber/equivalent because of this. The rapes, non-compliance etc is just waffle.
Black Cabs; An arrogant, self-promoting, aging dinosaur who has not even a miniscule understanding of what their service is worth. You drive a car, you're not worth 40-100k a year. You've been both found wanting and found out buy a younger, better and cheaper competitor.
IMHO.
Black Cabs; An arrogant, self-promoting, aging dinosaur who has not even a miniscule understanding of what their service is worth. You drive a car, you're not worth 40-100k a year. You've been both found wanting and found out buy a younger, better and cheaper competitor.
IMHO.
Edited by 7795 on Saturday 23 September 22:40
Whoozit said:
stuttgartmetal said:
Gullible is no longer listed in dictionaries any more.
Go ahead
Check.
Stutty, darling. I could have mentioned Warbuoys but he was caught in 2009, and a single - if infamous - incident. Instead I found the most recent, readily available data for London. Which shows that cabbies of all stripes take advantage of their passengers. Go ahead, check the data. And then call me gullible. Go ahead
Check.
Look at percentages
25000 Black Cabbies
One conviction.
And he was caught.
That article is pure speculation written upon the very extreme points of the statistical curve
Not even a trend or mean.
It takes about five years to get a green badge
It takes about five minutes to drive for Uber.
stuttgartmetal said:
Whoozit said:
stuttgartmetal said:
Gullible is no longer listed in dictionaries any more.
Go ahead
Check.
Stutty, darling. I could have mentioned Warbuoys but he was caught in 2009, and a single - if infamous - incident. Instead I found the most recent, readily available data for London. Which shows that cabbies of all stripes take advantage of their passengers. Go ahead, check the data. And then call me gullible. Go ahead
Check.
Look at percentages
25000 Black Cabbies
One conviction.
And he was caught.
That article is pure speculation written upon the very extreme points of the statistical curve
Not even a trend or mean.
It takes about five years to get a green badge
It takes about five minutes to drive for Uber.
7795 said:
All of the waffle, excuses and blah blah blah aside, the Black Cab is dead. The elephant in the room is price and convenience. 99.999% of people prefer to use uber/equivalent because of this. The rapes, non-compliance etc is just waffle.
Black Cabs; An arrogant, self-promoting, aging dinosaur who has not even a miniscule understanding of what their service is worth. You drive a car, you're not worth 40-100k a year. You've been both found wanting and found out buy a younger, better and cheaper competitor.
IMHO.
Or another view - their core value - "the knowledge" has been supplanted by intelligent systems combined with GPS. Black Cabs; An arrogant, self-promoting, aging dinosaur who has not even a miniscule understanding of what their service is worth. You drive a car, you're not worth 40-100k a year. You've been both found wanting and found out buy a younger, better and cheaper competitor.
IMHO.
Edited by 7795 on Saturday 23 September 22:40
stuttgartmetal said:
Whooz
Look at percentages
25000 Black Cabbies
One conviction.
And he was caught.
That article is pure speculation written upon the very extreme points of the statistical curve
Not even a trend or mean.
It takes about five years to get a green badge
It takes about five minutes to drive for Uber.
Aaaand you just proved my point. Thanks. Look at percentages
25000 Black Cabbies
One conviction.
And he was caught.
That article is pure speculation written upon the very extreme points of the statistical curve
Not even a trend or mean.
It takes about five years to get a green badge
It takes about five minutes to drive for Uber.
stuttgartmetal said:
Only Uber make the money
The drivers are usually skint, poor English speaking skills, poor driving skills, of little worth to other employers other than the very lowest skilled jobs. The dregs of society.
It's certain that several hundred of them have criminal records, including those of a sexual nature, and violence.
You want your 17 year old daughter getting into a car alone with them at 3am in the East End ?
There are reams and reams of evidence regarding complaints about the behaviour of Uber drivers, of which a large percentage of them simply disappear.
If you get into a Black Cab, on a bus, on a train or tram, the operators drivers and staff are vetted, and this ensures up to a point, public safety and service credibility.
TfL has a responsibility to keep us safe.
It matters not a jot how many people sign a petition.
Facts are facts
I shall be waving goodbye to Uber, Uber drivers, and anything Uber with just two fingers of my right hand.
This is kind of where you've fallen into and believe the lies.The drivers are usually skint, poor English speaking skills, poor driving skills, of little worth to other employers other than the very lowest skilled jobs. The dregs of society.
It's certain that several hundred of them have criminal records, including those of a sexual nature, and violence.
You want your 17 year old daughter getting into a car alone with them at 3am in the East End ?
There are reams and reams of evidence regarding complaints about the behaviour of Uber drivers, of which a large percentage of them simply disappear.
If you get into a Black Cab, on a bus, on a train or tram, the operators drivers and staff are vetted, and this ensures up to a point, public safety and service credibility.
TfL has a responsibility to keep us safe.
It matters not a jot how many people sign a petition.
Facts are facts
I shall be waving goodbye to Uber, Uber drivers, and anything Uber with just two fingers of my right hand.
Do you believe the drivers of Uber are vetted any differently to black cabs? If you do the smear campaign by the ltda has worked. If.you tell a lie enough times people begin to believe it.
7795 said:
146 convictions last year of Black Cab drivers.
This chart shows how many sexual crimes were committed by private hire licensed drivers in London (source is TFL) from 2002-2015 (the 2016 number is a bit lower than 2015 from what I can find).
Given that Uber have more drivers than the entirety of the market combined in 2002, I'd say the market has got safer since Uber's been in it, not less.
People comparing to black cab drivers are missing the point - Uber mostly competes with mini-cabs. It was very difficult to tell if the cab you were in was even licensed at all before Uber.
(I've not quoted your post to contradict it btw)
7795 said:
stuttgartmetal said:
Whoozit said:
stuttgartmetal said:
Gullible is no longer listed in dictionaries any more.
Go ahead
Check.
Stutty, darling. I could have mentioned Warbuoys but he was caught in 2009, and a single - if infamous - incident. Instead I found the most recent, readily available data for London. Which shows that cabbies of all stripes take advantage of their passengers. Go ahead, check the data. And then call me gullible. Go ahead
Check.
Look at percentages
25000 Black Cabbies
One conviction.
And he was caught.
That article is pure speculation written upon the very extreme points of the statistical curve
Not even a trend or mean.
It takes about five years to get a green badge
It takes about five minutes to drive for Uber.
The big gripe I have with this entire situation is that black cabs and minicabs have existed in tandem for years. Nobody complains.
When Uber comes along and does the minicab thing in a different way using technology albeit entirely legally not only technically but within the spirit of the law, the ltda get their knickers in a twist and begin a smear campaign.
Why didn't they ever complain about Addison Lee and the like?
7795 said:
146 convictions last year of Black Cab drivers.
Of what?How many badges were removed ?
I totally agree concerning reforming the industry, and Uber won't achieve this.
The next big licence holder, or possibly the one after that might.
And to be fair, who, in their right mind would drive a cab in London on a daily basis ?
In the sixties seventies and eighties I could see it.
But today ?
I ride a 1200GSA into work
Last week I had to go from Praed St to Hatton garden and back.
It took an hour and a half.
London traffic is unbelievable
BJG1 said:
Given that Uber have more drivers than the entirety of the market combined in 2002, I'd say the market has got safer since Uber's been in it, not less.
People comparing to black cab drivers are missing the point - Uber mostly competes with mini-cabs. It was very difficult to tell if the cab you were in was even licensed at all before Uber.
(I've not quoted your post to contradict it btw)
I wish PH had a Like button. People comparing to black cab drivers are missing the point - Uber mostly competes with mini-cabs. It was very difficult to tell if the cab you were in was even licensed at all before Uber.
(I've not quoted your post to contradict it btw)
jamoor said:
7795 said:
stuttgartmetal said:
Whoozit said:
stuttgartmetal said:
Gullible is no longer listed in dictionaries any more.
Go ahead
Check.
Stutty, darling. I could have mentioned Warbuoys but he was caught in 2009, and a single - if infamous - incident. Instead I found the most recent, readily available data for London. Which shows that cabbies of all stripes take advantage of their passengers. Go ahead, check the data. And then call me gullible. Go ahead
Check.
Look at percentages
25000 Black Cabbies
One conviction.
And he was caught.
That article is pure speculation written upon the very extreme points of the statistical curve
Not even a trend or mean.
It takes about five years to get a green badge
It takes about five minutes to drive for Uber.
The big gripe I have with this entire situation is that black cabs and minicabs have existed in tandem for years. Nobody complains.
When Uber comes along and does the minicab thing in a different way using technology albeit entirely legally not only technically but within the spirit of the law, the ltda get their knickers in a twist and begin a smear campaign.
Why didn't they ever complain about Addison Lee and the like?
They hate any competition as they cannot possibly compete. I have a tad of sympathy but if it was the LTDA's call we'd still be using typewriters and dial up modems.
The consumer demand is unstoppable as Boris said to a jeering gallery of black cabbies; he's right.
Uber is a nasty corporate pig that want to devour and take over but it works for me. Most people generally vote for what's best for them...
stuttgartmetal said:
Only Uber make the money
The drivers are usually skint, poor English speaking skills, poor driving skills, of little worth to other employers other than the very lowest skilled jobs. The dregs of society.
It's certain that several hundred of them have criminal records, including those of a sexual nature, and violence.
You want your 17 year old daughter getting into a car alone with them at 3am in the East End ?
There are reams and reams of evidence regarding complaints about the behaviour of Uber drivers, of which a large percentage of them simply disappear.
If you get into a Black Cab, on a bus, on a train or tram, the operators drivers and staff are vetted, and this ensures up to a point, public safety and service credibility.
TfL has a responsibility to keep us safe.
It matters not a jot how many people sign a petition.
Facts are facts
I shall be waving goodbye to Uber, Uber drivers, and anything Uber with just two fingers of my right hand.
What a load of old bThe drivers are usually skint, poor English speaking skills, poor driving skills, of little worth to other employers other than the very lowest skilled jobs. The dregs of society.
It's certain that several hundred of them have criminal records, including those of a sexual nature, and violence.
You want your 17 year old daughter getting into a car alone with them at 3am in the East End ?
There are reams and reams of evidence regarding complaints about the behaviour of Uber drivers, of which a large percentage of them simply disappear.
If you get into a Black Cab, on a bus, on a train or tram, the operators drivers and staff are vetted, and this ensures up to a point, public safety and service credibility.
TfL has a responsibility to keep us safe.
It matters not a jot how many people sign a petition.
Facts are facts
I shall be waving goodbye to Uber, Uber drivers, and anything Uber with just two fingers of my right hand.
ks, you've never been in one. They are always friendly, speak great English, driving is fine. I get them all the time. I hate the arrogant way black cabs drive in London, undertaking 1 car and cutting in using bus lanes etc. I live about 20 miles out of central London and an Uber home after a night out is about £35-£40. Addison Lee or standard minicab is more like £70. Black cab is £120. I would not be able to justify spending £120 on a taxi home after a few beers after work with my friends so this ban will greatly reduce my social life
stuttgartmetal said:
7795 said:
146 convictions last year of Black Cab drivers.
Of what?How many badges were removed ?
I totally agree concerning reforming the industry, and Uber won't achieve this.
The next big licence holder, or possibly the one after that might.
And to be fair, who, in their right mind would drive a cab in London on a daily basis ?
In the sixties seventies and eighties I could see it.
But today ?
I ride a 1200GSA into work
Last week I had to go from Praed St to Hatton garden and back.
It took an hour and a half.
London traffic is unbelievable
Whoozit said:
I downloaded the most recommended alternative to Uber on three different mainstream (print) newspaper articles. They weren't exactly clear it was black cab drivers.
Lyft isn't operational in the UK, which makes me wonder where you are....And Addison Lee was universally slated with "rather expensive and for bankers on expenses". And local minicabs... are you serious? I want a service I can use anywhere across London, get a car within 5 minutes, and will take me from - for instance - Stratford to Richmond for less than £30 without moaning about how far it is to get back home.
I don't need the services of Lyft so mistakenly assumed it was operating here. If it isn't (yet) and Uber's model is so lucrative then Lyft will be along in a moment.Lyft isn't operational in the UK, which makes me wonder where you are....And Addison Lee was universally slated with "rather expensive and for bankers on expenses". And local minicabs... are you serious? I want a service I can use anywhere across London, get a car within 5 minutes, and will take me from - for instance - Stratford to Richmond for less than £30 without moaning about how far it is to get back home.
Of course you want cheap convenience. But Uber's model is loss-making. So you can only have it if people with deep pockets will subsidise it.
Why would they do that? To drive competition out of the market - there can be no other logical explanation. Costs won't just vanish...
Addison Lee is convenient. That costs. They own their own vehicles and deliver a pretty good service.
Addison Lee tried for years to get the PCO to allow them to do what Uber is doing. They were told it was illegal. Unlike Uber, they actually have skin in the game, so they didn't "disrupt" for fear of being shut down.
Uber lose nothing if forced out of London.
Black Cabs are a public necessity. How else will my electric wheelchair-using wife get a cab? Market forces? Must everyone download an app to hail a taxi?
Uber is great for what it is - ordinary people driving cars with an app to guide them. It is the logical extension of mini-cabbing. But surge pricing means no certainty over fare (and surge prices can often be higher than black can fares), for instance. See the model - price to undercut the competition then try to drive out the competition...
Black Cabs are valuable to London, are tightly regulated, have certain benefits in return for that. They are not perfect. Neither are Uber.
BJG1 said:
popeyewhite said:
Didn't Uber just undercut the black cabs by about 40% and proliferate the streets with drivers?
Yeah, price and availability were the two biggest problems with black cabs...
It's cost Uber millions - In order to undercut the black cabs they've had to operate at a huge loss. And when all the black cabs are gone Uber will offload half their workforce and increase prices to get their money back. Anyone who thinks otherwise has sheep loose in the top paddock. popeyewhite said:
And Uber just magicked the money out of thin air to afford this? It's cost Uber millions - In order to undercut the black cabs they've had to operate at a huge loss. And when all the black cabs are gone Uber will offload half their workforce and increase prices to get their money back. Anyone who thinks otherwise has sheep loose in the top paddock.
Once the genie is out of the bottle, no-one can force him back in. If Uber try to exercize monopoly power, another taxitech company will be along shortly. That's the magic of the modern era. It's cost Uber millions - In order to undercut the black cabs they've had to operate at a huge loss. And when all the black cabs are gone Uber will offload half their workforce and increase prices to get their money back. Anyone who thinks otherwise has sheep loose in the top paddock. skwdenyer said:
I don't need the services of Lyft so mistakenly assumed it was operating here. If it isn't (yet) and Uber's model is so lucrative then Lyft will be along in a moment.
Of course you want cheap convenience. But Uber's model is loss-making. So you can only have it if people with deep pockets will subsidise it.
Yup. Latest figures indicate nearly $1 trillion of firepower in private equity funds. Some of that will be directed to Uber and its peers, investing in lots of lossmaking businesses just waiting for the one mega-unicorn which will make up for the losses. Of course you want cheap convenience. But Uber's model is loss-making. So you can only have it if people with deep pockets will subsidise it.
skwdenyer said:
Addison Lee tried for years to get the PCO to allow them to do what Uber is doing. They were told it was illegal. Unlike Uber, they actually have skin in the game, so they didn't "disrupt" for fear of being shut down.
Just maybe, that was AL's mistake? skwdenyer said:
Must everyone download an app to hail a taxi?
By analogy, to get the best utility prices, you have to at least spend five minutes on the internet doing a comparison search... rather impossible to do by paper means. Sorry, that's the way the world works today. If you want a subsidised public good, start lobbying your MP to nationalise power companies or taxi services. skwdenyer said:
Uber is great for what it is - ordinary people driving cars with an app to guide them. It is the logical extension of mini-cabbing. But surge pricing means no certainty over fare (and surge prices can often be higher than black can fares).
I paid surge pricing this week for the first time since I started using Uber. Perhaps 40 or 50 trips. And it was for a late night return from LHR, and the final price was bang in line with a black cab. skwdenyer said:
Black Cabs ... have certain benefits
The ability to use bus lanes? Otherwise, the list of negatives rather outweigh the positives for me personally. Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff