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CatastropheJohn t1_j3awhec wrote

Real taxis have razor thin margins and are at the mercy of the City. I can’t believe they even allow ‘ride sharing’ at all.

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JaiC t1_j3ayp6e wrote

The taxi system is a bloated, anachronistic mess, competing with rideshares, an exploitative, underregulated mess.

The reality is both of these systems are taxis. The only difference is how they're hailed. Regulation and pay need to move toward a sanity that is fair to all the drivers in both systems.

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pickleer t1_j3bayi9 wrote

Hold up, uber has been fucking taxi services and taxi drivers and NOW they turn to the Taxi and Limousine Commission for help?? And NYC allowed this?? Big business, folks, not little people. That's who wins nowadays. Evidently, their stockholder profits are more important than our rent payments...

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CatastropheJohn t1_j3bgawf wrote

I ran a taxi company for 22 years. There was nothing scummy about any of it. Your mileage appears to vary.

Real taxis have taxi plates. Thanks for the attitude though.

I’m sure you were a world class customer

Enjoy the surge pricing

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Cruxwright t1_j3bhcwy wrote

I lay some blame of the current car market inflation on the rideshares. Yes, COVID lead to some nasty supply chain issues. However, everyone and their brother that didn't want to work a min wage job drove demand for every make of sedan on the market. Meanwhile, the taxi companies, instead of doing major fleet refreshes, are only signing enough new leases to replace their maintenance hogs. So now the car makers are losing out on markets of scale because there's reduced demand for makes X,Y,Z sedans and they also have higher demand for all their other sedans. They can't do as large productions runs, which means changing out the production line which has ripple effects all down the supply chain.

The other thing that gets me is no one lays on the horn behind a cab. But some rideshare double parks, nope we're laying on the horn for 2 minutes instead of going around.

PS - the other thing is some cities' taxi commissions were trying to mandate high MPG, low emissions, EV adoption, etc. With rideshares becoming predominant, that's all out the window.

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Cruxwright t1_j3bhxa9 wrote

Because the alternative was the bus, subway, or walking and risk getting mugged. Taking a taxi was a luxury vs dealing with public transit in larger cities. Even if the driver was trying to scam you.

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Broshcity t1_j3brt6o wrote

I miss the taxi cab confessions they should bring that back

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almost_not_terrible t1_j3bv8qq wrote

You describe my experience of NYC perfectly.

If there was ever an overrated, dirty, noisy, weed-trucky, overpriced, pissy, COVID-giving pisshole of a city it would be NYC.

The only redeeming feature was Central Park because it temporarily turns its citizens human for an hour or so before they have to return to their hateful, zombified existence.

Those that stay either have Stockholm syndrome and will defend it to the hilt, have never left and don't know that life needn't be like this, or are unable to leave because they are too busy being angry.

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3xoticP3nguin t1_j3cf6bs wrote

And New York City wonders why nobody wants to live there or go there.

the place is a dump smells horrible has garbage everywhere and is extremely expensive.

As someone who lives in the suburbs of New York City I really pray in my lifetime the city has its demise

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Kmaloetas t1_j3cupzn wrote

Why pay Uber drivers when you can pay the courts?

1

something-clever---- t1_j3cw4r7 wrote

The fuck it does. I use Uber/ Lyft more often then most, enough to be diamond with them when they has the status program.

Outside of the obvious labor issues that need regulation.

The wide range of types of cars you get is an issue. If I’m ordering an xl I don’t want a crossover rav4 I want an actual suv that will fit my gear or my people.

Also the safety issue. The cars are not inspected and quality is hit and miss. You can get a new Tesla or a roached out crown Vic that has been beaten within an inch of his life. It chaps my ass to pay 80 bucks to get the airport in a shit box.

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Handsum_Rob t1_j3d2pzk wrote

But they have no problem raising toll crossings on January 8th. It all depends on who’s pockets the money goes to. Theirs = raise it. Yours = No raise.

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AlanzAlda t1_j3dwyrf wrote

That's probably because they aren't an employee of Uber. Drivers are only paid a fraction of what you as a rider pay, and they only make money if they drive. That pay also has to cover their car lease, maintenance, gas, etc.

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BroForceOne t1_j3e31np wrote

> It’s just not enough to say there’s inflation and 100 drivers said gas prices shot up,

I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I'm pretty sure actual data on inflation and gas prices exists.

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cptspeirs t1_j3e80w9 wrote

Having done it, much of the 'bad' in the deal is hidden, or hard to see until it's too late. It feels like you're breaking even, or even making money, until you factor in wear and tear on your vehicle, gas, etc. Yes people do make money doing this, or it wouldn't exist, but you have to really do it.

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CatastropheJohn t1_j3eans2 wrote

Like a taxi? 🤷‍♂️

no checkpoints, but there’s a medallion riveted on the trunk. And mandatory call logs. And vehicle inspections. And annual records checks on the drivers, highway and criminal.

But do you. Save $3 here and $3 there, then pay an extra $50 at their whim.

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pickleer t1_j3enrjg wrote

Horseshit. Taxi drivers pay the dues to cart us around and taxi companies provide the local accountability uber shirks. Gig workers don't jump through any of the hoops or meet regulation like taxi drivers, so you're getting less product and the economy get less gears grinding along. Your short-term comforts feed a corporation at their and all of our expense. Oh, and this to a corporation that has always told us and their drivers that they're working towards driver-free rides, fuck everyone BUT them. I mean, if that's you, take that ride but...

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chubbysumo t1_j3eoeu8 wrote

> Hold up, uber has been fucking taxi services and taxi drivers and NOW they turn to the Taxi and Limousine Commission for help??

yes, to tell the TLC that they can't raise fare rates.

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chubbysumo t1_j3eokqs wrote

> The only redeeming feature was Central Park because it temporarily turns its citizens human for an hour or so before they have to return to their hateful, zombified existence.

move away to a place like MN. I have "central park" out my back door, and then again, I can take a ride 30 minutes north and have thousands of acres of central park, with actual nature there.

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pickleer t1_j3eqt05 wrote

They have to BECAUSE OF UBER. They're looking out for their union members, taking care of their drivers.

Don't get me wrong- ride share makes ecological sense. But current ride share companies, ESPECIALLY FUCKING UBER, are taking financial advantage over riders, people with families that drive for a living, and their own drivers, all whilst sucking down all the profit. They don't give back to the local economies, only prey upon them. And just check the news: How many registered and bonded taxi drivers rape or otherwise abuse their fares vs uber drivers?

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chubbysumo t1_j3erdf4 wrote

oh, I know, and agree. This is uber suing the TLC to stop a fare increase. read the article. the courts didn't block a pay increase for just Uber and lyft drivers, but for all taxi drivers in NYC, and the company suing to stop that fare increase is Uber.

I do contracted deliveries. Uber/lyft/fooddudes are a scourge that prey upon people not knowing the true costs of driving their cars around a lot more. they prey upon the fact that drivers won't consider the added maintence or fuel or insurance costs(for proper commercial insurance) into how much they are getting paid to realize they are going into debt for a company that is literally losing billions per year to kill taxi companies around the world and drive down pay for everyone. uber is holding the entire delivery and driver service wage back because its the lowest pay, thus, everyone must suffer at that price.

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tribefan_12 t1_j3escmf wrote

The “regulations” taxi drivers have to meet is paying bullshit medallion fees so people can’t afford them and it pushes wages up and they can operate as a cartel

Uber gives MORE product and is more efficient so better for the economy overall.

Driver free rides would be great. Why wouldn’t you support that?

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pickleer t1_j3eyy1y wrote

Because it removes an income stream from some of our fellow citizens, dragging down quality of life and the economy for all through knock-on effects. Don't mistake me- I'm not the conversational type but I'll happily put up with a chatty taxi driver that put in the work to get the job with a locally-accountable company. This driver can legibly calculate and predict his wages, feed his family (versus go on welfare or worse), and pay his taxes. Just me in the car is selfish transportation, a single usage of the vehicle carbon expenditures where double use used to be the norm. My comfort is a selfish consideration if it cuts all those drivers out of the economy. And NO, not everyone can retrain.

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tribefan_12 t1_j3fc1m5 wrote

What? But customers save money, get the exact same product, and can direct that money towards other people in the economy. It’s a more efficient use. By your logic, we should create a law that doubles the price of everything to help the economy.

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Old_Leather t1_j3fc80t wrote

They are all overpriced now, so who gives a fuck!?

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tribefan_12 t1_j3fh3zf wrote

So what percent of Uber drivers are actually being harmed without realizing it? Don’t be stupid.

Those people are in a far better position to make the decision for their lives than you are

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zerogee616 t1_j3fhl6p wrote

Dude, there's a reason that as soon as Uber showed up everybody dropped taxis like a hot potato ASAP and they had to resort to physically blocking roads and disruptive protests to get people to use them again.

Taxis suck. They've always sucked. They're expensive, they all try to scam the everliving dogshit out of you, "Black man can't get a cab" has been a thing for 50 years, and that's only in the places where taxis exist, which is not most places. Normally it takes effort and time to overcome the kind of institutional inertia something like taxi services have but man, taxis were just that fucking bad. Uber isn't perfect, but it sure as fuck beats a yellow cab.

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