Uber vs. a regular taxicab

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Joined
Apr 5, 2011
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Location
Baltimore. MD
I did my first Uber ride a few weeks ago. Here are my impressions:

UBER

Pros:

Cars were available right around the corner from where I was standing.

I knew the exact fare before I boarded.

The ride was prepaid, so when I got to my destination, all I had to do was hop out and not have to fumble with money, credit card, tec.

Cons:

Driver was to talkative, asking all kinds of personal questions about my business that were none of his business.

The exact location of where I was picked up and dropped off is now sitting in Uber's database, and no doubt already sold to other marketers. Fortunately I'm not paranoid, but if I ever end up in some sort of court case, and counsel for either side starts asking why I was at such and such a location at such and such a date and time, I will be.

There were lots of cars near my location because I was downtown in a major city at the tail end of rush hour. That may not always be true in every place at every time.

The fare, while not excessive, was not the super bargain that some people make it out to be.

STANDARD TAXI

Pros:

If you are arriving at an airport of train station, there's always a line of them waiting for you -- no need to wait.

Drivers will usually shut up if they see you don't want to talk.

Cons:

Unless you negotiate a fixed fare, you are never sure what the final fare will be, and you have to fumble with money or credit card at the end of the ride to pay.

It may be a little more expensive than Uber.

In general, I would see no point in fumbling with a smartphone to hail an Uber when arriving at an airport or train station where there are many cabs lined up ready to go. Also, for those 5 AM rides to the airport of train station from my home in a quiet residential neighborhood, I see no difference between calling an Uber or calling my local cab company to pick me up at a certain time.

In fact, the only advantage I see that Uber gives is having the exact fare prepaid before you board. I seems to me that conventional can companies could do the same, so in general I don't plan to be a regular Uber customer, though I may use it on occasion if I can't find a cab.
 
There is a lot of variance between cities for Uber/Lyft vs Taxi.

Some things to consider: Not all stations & airports are going to have taxi ranks, or even have a taxi waiting. The Ann Arbor station for instance has a taxi rank, but there isn't always a cab there when the train arrives. This is especially true for when trains are late. Chances are if the train is late the cabs aren't going to be sitting there waiting for it to rive & will go find a fare elsewhere. Additionally some airports now are banning Uber/Lyft pickups from their property. Conversely some cities ban cab from picking up people in non-taxi rank areas, but an Uber/Lyft can.

Cost comparison of fares is going to vary a ton from city to city. The City of Ann Arbor sets a rate that all taxis use within the city with curbside pickup, Uber/Lyft aren't confined to that rate & so can be cheaper. In A2 if you call ahead you now are using a "limousine service" and so the cab doesn't have to follow the city's rate (they should tell you the rate/amount ahead of time). Additionally if you leave the city limits other rates may apply & a taxi might not tell you; with Uber/Lyft you won't get any surprises.

Most cabs & limos have gps systems on board, which I'm pretty certain track your route as well; they probably won't sell that data, but it's sitting there on a server. If you pay by CC or pre-order you're name & such will be attached to that trip.

Personally I use Lyft somewhat regularly when coming home from the bars, I've yet to try it from an Airport or Train Station but usually when at the bar I "hail" a Lyft as we're signing our checks. This gives the car a few mins to get to the specific bar we're at as they may be a block or two away. With Lyft you can add a not to the hail, usually reserved for "complex" instructions (which building or entrance, etc) but you could note that you're arriving on the train, and the driver should wait (although if I were a driver and someone asked to be picked up from the train station, I'd presume their getting off a train...)

Locally I find Lyft rates to be cheaper then taxis around town here, although often not by much. But my real preferance locally to taking a Lyft over a Cab is actually safety. I've seen in & ridden in enough cabs here that do outright dangerous and illegal things (running red lights, swerving in and out of pedestrain-heavy traffic, driving off while people are still getting in, to name a few) that I really don't want to use them. Alternatively I've had very few safety complaints for Lyft.

peter
 
I've taken over 200 Uber rides in the past 2 years. It's now my main type of transportation for shopping, doctors, pharmacy, etc.

Never had I had a driver ask personal questions or be too talkative.

If I'm talkative, they usually respond in kind. Same as when I'm quiet.

Never have I had my pick up and drop off info used in any marketing, or in any way.

Uber usually shows up in about 6 minutes. Uber is cheaper than a cab.

In the past I've waited up to 90 minutes for a taxi. The last taxi I called took 45 minutes to arrive.

And no, I don't drive for Uber. I'm a 70 year old disabled guy.
 
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UBER Pros: Cars were available right around the corner from where I was standing. I knew the exact fare before I boarded. The ride was prepaid, so when I got to my destination, all I had to do was hop out and not have to fumble with money, credit card, tec.
Just to be clear the fare you see at pickup is an estimate. The final fare can still change after you depart due to congestion, construction, rerouting, etc.

Driver was to talkative, asking all kinds of personal questions about my business that were none of his business.
My experience has been the exact opposite. Probably because of the rating system. You can give nosy Uber drivers a negative rating. If they get too many negative ratings they can be denied access to Uber requests. Can't do that with a taxi driver no matter what they say or do.

The exact location of where I was picked up and dropped off is now sitting in Uber's database, and no doubt already sold to other marketers. Fortunately I'm not paranoid, but if I ever end up in some sort of court case, and counsel for either side starts asking why I was at such and such a location at such and such a date and time, I will be.
Uber has this in their database and so do taxi companies. Chances are your trip will be tracked, mapped, and recorded regardless of which service you choose. Even if you pay by cash there is a video record of your face entering and exiting your taxi.

The fare, while not excessive, was not the super bargain that some people make it out to be.
I tend to save around 30-50% when using Uber X over a conventional taxi. Uber Black is every bit as expensive as a taxi, if not more so, but is also much newer, nicer, cleaner, and more dependable.

STANDARD TAXI Pros: If you are arriving at an airport of train station, there's always a line of them waiting for you -- no need to wait.
I've waited for taxis at airports and train stations in cities throughout the country and around the world. The taxis queue up in their line and the passengers queue up in their line. It's pretty rare that there is no wait unless you're arriving at Bumblefork Non-international Airport in the middle of Cracker Barrel County.

Cons: Unless you negotiate a fixed fare, you are never sure what the final fare will be, and you have to fumble with money or credit card at the end of the ride to pay. It may be a little more expensive than Uber.
In my experience the vast majority of taxi drivers will claim their card reader has mysteriously failed in a manner which is impossible to fix and will either refuse to call in the charge by phone or will sabotage the attempt with nonsense. That is a major problem late at night after a long international trip when all you want to do is get home and all the taxi driver cares about is hiding his income from the government.

In general, I would see no point in fumbling with a smartphone to hail an Uber when arriving at an airport or train station where there are many cabs lined up ready to go.
Here at my own hometown airport there is a designated area for ride sharing vehicles. You initiate the ride when you disembark your aircraft and by the time you reach the curb your Uber or Lyft vehicle is already waiting for you. That's kind of the final nail in the taxi coffin, at least in my view.

In fact, the only advantage I see that Uber gives is having the exact fare prepaid before you board. I seems to me that conventional can companies could do the same, so in general I don't plan to be a regular Uber customer, though I may use it on occasion if I can't find a cab.
Another thing you either left out or didn't ride enough to notice is that Uber/Lyft drivers are far less likely to ignore your directions or pad the route with extra mileage.
 
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UBER Pros: Cars were available right around the corner from where I was standing. I knew the exact fare before I boarded. The ride was prepaid, so when I got to my destination, all I had to do was hop out and not have to fumble with money, credit card, tec.
Just to be clear the fare you see at pickup is an estimate. The final fare can still change after you depart due to congestion, construction, rerouting, etc.

Not true anymore with UberPOOL they will guarantee your fare at the time you request the ride. So the price you see when you request is what you will be charged.
 
UBER Pros: Cars were available right around the corner from where I was standing. I knew the exact fare before I boarded. The ride was prepaid, so when I got to my destination, all I had to do was hop out and not have to fumble with money, credit card, tec.
Just to be clear the fare you see at pickup is an estimate. The final fare can still change after you depart due to congestion, construction, rerouting, etc.

Not true anymore with UberPOOL they will guarantee your fare at the time you request the ride. So the price you see when you request is what you will be charged.
They've even started doing it with UberX now, at least here in MSP. The amount shown on the request screen is an exact amount that won't change, at least in my experience and what Uber is claiming under the new system. Lyft can still vary in price, although with the GPS tracking it's easy to dispute if a driver takes a longer-than-needed route.
 
UBER Pros: Cars were available right around the corner from where I was standing. I knew the exact fare before I boarded. The ride was prepaid, so when I got to my destination, all I had to do was hop out and not have to fumble with money, credit card, tec.
Just to be clear the fare you see at pickup is an estimate. The final fare can still change after you depart due to congestion, construction, rerouting, etc.
Not true anymore with UberPOOL they will guarantee your fare at the time you request the ride. So the price you see when you request is what you will be charged.
They've even started doing it with UberX now, at least here in MSP. The amount shown on the request screen is an exact amount that won't change, at least in my experience and what Uber is claiming under the new system. Lyft can still vary in price, although with the GPS tracking it's easy to dispute if a driver takes a longer-than-needed route.
That's great to know for future use among established Uber users, but I don't think most people are thinking of UberPOOL when they're talking about being picked up from a random airport outside of the 13 cities currently accepting UberPOOL requests. As for UberX requests, my rides still show an estimated charge. For purposes of new or irregular travelers I think it's important not to over-promise something that Uber/Lyft might under-deliver on their next ride.
 
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I've never been in an Uber that smells of the accumulation of seven years of vomit.

I've never had a cab company be able to tell me exactly where my cab is and when it will arrive. This conversation begins will calling dispatch an hour or more ahead of when I need a cab, dispatch says "It's on it's way" and abruptly hangs up. Call them back thirty minutes later: "It's been dispatched, it will be there in 15 minutes." Repeat that a few times until the cab eventually shows about about 30 minutes after you wanted it.

Granted, the Uber business model is built around screwing their drivers in a variety of ways, but the cab companies have has YEARS of opportunities to improve. And haven't. I'll enjoy this Uber ride while it lasts.
 
A few cab companies have made apps for requesting a ride. The problem is that the company is local only to the city they are in while Uber is almost universal. I've even seen UberTaxi on the app now in some cities. I've had all the bad experiences in cabs before. I've had them refuse to take me because I was only going about 2 miles. Another complain I didn't tip him enough, etc. So I will usually take Uber when I can. The only thing I don't like about Uber is their "macho" attitude in some instances. The city of Austin wanted drivers to have fingerprinting done on drivers. Instead of complying, it went to vote, Uber and Lyft completely pulled out of the city. Over all the concept of hailing and paying for a ride on your smartphone is an amazing one, and with technology it will only get better. Hopefully taxi cab companies can adapt.
 
I agree with MARC Rider that in many cases using the Uber app is a much bigger pain than just hailing a cab. For example, exiting the Chicago opera Monday night = I had planned to use the Uber app but there were dozens of taxis right front of me. The fare was $25 rather than the 13-17 an independent Uber estimator gave.
 
A few cab companies have made apps for requesting a ride. The problem is that the company is local only to the city they are in while Uber is almost universal. I've even seen UberTaxi on the app now in some cities. I've had all the bad experiences in cabs before. I've had them refuse to take me because I was only going about 2 miles. Another complain I didn't tip him enough, etc. So I will usually take Uber when I can. The only thing I don't like about Uber is their "macho" attitude in some instances. The city of Austin wanted drivers to have fingerprinting done on drivers. Instead of complying, it went to vote, Uber and Lyft completely pulled out of the city. Over all the concept of hailing and paying for a ride on your smartphone is an amazing one, and with technology it will only get better. Hopefully taxi cab companies can adapt.
I think I've read that they have returned?
 
I've never been in an Uber that smells of the accumulation of seven years of vomit.

I've never had a cab company be able to tell me exactly where my cab is and when it will arrive. This conversation begins will calling dispatch an hour or more ahead of when I need a cab, dispatch says "It's on it's way" and abruptly hangs up. Call them back thirty minutes later: "It's been dispatched, it will be there in 15 minutes." Repeat that a few times until the cab eventually shows about about 30 minutes after you wanted it.

Granted, the Uber business model is built around screwing their drivers in a variety of ways, but the cab companies have has YEARS of opportunities to improve. And haven't. I'll enjoy this Uber ride while it lasts.
Your cab experience is similar to mine. Plus you can watch the Uber car enroute on the Uber app, so you know where it is and that it really is on the way, unlike just having to take the cab company's word for it.
 
In all my years riding cabs I've never been "taken for a ride" around in circles by a cabbie.
Are you saying you've never once been driven any further than absolutely necessary? Because that is an extremely rare claim for a routine taxi passenger to make. Not just in the US but across North America and around the world. Rather than bolster your previous claims this post risks unwinding them like a stray bit of string caught in a potential fallacy. Does someone among your family or friends drive for a taxi service?
 
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In all my years riding cabs I've never been "taken for a ride" around in circles by a cabbie.
Are you saying you've never once been driven any further than absolutely necessary? Because that is an extremely rare claim for a routine taxi passenger to make. Not just in the US but across North America and around the world. Rather than bolster your previous claims this post risks unwinding them like a stray bit of string caught in a potential fallacy. Does someone among your family or friends drive for a taxi service?
I'm not MARC Rider (obviously) but I've had plenty of experience taking taxis and Ubers. IMHO, "never once been driven any further than absolutely necessary" is not remotely the same as "never been 'taken for a ride.' " Not every taxi driver has The Knowledge* of their city, and honest mistakes can be made where one-way, dead-end, or multi-level streets (Wacker Drive, Michigan Avenue, etc.) prevail. Your response seems to make absolutely** no room for honest mistakes.

Personally, I've suspected shenanigans more than once in a taxi, but have also been fairly certain on other occasions that the cabbie took the non-optimum route by mistake. Also, I've found more than once that the non-optimum route on a map was the optimum route time-wise*** in light of traffic on the optimum route. Conversely, I've had several Uber drivers take the non-optimum route, and they have no incentive for shenanigans since the app fixed my payment before I ever entered the car. If Uber drivers do it by mistake, has the possibility entered your mind that sometimes cabbies also do it by mistake? And before you ask me as you asked MARC Rider, neither I nor anybody I know is a cabbie. :rolleyes:

*London (UK) cabbies have to essentially memorize London and its environs, not just every street but all destinations (hotels, theaters, department stores, etc.). :blink: Passing a test of The Knowledge is prerequisite for a London cabbie license.

**There's that word again. :giggle:

***Which is the measure of taxi, Uber, etc. efficiency from the passenger's point of view. We're not burning gasoline by distance, the driver is. We want to get where we're going as fast as possible, or we'd be taking a bus or walking.
 
In all my years riding cabs I've never been "taken for a ride" around in circles by a cabbie.
Are you saying you've never once been driven any further than absolutely necessary? Because that is an extremely rare claim for a routine taxi passenger to make. Not just in the US but across North America and around the world. Rather than bolster your previous claims this post risks unwinding them like a stray bit of string caught in a potential fallacy. Does someone among your family or friends drive for a taxi service?
I'm not MARC Rider (obviously) but I've had plenty of experience taking taxis and Ubers. IMHO, "never once been driven any further than absolutely necessary" is not remotely the same as "never been 'taken for a ride.' "
Indeed it is not the same, which is why I asked it in the form of a question. It's exceedingly rare for taxis to drive someone around in actual circles. Nothing gets the attention of your passengers quicker than making four right or left turns in a row. Even Ma and Pa Kettle are going notice something as obvious as that. Ignoring instructions, driving recklessly, questionable routings, passing through unnecessary congestion, entering avoidable long term construction zones, wasting time at intermediate stops, arriving at unusable drop-off points, and unnecessary backtracking are far more common and realistic complaints than MARC Rider's straw man example.

Your response seems to make absolutely** no room for honest mistakes. Not every taxi driver has The Knowledge* of their city, and honest mistakes can be made where one-way, dead-end, or multi-level streets (Wacker Drive, Michigan Avenue, etc.) prevail. Your response seems to make absolutely** no room for honest mistakes.
I don't expect perfection from taxi drivers. I merely expect them to focus on the road, drive as quickly and efficiently as reasonably possible, have enough fuel and bladder control to complete the journey, follow my instructions as given, avoid obvious traps and pitfalls, and charge my card without any silly games or theatrics. I've had both good and bad taxi drivers over the years but so far my average ride sharing experience has been much better than my average taxi experience.

If Uber drivers do it by mistake, has the possibility entered your mind that sometimes cabbies also do it by mistake?
Absolutely. That being said, is it an honest mistake to agree to my instructions upon pickup only to casually dismiss them later in the ride? Is it an honest mistake to drive like a maniac or ignore multiple sets of day-glow DETOUR signs as you head toward a multi-year construction zone? Is it an honest mistake to delay my arrival with an unrequested stop at a petrol station or convenience store in the middle of a trip? Is it an honest mistake to accept a card payment inquiry at pickup only to claim the payment device hasn't been working for weeks at drop-off? Or is it just a symptom of an industry model that comes with no repercussions for poor service? I've yet to have any Uber/Lyft drivers pull any of that crap on me. Ride sharing services are not perfect, and sometimes their personalties are not the best match, but the annoyances and inconveniences are so minor compared to the belligerent taxi mafia that it's easy for me to ignore it and get on with my trip.
 
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A few cab companies have made apps for requesting a ride. The problem is that the company is local only to the city they are in while Uber is almost universal. I've even seen UberTaxi on the app now in some cities. I've had all the bad experiences in cabs before. I've had them refuse to take me because I was only going about 2 miles. Another complain I didn't tip him enough, etc. So I will usually take Uber when I can. The only thing I don't like about Uber is their "macho" attitude in some instances. The city of Austin wanted drivers to have fingerprinting done on drivers. Instead of complying, it went to vote, Uber and Lyft completely pulled out of the city. Over all the concept of hailing and paying for a ride on your smartphone is an amazing one, and with technology it will only get better. Hopefully taxi cab companies can adapt.
I think I've read that they have returned?

I was in Austin two weeks ago. Uber and Lyft were still not picking up inside Austin city limits. The new local favorite was called Fasten.
 
It's pretty rare that there is no wait unless you're arriving at Bumblefork Non-international Airport in the middle of Cracker Barrel County.
This is one of the best things I've read all week.
A bit of an exaggeration. I had 0 wait for a taxi on my latest Amtrak adventures when arriving at Anaheim CA, Seattle WA, and Indianapolis IN.

In Anaheim, Uber was 8 minutes away (all were circling Disneyland) and the taxis were right there. Cost of the Cab was double the estimated Uber.

In Seattle, I didn't even check Uber, the cab was there, I got in. (Seattle has lower taxi rates than other cities, usually it's comparable to Uber).

In Indianapolis, I checked Uber, they were 2 minutes out, the taxi was right there, 2 minutes is longer than I wanted to stand with my nice luggage in the lovely Indianapolis Amtrak homeless shelter at 11:50 at night.. place gives me the creeps! (But I love the Hoosier State train!). Uber was about 1/2 the taxi price and probably would not have reeked of cigarette smoke.

I've found the trick is to ask about credit cards BEFORE entering the Cab... Even than many Cab drivers will say "Oh Cash is much easier, Credit Cards take a long time to process" I just say "I can wait."

I much prefer the Uber experience, and will always call an Uber before calling a cab since I can track the GPS and know where they are and when they will arrive. But if it's late at night and I can just hop in a cab rather than waiting a few minutes, I usually will.
 
Where cabs are plentiful and hailable (NYC, DC, etc), I see little value in using Uber, as small savings isn't worth the longer wait. The only exception is if the savings add up because the trip is extremely long...at that point it's likely way cheaper to take transit to a closer point and catch a cab/Uber from there.

In smaller cities, less-dense areas, and at odd hours of the night, where the only way to get a cab is to call the cab company, the convenience and trackability of Uber means the cabs have no chance of competing for my business.

That said, I try to use transit whenever possible, unless location, hours of operation, or luggage mean it's not possible.
 
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I've basically given up on taxis, all else being equal. Too many mediocre-to-bad cab experiences over time (particularly being utterly sick of taxis that have those stupid "entertainment" screens in the back that the taxi commissions have often forced on them). In general I'll usually default to a mix of Uber and public transit (the latter depending on availability and convenience) unless there's a decent-cost "black car" service at the airport.
 
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