Fuck Uber and Lyft

[Cyrano]

I think I'll just put numbers of a couple of local taxi companies in my wallet and ignore Uber/Lyft, and all others who are bringing us a "Brave New World."

My fear is that the "Brave New World," that was envisioned by Aldous Huxley, will become the world that George Orwell envisioned in "1984."

I know that calling for a ride should not be a big deal. But those who dream of control over all of us are well along the way to fulfilling their desires.

No customer service line is one of the biggest "fuck you all" there is. So what's their next step?

Beats me. I just tried to sign up with Uber, and then Lyft. No human to talk to exists.

The numbers of all local taxi services are now in my wallet.

Stop playing their game. You'll only get fucked if you let them fuck you.

[TexasBushwhacker]

1. They are phone apps

Nothing more or less. Can you call customer service for other phone apps?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

56. They're phone apps that direct the deployment and employment of people.

I'd compare this more to something like GrubHub, which DOES have a customer service number.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

2. Uber is specifically designed so you DON'T have to call anyone.

It's a feature, not a bug, I assure you.

[Codeine]

5. This. nt

[brush]

11. Yep. If you're comfortable with cell use and apps it's not that hard.

It's so easy with your cell to summon an inexpensive ride in minutes.

If you're so inclined it eliminates the expenses of owning a car—no down payment, no monthly payment, no insurance cost, no maintenance costs, no annual registration fees, no gas expenses, no parking costs and irritants like tickets or getting towed for parking in the wrong place—easy peasy, especially in urban/suburban areas.

[FakeNoose]

14. Not everyone has a smartphone, I think that is Cyrano's point

We don't want to live in a world where you have to have a smartphone in order to do business with anyone. But that's how Uber and Lyft want it, so I guess that's why many of us aren't their customers.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

68. So call a cab.

You are not Uber or Lyft's target customers. Why complain about it?

While you're at it, you could complain that Netflix doesn't come on VHS. Or that your radio doesn't pick up Spotify. Or you could adapt with the changing times.

[FakeNoose]

69. Yes, well, I think that was Cyrano's point

Thanks for playing along!

[ksoze]

3. Relax. You are fighting gravity. No ones on your lawn.

Welcome to the 21st century. Get used to app driven services. Uber is exponentially better than a cab and then sooner you realize that service delivery is now via phones and apps, the better you will sleep and not sound like a guy yelling people to get off his lawn.

[Cyrano]

9. "Get off of my lawn."

Yeah, I may be a bit old fashioned, but I refuse to deal with bots. Unless they have the intelligence of those that Isaac Asimov wrote about.

I don't want "options" from which to select. I want a way in which to state issues/problems.

[brush]

12. Chat lines are for you then. Tech doesn't go backwards.

And ditch that flip phone for a smartphone to download the app.

[csziggy]

37. So the people who live where there is no cell service are screwed?

Although I can get cell service if I walk outside my house and up the hill, I do not get a usable signal inside my house. Many of the people east of me are in the same situation since the cell service providers have not yet put a tower in that area.

I have to go through this explanation on a regular basis with all the companies and people who want to have my cell phone number for their "convenience." Cell signals do not reach all areas at all times. There are still parts of the Florida Panhandle that have no cell signal since Hurricane Michael destroyed the Verizon network and some of their cell towers were turned into pretzels.

[crazycatlady]

39. Most cell apps work over wifi

[csziggy]

43. That's fine if the WfFi is working - which it isn't when my landline goes out

The landline and our broadband come in over the same line. If one is out, everything is out.

[jberryhill]

51. Then how would you call a cab?

[csziggy]

53. I couldn't - not unless I walked outside and up the hill to get a cell signal

I've never called a cab from my home and taken cabs less than times than I could count on one hand - and only once took a cab when I was not on vacation. Most of my life the cost of a cab was just not in the budget. I either had to hitch a ride, call a friend, or simply walk.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

63. I'm sure the old fashioned old timey cab companies are swarming your neighborhood too!

The nice thing about Uber is I can go out and have a cocktail in my in-laws semi rural town. We tried calling an old timey cab once. ONCE. We ended up walking home from a bar at midnight in December because the cab said it would be an hour minimum wait time.

[cwydro]

4. Curious as to why you would start TWO OPs on this subject?

[Codeine]

6. The cloud wasn't yelling back fast enough.

[cwydro]

17. Lol! That actually made me really laugh out loud!

[Cyrano]

24. Work from home. Took the day off.

I guess you're telling me to "go find a life."

[cwydro]

40. No. I'm sure you have a life.

Just don’t understand why TWO threads were necessary.

But, as someone else pointed out, it seems you’re having a bad day. Hope it gets better.

[Cyrano]

45. Sorry, cwydro. You're right. Two threads weren't necessary

Occasionally, I get verbose.

But, on my better days, I try to remember Shakespeare's advice, via Hamlet, that "Brevity is the soul of wit."

Seems that whatever "wit" I have fell off the deep end today.

[cwydro]

46. I completely understand. I'm not an OP starter, but if I were

I’d probably start 20 a day about the orange monstrosity in the WH.

And just so you know, I’d never use one of those ride services. Uh uh.

[Cyrano]

47. Thanks. And regarding the creature in the WH,

what more can we say that virtually every sane human being on the Earth hasn't already said. (And that's not to say I don't post about him/it as often as possible.)

[cwydro]

48. So true.

I just keep hoping something will change.

[MineralMan]

7. No smart phone, eh?

I hear you. I don't have one either. But then, again, I never need to use Uber or Lyft, so there's that.

[JCanete]

8. Dang, I thought this was going to be about how the average Uber driver nets like 2.50 an hour nation

wide. Was all ready to back you. The customer service point on the other hand, is a model that allows you to reject it because it doesn't suit you, in favor of taxi services. The shitty pay that these employees get on the other hand is generally under the hood(and even hard for the driver's themselves to fully evaluate since the tax on their income is in their vehicle maintainence, etc), so that Uber and Lyft's attractive fast response and fairly cheap fairs are enticing enough for people to pick those services over something with a customer service line. And of course because of their success, they've certainly taken a bite out of taxi driver's livelihoods.

I agree that patronizing these services is generally bad though.

[Merlot]

32. uber & lyft are the gig economy, and it sucks which is why I don't use them

You said it better than I can - it's disgusting how little these people make.

[Kaleva]

10. To sign up, you need to download the app to your smart phone.

[JuJuYoshida]

13. I drive, but I've taken one and was kinda pricey

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

15. Where I live Uber and Lyft are lifesavers

I live in that desert enclave known as Sin City. Taxi companies don't like to come to the suburbs where people live (unlike what people think, we all don't live underground on the Strip). Also, for years cab companies around here love to long haul. I remember coming to Vegas as a visitor on business or pleasure and getting long hauled.

I enjoy going to the bars in the Fremont St/Arts area and having Uber/Lyft allows me to have fun and drink up, going home safe, knowing I won't get a DUI or kill someone or worry about parking somewhere.

I've had terrible experiences with taxi companies. I'm glad we have the Uber/Lyft options, FWIW. Are they perfect? No. But they're better than the alternative.

[USALiberal]

16. This is your problem, not theirs!!! Nt

[Cyrano]

19. Now that's gotta' be the greatest business motto ever

Or, put another way: "We're here for us. If you can't figure it out, fuck ya."

How long do you suppose before they can put up a "20 MILLION SOLD" sign?

[Mariana]

26. I remember shopping in Italy, and listening to a man

try to get the cashier to take Australian money. She said he had to pay with Euros. He got pretty angry about it. I bet he felt pretty much the same way you do.

[brooklynite]

18. Get up on the wrong side of the bed, did you?

If you don't want to patronize Uber or Lyft (which really means you don't want to patronize independent drivers), don't.

Next topic?

[LanternWaste]

23. next thing you know, someone will be dropping names

next thing you know, someone will be dropping names about their most recent lunch with some random sacred cow or b-list celebrity.

Or whine like a schoolchild about solicitations for contributions from a political party.

I guess we all get up on the wrong side of the bed in various states of denial.

Same topic?

[USALiberal]

28. Or talking about how rich they are! Nt

[cwydro]

41. Or how the Rump tax plan will be a bonus to him?

Or rather his wife, I reckon.

I remember that too. Yep.

[USALiberal]

59. Yep!! nt

[brooklynite]

31. What "celebrity" have I ever mentioned?

And when have I ever ranted about something that I think everyone else should be ranting about as well?

[WeekiWater]

20. When my seventy year old mother had shoulder surgery she got the Uber App on her phone.

She was amazed at how easy it was. I went to see her(she lives next to me) to set it up and she had already done it. She had me look it over as she was certain there had to be more to it. She loved it. It was inexpensive and the drivers were responsive.

I have issues with both companies but the app was extremely easy to set up and the service was really good. Mom used it for two months before she was cleared to drive again. Her shoulder is doing great.

Maybe you are in the market for one of these.

https://www.cabelas.com/product/LOWRANCE-HDS-CARBON-INSIGHT/2418751.uts?productVariantId=5097818&WT.tsrc=PPC&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=04748208&rid=20&ds_rl=1246549&ds_rl=1246552&ds_rl=1252242&ds_rl=1252079&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwoGr4fj33gIVyV6GCh1z-wavEAQYASABEgJJYPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

They have a customer service line. No boat necessary.

Nothing wrong with going the old school Taxi route.

[Cha]

54. Very Informative.. Thanks, WeekiWater!

[blogslut]

21. If you have questions I can try to help you

DM me if you need to.

I didn't want to use Uber/Lyft but when two separate taxi services made me wait over two hours for a ride I bought a cheap Tracfone smartphone and never looked back.

[Cyrano]

27. Thanks, blogslut. But when I found out that

the Saudis were partial funders of Uber, I lost interest in them.

Given all the replies, I think I can figure our Lyft for myself. But much obliged for your kind offer.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

64. And people more scummy than Michael Cohen own all the taxi medallions nationwide.

Cohen is a relative choir boy in those circles. Has anyone here ever DEALT with a cab company?

I’ve done loans for cab drivers. The idea that Uber/Lyft is taking away some well paid with benefits job is laughable.

The driver’s financials I’ve seen consists of stacks of daily lease receipts from the scum bags who own the cars AND the medallions.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

22. It appears you don't really grasp how these apps work, and that's fine. And it's true, if you don't

have certain tools -- a smart phone, a reliable connection -- these apps aren't going to be helpful to you. It happens -- many technological changes leave some people behind, and some people don't want to change. The innovation of these apps is that they eliminate exactly what you seem to want -- a human voice on the phone. So it's not for you. Life goes on.

[ismnotwasm]

25. Uber can be slightly creepy

I don’t use it often, and the experience had been mostly positive, but a couple of times, a bit intrusive.

It’s not a bad deal, but then even cabs have apps theses days.

There’s always the bus, depending on where you live

[zipplewrath]

60. I've sorta been the opposite

I'm not on any crusade here. I just have always been uncomfortable with the basic model, mostly for the fact that it tries to undermine government regulation (a very right wing approach) and that the "employees" have very little protection (sorta anti-union). I"ve tried it because locally our taxi company was pretty much a cartel with really lousy service. When Uber came around, suddenly their service improved massively. I've seen reports that suggest that these services are INCREASING traffic volume in congested areas. I tend to believe in regulation, all the while knowing it can be an obstacle to innovation.

I'm in the top 20% of income and feel uncomfortable working with entities that try to leverage the underclass to make money.

[zaj]

29. 28 replies, 2 recs

The board has spoken. People don't want to call for an Uber.

Uber isn't designed for the 2 people who Rec'd this. It's designed for the 28 people who replied to this post.

You have a taxi and car services you can call. You'll pay more, but you'll get more.

Maybe there's an opportunity for you to start the business you wished existed.

[Cyrano]

33. Just tried to sign up for Lyft

Although I believe I'm far smarter than the present occupant of the White House, either I fucked up, or their process is as obscure as that maze in "The Shining."

Either way, I guess I'll either call a friend or a cab when I need a ride.

[zaj]

44. It's pretty cool tool once you are familiar with the steps.

Maybe treat it like a puzzle to be solved and work with your friends to learn how to solve it. It could be more fun than frustrating that way.

[janterry]

30. When we didn't have a car, we loved uber

it was awesome.

I'm sorry for your experience

[brooklynite]

34. Fun fact: Austin has a not-for-profit vehicle booking app for independent drivers

But no customer service, so screw 'em.....

[WeekiWater]

35. Now that is a fun fact. Thank you.

http://www.rideaustin.com/

[Adrahil]

36. And get those kids off your lawn too!

Not sure of your problem.... they do require using an app.... but signing up was dead easy. I use it when I travel.

[appalachiablue]

38. The city where I live has excellent cab service, so I

have no need for Uber or Lyft so far. Their labor record stinks, particularly for a multi- billion $ co. like Uber that doesn't want to consider employees as employees but rather independent contactors in order to avoid benefits like paying for SS, leave, health insurance, workmen's comp.

They've both been cited in court cases from San Fran to London. Uber also completely ruined taxi companies in places like Albuquerque, NM where you have to use Uber/Lyft now.

The new- smart tech driven competition is forcing experienced cabbies in NYC and other metros to work 16+ hours a day, to try to keep up. Many are living on the edge financially, ill; some suicides.

As far as Customer Service, esp. the human voice kind, it's a scarcity in many industries now in this 'Brave New World' (?).

Reuters, 2016, In California Uber Driver Is Employee Not Contractor, CA Labor Commission
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-uber-california/in-california-uber-driver-is-employee-not-contractor-idUSKBN0OX1TE20150617

Phila. Inquirer, 2018, From Cab to Uber to Cab, Drivers Try To Find A Way To Make A Living
http://www2.philly.com/philly/business/transportation/uber-lyft-cab-drivers-competition-philadelphia-20180517.html

[Cyrano]

42. Hi, appalachiablue: Thanks. You've convinced me

I've spent most of the day trying to sign up for these "services," but given my experiences, and especially what you just said, I don't want what they're selling.

There's a saying in many art forms that "Less is more." With these services, less is a whole lot less.

And the fact that they're screwing cabbies and others trying to make a living driving really sucks a lot.

I've put the numbers of various local cab companies on my phone. If/when needed, that's what I'll use.

I'm pretty tech savvy and have dealt with computers for years. But this is one new "service" that I'll live very well without. It seems that every new development will always attract con artists who screw their contractors and their customers. I guess you could call it the Trump way of doing business.

Thanks for your post. Much appreciated.

Cyrano

[BigDemVoter]

49. For me, using Uber beats having a car, as I generally use public transportation and

don't need to be driven anywhere except in rare circumstances. Much cheaper. The problem in San Francisco is that there have never been enough taxis. . . I call for one, and either they never show up despite repeated calls or they are an hour late.

[hunter]

50. My kids were Uber drivers in that awkward time...

... between their last years in college and work that paid more than that.

They did it entirely on their own, their own cars, insurance, everything.

They have stories.

I'll confess, I bought two tires for our youngest kid's car, a car nicer than my own, to pass the Uber inspection. Thus far that's been my only Uber experience.

My wife and I will never drive cars good enough for Uber and I don't care.

The first car our oldest kid bought was a like-new dealer certified BMW, Uber-approved... probably in overt rebellion to the $800 dollar salvage title cars my wife and I drive.

Driving dad's mid-eighties piece of shit sedan was no doubt embarrassing to our kids, but what kind of parent's would we be if we were not embarrassing?

[kimbutgar]

52. Never have never use those riding sharing companies

Taxis or public transportation only.

If you have insurance and a good driving record any scummy jerk can be a driver.

[Roland99]

55. So bypass a driver with bad or no reviews

Most drivers I’ve had have been doing it for months or years and have hundreds of trips

[crazycatlady]

72. I've never used them either

And I can count the number of cabs I've taken in my lifetime on two hands.

I also don't feel safe in them. Both companies have lobbied against background checks for the driver and have a history of covering up sexual assault. As a woman traveling alone, I don't feel safe with such a company.

I'll stick to my own car or public transportation.

[WillowTree]

57. I get it. You prefer the taxi concept to the Uber routine. So take a taxi. Why all the agita?

[Jake Stern]

58. No, fuck taxis

For leaving me waiting for over 2 hours in a snowstorm for a cab that was perpetually "10 minutes away" according to the dispatcher.

Uber had a car there in minutes.

Or the time a cabbie spent an entire drive cussing up a storm because he had been dispatched outside his normal area. It was so bad that came within seconds of telling him to pull over and let me out. Yes I've encountered grumpy Uber/Lyft drivers but it's extremely rare.

Or the time a cabbie took the scenic route into downtown. Complaining to the company was a bust and the Denver taxi commission was just as big of a joke. They told me it could take up to 90 days for them to "investigate" my claim.

Only once did an Uber driver go the long way. Filled out the complaint form on the app and within the hour I had a refund issued.

Haven't taken a taxi in years and, until they clean up their act, I never will.

[EricMaundry]

61. Are you looking for a ride or a friend?

They both get you from point A to point B.

What more do you want?

[aikoaiko]

62. I like Uber. It works for me as it is.

[Glimmer of Hope]

65. Lyft is a great company.

They offered free rides to the polls and have done similar things in the past.

I use them all the time and 99.9% of my drivers have been fantastic.

[drray23]

66. I love uber.

I know that in any city, as long as I have my cellphone I can summon a ride in minutes, even overseas in most cities (like Paris for example). If I am out exploring a city on foot and I get tired or lost, I wipe out my phone and get a ride in minutes. Its a reassuring feeling. Not to mention its nicer and cleaner than most cabs.

[Apollyonus]

67. It is a matter of choice and personal preferences

Let people decide what is more convenient for them

[Polybius]

70. Uber is a lot cheaper than any local taxi

You don't need to talk to a human to sign up, it's so easy. It's also faster on average, and you order right from your phone.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

71. I like it. It's like magic. You press a button and a chauffeur appears.