[News] The USA Police State will never satisfy its lust for beating, gassing, and imprisoning minorities
- Thread starter Charlie Don't Surf
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And so a meme begins ...
What is an Uber?
GasBandit
Staff member
The current fad in trendy transportation. It's an app-based private
At the same time, it honestly feels like Uber wouldn't be a thing if the taxi companies...
- didn't charge such a high price
- actually cleaned and maintained their cabs
- introduced a rating system for passengers so the company knows which drivers are worth keeping
The only reason they can't compete is because they refuse to improve their service.
GasBandit
Staff member
Wonderful how the market finds ways to fill the demands of consumers, regardless of what bureaucrats think, isn't it?
nooooooooo I think we need those regulations from all those pesky bureaucrats... http://www.dailydot.com/business/10-things-uber-drivers-have-done-wrong/
This is just the tip of the iceberg of Uber horror stories, btw
Yes, it IS wonderful when the citizens of a city work around an underfunded public transportation system that doesn't actually get people to where they want to go or have locations they can easily get to because big business funded politicians gutted it.
In all seriousness though, Uber is basically Megabus for taxis. Megabus is really undercutting guys like Greyhound by being both faster and cheaper than it, with much nicer buses to boot. It's what happens when you don't bloat your business beyond it's necessities.
GasBandit
Staff member
Because there's never been a horror story about a licensed cab driver.
but they have things like licenses, numbers, bosses you can report them to, picture IDs in every cab, etc etc. This whole thing is PERFECTLY illustrating why we need the government and bureaucracy so that any idiot can't kidnap people
Don't even get me started on Megabus. Their 'service' was a huge pain in the ass for my wife and I when she was still going to school in Chicago and they'd move the pick-up location without telling anyone. She just reminded me of the time the bus driver ignored her and just drove past her. When she called and complained they wouldn't give her a refund.Yes, it IS wonderful when the citizens of a city work around an underfunded public transportation system that doesn't actually get people to where they want to go or have locations they can easily get to because big business funded politicians gutted it.
In all seriousness though, Uber is basically Megabus for taxis. Megabus is really undercutting guys like Greyhound by being both faster and cheaper than it, with much nicer buses to boot. It's what happens when you don't bloat your business beyond it's necessities.
Moving the location usually isn't their fault: they have to license the location from the business in front of location and they can lose that lease if passengers piss off the owners. When that happened here to me, I got an email notification about it.
As for refunds... I got my $60 back when my bus broke down (some hydraulic part busted as we left a rest stop). Had to wait 5 hours to get a bus though, as they had to hire another bus from another company and no one opened until 8am.
It was still better than $120 and 3 hour lay overs with Greyhound.
Once they took her to the wrong city, it was their own fault, and then they wanted to charge her $70 to take her to the right city. It took 2 hours to get them to finally submit and take her to the right city.
Just saying, our personal experience with Megabus has been total shit, and she said "Fuck Megabus" when I asked her how she felt about them.
Just saying, our personal experience with Megabus has been total shit, and she said "Fuck Megabus" when I asked her how she felt about them.
GasBandit
Staff member
The market giveth and the market taketh away. Uber's pricing floats with demand... sooooo this halloween...
Lauren in Florida paid $200 to go 11 miles to dinner.
Brook in San Diego paid $92 for a 2.7-mile ride on Halloween.
And Gabby from Baltimore woke up on her 26th birthday to discover the 20-min ride she took home the night before cost $362.
First world problems? Sure. More expensive than it ought to be? Probably.
There is renewed, public outrage this week about Uber's hefty surge pricing, specifically concerning Halloween weekend. After being flooded with complaints earlier this year, the Better business bureau gave Uber an "F" grade, according to the New York Times.
And Uber doesn't seem to really care. Previously, Uber's CEO did an obnoxious "Pro Tips" about using Uber on New Year's Eve.
The company reiterates on their website, in a special Halloween post, that the surge pricing is meant to keep enough drivers on the road during peak hours.
Lauren in Florida paid $200 to go 11 miles to dinner.
Brook in San Diego paid $92 for a 2.7-mile ride on Halloween.
And Gabby from Baltimore woke up on her 26th birthday to discover the 20-min ride she took home the night before cost $362.
First world problems? Sure. More expensive than it ought to be? Probably.
There is renewed, public outrage this week about Uber's hefty surge pricing, specifically concerning Halloween weekend. After being flooded with complaints earlier this year, the Better business bureau gave Uber an "F" grade, according to the New York Times.
And Uber doesn't seem to really care. Previously, Uber's CEO did an obnoxious "Pro Tips" about using Uber on New Year's Eve.
The company reiterates on their website, in a special Halloween post, that the surge pricing is meant to keep enough drivers on the road during peak hours.
"Surge pricing allows us to remain reliable, even on one of the busiest nights of the year. Our rates will float in real time with fluctuations in supply and demand. Increased rates incentivize more driver partners to get on the roads and ensure those who need a ride won't be left stranded."
So in the meantime, maybe don't take Uber? Or if you must, a new app called SurgeProtector was released this week to help alleviate the problem, as BuzzFeed points out, which shows you the nearest location that isn't currently charging surge pricing.
GasBandit
Staff member
Surely you don't mean to imply that basic bitches just punch buttons without reading and OMG can't even later. Because that would strain my credulity, sir.What gets me is that people seem not to know what the ride is going to cost until they are at their destination.
Sounds like someone got taken... for a ride.
A
Anonymous
Anonymous
And they have shitty, underhanded business practices.
I think you're doing it wrong.
Meh, from Uber's support website
With surge pricing, Uber rates increase to get more cars on the road and ensure reliability during the busiest times. When enough cars are on the road, prices go back down to normal levels. It’s important to know that you’ll always be notified in big, bold print if surge pricing is in effect. When rates are more than double, the surge confirmation screen also requires you to type in the specific surge multiplier to ensure you understand what rates to expect.
You drunk call an Uber and type in that surge mulitplier, that's on you. Other than the $$$'s, it's no different than getting in a taxi and finding out your taxi tacked on a bunch of miles and/or time while you were passed out or blackout schnozzled.
With surge pricing, Uber rates increase to get more cars on the road and ensure reliability during the busiest times. When enough cars are on the road, prices go back down to normal levels. It’s important to know that you’ll always be notified in big, bold print if surge pricing is in effect. When rates are more than double, the surge confirmation screen also requires you to type in the specific surge multiplier to ensure you understand what rates to expect.
You drunk call an Uber and type in that surge mulitplier, that's on you. Other than the $$$'s, it's no different than getting in a taxi and finding out your taxi tacked on a bunch of miles and/or time while you were passed out or blackout schnozzled.
I have to agree with this. It's not like they are the only game in town and they make the price very clear to you before you confirm. Don't blame Uber for your own irresponsibility.
nah, I'll still blame Uber for being a really shitty capitalist company
I'd rather lobby our government to invest time and money into infrastructure to make free, public transportation a priority in all major cities.
Well yes, that would be a failure of the SF government then. I've been to too many countries with amazing public transportation systems that the fact the #1 economy in the world has such an underdeveloped system is downright embarrassing.
Infrastructure is a good use of public funds.
Not in an area as spread out as the one I live in. The research triangle has a population of over 2 million spread out over 8 counties. The bus systems are horribly inefficient versus a car (20 minute drive turns into an hour and a half by bus), and a rail solution would have the exact same problems. There is very little need, and no advantage to creating a new public transportation network.
I've also never seen a public transportation service that was "free." unless you count NCSU's wolf line buses, which actually worked well for the exact opposite reasons that I mentioned above. Of course it's paid for by the students, and I believe not technically open to the public (and it only goes to locations on and around campus).
I've also never seen a public transportation service that was "free." unless you count NCSU's wolf line buses, which actually worked well for the exact opposite reasons that I mentioned above. Of course it's paid for by the students, and I believe not technically open to the public (and it only goes to locations on and around campus).
The reason everyone is so spread out is BECAUSE there is no public transportation, not the other way around.
No it's actually because given the choice, people will live in houses with their own land around them, rather than apartment buildings. Are there people who prefer being jammed in closer? Sure there are, but it's not the majority by CHOICE. Necessity drives it more than anything else.
This is actually becoming less and less true. Millennials (who were raised in suburbs) are flocking to cities whenever they can because they'd rather live somewhere where places they want to go are within walking distance than own a house that is 20-30 minutes away from any place they'd actually want to be.