UBER

[2much2spend]

I've been using uber for a while now and it's good.
I like the no cash thing.
I've spoken to a few of the drivers and they all seem to say they get paid the same rate. Si the reset of a can fare is all in operation fares.
I mean you get an invoice of your trip, the drivers no. And they are prompt.

I like it!

 

[SimoB]

my old man was a passenger in a cab last year and the driver was playing silly buggers going all around the joint. My dad commented on his strange behaviour and he was argumentative. Dad paid the fare and got out at the top of his street (it's a dead end) because the driver was giving him the *****. The driver followed my dad down the street and ran him over, knocked him out, blood everywhere. My mother was also there and thought he was killed, the driver fled and Dad woke up in hospital. (he's OK now)

As the camera did not get a clear view of my dad we couldn't press charges and that driver is still driving today as it was my dads word against his.

Now, I'm not saying all cabbies are like this, but their working conditions are clearly no good and many drivers seem to be either angry, distracted by being on the phone and not interested about your presence at all. I have not experienced this using Uber, my guess is they basically work for themselves, choose their own hours and don't pay crazy fees.

I feel sorry for the cabbies, but I also dislike being in their cabs.

 

[Dave70]

You have to be kidding.
Your dad could positively ID an attempted murder suspect and you didn't (or were informed not to) press charges?

 

[Liam_snorkel]

I know of someone whose head was run over by a taxi. Splat like a melon.

 

[Weizguy]

I've been using Uber a lot over the last 6 months or so. Most of the drivers look the same as them ^

ie, a couple of taxi driving mates chip-in together & buy a camry, and make more money than what they were paid as a bonafide cabbie.

That's due to the scamming/monopolising ways of Cabcharge, I'd say

 

[Airgead]

Taxis are a cartel. The drivers are generally getting f'd over. Its the owners who make the money. Not many taxis are owner drivers from what I hear as plates go for a fortune and the big cartels have snapped them up. Plus the cabcharge thing means that the actual driver barely scrapes by as everyone up the chain takes a big cut from their pocket.

They should all switch to uber...

Edit: i'm sure my fingers work better than this... i blame this crappy work notebook... that has to be the problem.

 

[super_simian]

No stink, no wait, no driver mumbling into a phone, no wrong directions. Uber wins everytime. I'll take my chances with the compensation grey area.

 

[Dave70]

They should all switch to uber...

Or get a job with a courier company. At least parcels dont swear loudly or vomit.

 

[SimoB]

You have to be kidding.
Your dad could positively ID an attempted murder suspect and you didn't (or were informed not to) press charges?

The police said they couldn't do anything. My dad just wanted it to be over in the end. He's a simple man, and was just happy to be alive. The camera showed my dad pay and get out. The major issue is my Dad had been drinking, therefore his word is automatically 2nd best. He wasn't too pissed my any means, but that's what happened.

 

[manticle]

Jesus Simo, that is pretty intense.
Glad your dad is ok.

Sounds like the cab driver needs help of a psychiatric nature to me.
Which cab company?

 

[stewy]

Wtf?!?

On the über thing, I'm not sure either way, but the stupidly high rates licensed taxis charge is due to the astronomical licensing fees they are charged. Generally, they're just passing on costs. Some of those are artificial costs. One has to ask why a taxi license is charged at ~$100k (I believe).

100K?? Try closer to 400 - 500K.... not sure if they are still that high but they almost nudged that much a few years back i think,,,

 

[Dave70]

The police said they couldn't do anything. My dad just wanted it to be over in the end. He's a simple man, and was just happy to be alive. The camera showed my dad pay and get out. The major issue is my Dad had been drinking, therefore his word is automatically 2nd best. He wasn't too pissed my any means, but that's what happened.

Glad your old mans okay and I can see his point. Nevertheless the ****** should have been prosecuted. The next time he snaps the fare might not be so lucky.

 

[beercus]

Competition should always be healthy for the consumer.

good to see.

Beercus

 

[Liam_snorkel]

Got driven home last night by Dave in a Mazda BT-50, it was great. He's a FIFO worker and does a bit of driving on his off weeks for cash to splash.

 

[Spiesy]

Wtf?!?

On the über thing, I'm not sure either way, but the stupidly high rates licensed taxis charge is due to the astronomical licensing fees they are charged. Generally, they're just passing on costs. Some of those are artificial costs. One has to ask why a taxi license is charged at ~$100k (I believe).

I get the cost argument. But there's no excuse for taxi's being filthy, tardy, not knowing where they're going, not knowing how to drive and/or basic road etiquette, being rude just talking on their mobile to their overseas relative throughout the whole trip etc etc.

Seriously taxis in Melbourne SUCK hard.

I love Uber. It's actually a service.

I feel for the taxis that in paying for the legit license they're at a financial disadvantage, but if their game wasn't so shoddy they may have never fostered the environment for Uber to get started in Australia.

 

[Mikedub]

rode Uber for the first time last night, bit disappointed with the mango/yogurt lollie the driver gave me, apart from that it was tops,

 

[menoetes]

My old man is semi-retired and currently drives an uber cab. He loves it, is covered by a million dollars worth of fully comprehensive insurance, picks his own hours and gets on great with his passengers. He likes that no one can bail on the fare and there's no cash involved making it safer for him. He likes the rating system as it weeds out the both the nasty drivers and bad passengers and he reckons that he makes more money per hour than a regular taxi driver with Uber only taking one very small fee from each charge.

However he gets bailed up by cops and transit officers who hassle and charge him for being an unlicensed taxi service and has to dodge regular taxi drivers who have been known to get rough with uber drivers. The head office takes care of the fines for him but he's left looking out for himself as far as angry cabbies are concerned.

I can kinda see where the taxi owners are coming from, they pay hundreds of thousands for the vehicles, licenses and plates then along comes uber who tells drivers that they can do the same thing with any car in good condition with no massive fees, more flexible hours and lower royalties taken by the head company...

It would be like buying a house for top dollar just before the bottom falls out of the market and watching everyone else buy up all the surrounding houses for one tenth the price. It would be frustrating but (as so many of you have already said) it's the changing world and if the public prefers it; then perhaps it is time to adapt.

Personally, the only time you'll catch me in a taxi these days is if I can't get an Uber and that is rare...

 

[butisitart]

get wrapped around a tree in an uber and find out how insured you aren't. nrma, suncorp etc won't insure cos they're not public transport vehicles.
uber drivers can go 0.05 alcohol cos a cop at an rbt isn't going to know that they're pretending to be a taxi. personally, i like to know that the guy driving me home is on 0.00, and i wouldn't be able to smell it on him if i've had a few.
cabs get a full machinery every 6 months. ubers don't. so you don't know what's under the bonnet.
cab drivers have to have had a licence for 5 years. ubers don't, so you get driven around by a 14 year old.
all cab drivers have a blue card. the occasional uber has.
you'd have to ask who'd drive an uber. uni students (too young to drive a cab, but they need to eat). guys on the dole not declaring it (good on you). cos an uber driver makes about the same per km as a cabbie driving for an owner. except the cabbie isn't then paying to run his private car as a cab. so if you were going to do it for a real job, you'd go and drive a cab and keep your own car to impress the girlfiend/boyfriend.
yep... cabs suck. uber sucks big time

 

[Tex N Oz]

Taxi's suck **** around here in Sydney AND Brisbane.. Twice I've had to tell the driver he was going the wrong way and twice we went out of route at least 5 km. Then they say "OH.. ok, I reset the computer" so you get to pay for half the out of route when they finally decide to turn around.
If they understood the language it might not be so bad.
The last time I took a taxi where the driver spoke reasonable English was in 98 and it's went to hell ever since.
The cars smell like stale curry and incense and so do the drivers because they never wash their *****.
They yack on their phones and text.
It's a ****** disgrace and like just about everything else, governing body doesn't cares so long as they get their quid.

I'd rather be driven around by a drunk 14 year old.

I hope Uber shoves it right up their *****.

 

[Camo6]

Cabs get a full machinery every 6 months?

They might get regular inspections. Not too sure about repairs though. As an ex-mechanic I've worked and ridden in some downright unroadworthy and unsafe taxis. Half of them should be taken off the roads. I'd rather take my chances in an owner driven car that is respected by its driver.

Viva la Uber.