What's your Uber experience?

[go-getter.au]

i have used Uber in U.S. and saved a lot.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Hi CE
So after all that
1. Was the car clean and free of odour?
2. Was the driver courteous and drove in a safe manner?
3. Did he know where to go and drove you there in a direct and timely manner?
If yes, yes, yes....... it was a successful "cross to the dark side"

1. Over a 7 day period in Nashville and Hourost with 4 of us we probably undertook a dozen Uber rides - one car looked like a hobo was living in it - several driver had to clean their cough of front seat before we could use it - did not smell any bad odours at all
2. Yes drivers were courteous and drove ok. Having been a professional driver of large buses / coaches/ semi trailers for a long period I find most drivers not so safe to passenger with.
3. Most drivers had NO idea of where they were requested to take us - to a man / woman they all used Google Maps to get find destination.

Now speaking of drivers my niece hailed an Uber in Nashville and the young female driver was just a stunning young lady - she could have easily been a model - I enjoyed that ride!

 

[Cruiser Elite]

And a bit of information for you Uber lovers who think that this whizz bang new system is the panacea for all ills:

1. Uber is indeed legal in Houston unlike all Australian States - Uber pays City of Houston a 2% royalty on all fares generated by UberX / XL within City of Houston limits - UberX is not permitted to pick-up outside City Limits whereas UberSELECT and UberBLACK are - I do not know royalty they SELECT and BLACK pay.
2. Uber levy all drivers 20% of all fares.
3. Uber fare from downtown to Premier outlets in Cypress $45 - tried to book UberX to return us but it is outside City Limits so they cannot uplift - taxi fare home $82 - Uber SELECT who are permitted to uplift outside City limits quote was $152.

The driver who took us out to Premier Outlets was ecstatic at the large fare he was going to collect and over the moon that he was going to be outside City limits where he could then buy gas at ~$1.92gal compared to ~$2.28 or so a gal within City limits.

Now don't be afraid to think here guys but giving away 22% off top of fares then paying for gas / paying rego and insurance if they exist / maint and reps which do exist - ain't gonna be much left to buy that Champagne and Caviar at end of week!

And also bear in mind where it is legal and accountable then the appropriate taxes can be levied - WOW imagine that - Uber almost competing on a level playing field with the existing passenger transport infrastructure - kinda starting to make some sort of sense to me after all.

 

[dodgeyhack]

Used Uber a couple of times in Pittsburgh this week.
Was able to get picked up from the airport - there's a special uber pick up area, and the app gave me directions on how to get there as soon as I opened it up. Pretty neat.
Both cars were very nice, Some big Chrysler SUV and a BMW 5 series. Both drivers, as it seems to be the case in Aus too, were doing Uber as a side gig and were very interesting to talk to.

 

[Alanslegal]

And a bit of information for you Uber lovers who think that this whizz bang new system is the panacea for all ills:

1. Uber is indeed legal in Houston unlike all Australian States - Uber pays City of Houston a 2% royalty on all fares generated by UberX / XL within City of Houston limits - UberX is not permitted to pick-up outside City Limits whereas UberSELECT and UberBLACK are - I do not know royalty they SELECT and BLACK pay.
2. Uber levy all drivers 20% of all fares.
3. Uber fare from downtown to Premier outlets in Cypress $45 - tried to book UberX to return us but it is outside City Limits so they cannot uplift - taxi fare home $82 - Uber SELECT who are permitted to uplift outside City limits quote was $152.

The driver who took us out to Premier Outlets was ecstatic at the large fare he was going to collect and over the moon that he was going to be outside City limits where he could then buy gas at ~$1.92gal compared to ~$2.28 or so a gal within City limits.

Now don't be afraid to think here guys but giving away 22% off top of fares then paying for gas / paying rego and insurance if they exist / maint and reps which do exist - ain't gonna be much left to buy that Champagne and Caviar at end of week!

And also bear in mind where it is legal and accountable then the appropriate taxes can be levied - WOW imagine that - Uber almost competing on a level playing field with the existing passenger transport infrastructure - kinda starting to make some sort of sense to me after all.

Well that's for the driver to decide it its worthwhile, not us the passenger.

We took UberX five times in the USA recently and all the drivers were friendly, courteous, willing to help with my luggage, had clean cars, and at least were interested in making some money. Even if an UberX driver made $200 gross per day, less 20% uber, less petrol, rego, insurance, maintenance, outgoings, taxes, et al the driver may still take home $120. Times that by 5 days and that's a $600.00. To some of us here, that's not enough money, to some of these drivers who have nothing but a start of a big opportunity - then that's everything.

Some of the taxis I have caught in Sydney - roll their eyes when I tell them I only need to go two kilometres away. Once upon a time when I use to live in Alexandria, taxis at the airport roll their eyes when I needed to go there. I mean, they have been sitting there for 30minutes to get a fare and all I do is make them drive 5kms to make $20. Now these legacy drivers need to go - if they don't want to shape up to competition, then their old business practice should go. Oh and don't remind me about taxi drivers who either want to preach their god to me OR b* about how UberX is bad and dangerous, it's hard enough dealing with your smelly car and disinterested driving.

For me the consumer - UberX is awesome, can't wait for our lawmakers here to finally step up, make it all happen legally, and let us consumers decide which car we would like to hop in next time.

 

[albatross710]

Vanilla Manila

Needing to do a few journeys in Manila, previous taxi experiences have been pretty atrocious but did get to my destination fairly cheaply. Booked a few Uber rides. Observations:

a) Vehicles currently better than the taxis.
b) Drivers were courteous but not too chatty
c) Was good to know where the ride was while I was waiting.
d) At the time of arrival / departure at NAIA no cars were available.
e) Would not transfer me from Ortigas to CRK airport. Out of their zone apparently. No Ubers in/around Clark airfield. Used a transport service.

f) Would definitely make this a part of my intra-Manila travels should anyone choose to send me there again.

Cheers

Alby

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Very interesting article in The Australian today re Uber - suggest all to read if you can.

 

[yohy?!]

Very interesting article in The Australian today re Uber - suggest all to read if you can.

For those who cannot access Oz paywall NSW government puts Uber on notice

Forty Uber drivers have been issued suspension notices in NSW......the 40 UberX suspensions will take effect from midnight on Wednesday for three months.If a suspended vehicle is found on the road after 1 October, the vehicle is deemed unregistered and uninsured, with penalties of $637 for each offence, increasing to around $2,200 if heard in court, the RMS spokesman added.

In essence the next round of bully-boy tactics to appease the Taxi lobby.

I always speak with Uber drivers in Syd and try to guage their thoughts on regulation - most are ambivalent and it seems clear Uber will pick up any fines. Suspensions is raising the stakes but I think unlikely to take many drivers off the road - they are just too big now, any enforcement activity would at most pick up a very small percentage of rides taking place.

 

[straitman]

I applaud your sense of adventure and willingness to try the unknown.

However I think the canvassing for tips from an uber driver (even in the USA, where I think people should tip) is very poor. I would have reported it.

From my experience it is quite normal for shuttle and many other drivers to have tip jars.
Like it or not it is the way it's done there.

 

[burmans]

Very interesting article in The Australian today re Uber - suggest all to read if you can.

Premium content it appears, cant read online.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I'll scan article later and post it.

 

[burmans]

For those who cannot access Oz paywall NSW government puts Uber on notice

In essence the next round of bully-boy tactics to appease the Taxi lobby.

The last line of this article would appear to be the key one though. I just don't think public opinion will let the various governments stand in the way forever of something people clearly want.

The smarter governments around the world have found a way to work with Uber (and collect some money), but there are always plenty of dinosaurs in the public service, who will do their best to make it difficult but inevitably fail to stop Uber.

 

[OATEK]

The last line of this article would appear to be the key one though. I just don't think public opinion will let the various governments stand in the way forever of something people clearly want.

The smarter governments around the world have found a way to work with Uber (and collect some money), but there are always plenty of dinosaurs in the public service, who will do their best to make it difficult but inevitably fail to stop Uber.

Is it really the public service? If you had invested big $$$ in taxi plates in a regulated environment and then found they we being devalued dramatically, you would be looking for someone to be in your corner. A lot of drivers and their families will suffer if the NSW Taxi industry collapses.

I am like most people, I find the taxi industry big on regulation and poor on service. But I can see that unless Uber is regulated to some extent that it is a very uneven playing field, and that governments could become the target of taxi industry groups looking for compensation. No easy answers here.

 

[Milefest]

Is it really the public service? If you had invested big $$$ in taxi plates in a regulated environment and then found they we being devalued dramatically, you would be looking for someone to be in your corner. A lot of drivers and their families will suffer if the NSW Taxi industry collapses.

I am like most people, I find the taxi industry big on regulation and poor on service. But I can see that unless Uber is regulated to some extent that it is a very uneven playing field, and that governments could become the target of taxi industry groups looking for compensation. No easy answers here.

Investing big $ in a business is a risk you have to take.

I sympathise with the drivers of the taxi industry, but unless they change their strategy, they've lost customers like me, my colleagues, family and friends forever.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Uber lovers have no desire to see the damage that 'deregulation' of the taxi industry will do to thousands of hard working Australians - they think only of ME ME ME and how they can save a few bucks.

I would love to see how loud they squeal if some foreign corporate giant waltzed into their industry and openly flaunted all existing laws and regulations and all of a sudden placed their investments / jobs in total jeopardy - maybe - just maybe some of them might hold a different view.

 

[TomVexille]

From my experience it is quite normal for shuttle and many other drivers to have tip jars.
Like it or not it is the way it's done there.

Absolutely. I would expect to tip a taxi driver in the States. But uber specifically say there is no need to tip.

 

[burmans]

A lot of drivers and their families will suffer if the NSW Taxi industry collapses.

Hard to agree with this, we still need drivers. It's more likely to be the taxi companies who suffer most, in fact you could make the case that we currently don't in fact have enough cabs/drivers, deregulation would probably increase the market for people who want to drive cars for a living.

I am like most people, I find the taxi industry big on regulation and poor on service. But I can see that unless Uber is regulated to some extent that it is a very uneven playing field, and that governments could become the target of taxi industry groups looking for compensation. No easy answers here.

The fact that government have painted themselves into a corner on taxi licenses doesn't make me that sympathetic, other jurisdictions can and have solved this problem. The biggest problem here is lack of political will, problems can and will be solved but only if the politicians want to resolve them, currently they don't.

As noted above, there have been a number of places where they have regulated Uber, when the politicians got off their butts and responded to the will to change it, really it wasn't that hard.

 

[dajop]

I would love to see how loud they squeal if some foreign corporate giant waltzed into their industry and openly flaunted all existing laws and regulations and all of a sudden placed their investments / jobs in total jeopardy - maybe - just maybe some of them might hold a different view.

Hasn't that happened time and time again throughout history? There are many thousands, tens of thousands of displaced workers and affected livelihoods in many industries. Why should the taxi industry be so special? Perhaps if the embraced some of the concepts uber brings to the table they would outcompete uber and it would be dead in the water. But no you still get people who want to charge $80 to travel in a smelly, awful rundown taxi from SYD to CBD and still get abuse and lack of willingness to take 10km fares because they only want a 3km fare to somewhere they hope to pick up a much longer fare. Always expect a few bad eggs, but unfortunately, in my experience with taxis is that the bad eggs outnumber the good eggs. But boy, when you get a good egg, they are a gem!

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Here is the article from The Australian today: (Hope you good folk can read it ok)

 

[Milefest]

Uber lovers have no desire to see the damage that 'deregulation' of the taxi industry will do to thousands of hard working Australians - they think only of ME ME ME and how they can save a few bucks.

I would love to see how loud they squeal if some foreign corporate giant waltzed into their industry and openly flaunted all existing laws and regulations and all of a sudden placed their investments / jobs in total jeopardy - maybe - just maybe some of them might hold a different view.

To be honest, paying a cheaper fare isn't the main reason I and others pick Uber when possible. It's people that make these statements that hold back innovation. Competition is pro-consumer, you need disruptive technology for an economy to progress.

I ride Uber for the accountability every driver has. I ride them for the convenience of an app that isn't from 2005, to be in a car that is road worthy, with a driver that isn't on the phone the whole drive. All Uber's have complimentary bottles of water, mints and a car that is clean. I love the ability of being able to split a fare and not be charged extra for not paying cash like it's the 1980s.