# I did a search for 1960s taxi rates



## Dave Styles (Apr 6, 2016)

I found that some of the signs from the 1950's and 1960's have higher rates than what Lyft and Uber charge in 2017 in most markets! These companies are wondering why they're losing so much money! I did a search for 1960's taxi rates and the following vintage sign bellow was found

http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-ny...-a-vintage-yellow-taxi-door-new-58053288.html


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## ChortlingCrison (Mar 30, 2016)

Maybe uber and lyft are "decade-challenged", or decade impaired.


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Ha! I did this thread a year ago.
This stuff never gets old tho, cause it's true.


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## grams777 (Jun 13, 2014)

http://www.schallerconsult.com/taxi/taxifb.pdf

NYC Rates:

















And some overall price context:

http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/70yearsofpricechange.html


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Charlotte is stuck in 1977 lol.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Dave Styles said:


> I found that some of the signs from the 1950's and 1960's have higher rates than what Lyft and Uber charge in 2017 in most markets! These companies are wondering why they're losing so much money! I did a search for 1960's taxi rates and the following vintage sign bellow was found
> 
> http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-ny...-a-vintage-yellow-taxi-door-new-58053288.html


Yet they got TIPS in 1960 !
Too bad rent gas and FOOD aren't at 1950 rates,only our pay is !


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Dave Styles said:


> I found that some of the signs from the 1950's and 1960's have higher rates than what Lyft and Uber charge in 2017 in most markets! These companies are wondering why they're losing so much money! I did a search for 1960's taxi rates and the following vintage sign bellow was found
> 
> http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-ny...-a-vintage-yellow-taxi-door-new-58053288.html


A brand NEW car cost$2,000.00 back then ?


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## A_Driver (Dec 2, 2016)

And gas was $0.35 a gallon in 1969. You could buy a 2 year old car for $500.


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## grams777 (Jun 13, 2014)

tohunt4me said:


> A brand NEW car cost$2,000.00 back then ?


I paid $4k for a brand new subaru in 1980 (cheapest model).


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## ChortlingCrison (Mar 30, 2016)

grams777 said:


> http://www.schallerconsult.com/taxi/taxifb.pdf
> 
> NYC Rates:
> 
> ...


Good info. It looks like Detroits .30/mile would have been sufficient in early 1968. PMSL


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## AintWorthIt (Sep 30, 2014)

So sad


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## jaxbeachrides (May 27, 2015)

Keep in mind that uber operates illegally in most markets, hence being forced to undercut prices. If uber was legal, they could charge legal prices. Not hard to decipher.


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Crison chews ears like Mike Tyson
He's slicin
He's dicing
Cleans up any kitchen crisis

Crison chortles
Crison portals
He ain't mortal


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## Peanut hello (Sep 19, 2016)

People still driving. the average rideshare driver lasts about 6 months.
people get hired and quit on daily basis.


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## Mars Troll Number 4 (Oct 30, 2015)

It's fairly consistent adjusted for inflation, and that spike in the 70s was the gas crisis if i recall.

Now if you take uber's prices and scale them in comparison you have


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## Oscar Levant (Aug 15, 2014)

Dave Styles said:


> I found that some of the signs from the 1950's and 1960's have higher rates than what Lyft and Uber charge in 2017 in most markets! These companies are wondering why they're losing so much money! I did a search for 1960's taxi rates and the following vintage sign bellow was found
> 
> http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-ny...-a-vintage-yellow-taxi-door-new-58053288.html


I drove a taxi in L.A. 1977, the meter was $.80 per mile, $10 per hour waiting ( but only when below 12mph ). I drove a taxi later in 1987, ten years later, and the meter rose to $1.20 per mile, and $12 per hour ( waiting ).

You have to understand that, unlike your typical taximeter, Uber's "meter" the timer is constant, so it adds to the mileage rate, but I haven't figured it out how much.

Also, when it was busy, it would be impossible to do as many trips back in the day with a taxi as one would get with an Uber today, due to:

1. Physical limitations of two way radio dispatching by humans, drivers competing for air time to get said trips, etc.

2. Before GPSes, using mapbooks, can take several minutes to plot out a course, to reach the customer.

3. Taxi drivers often have to leave the cab to knock on rider's doors, or enter a bar to ask bartender who he so she called a cab for.

4. A taxi driver is often scooped by other taxi passer's by ( when the call is at a gas station or hotel, most riders don't care who the taxi is )

5. A taxi driver has to accept cash, make change after every trip.

6. a taxi driver has to record ( by pencil or pen ) the details of the trip on a trip sheet, as required by must city taxi regulators ( this maybe obsolete today with computer dispatch ).

When meter was $1.20 (taximeter in 1987, Uber is $1.10 in San Diego, today) I rarely did more than $125 total book. At $1.10 with current UBer, ( without surges ), I've done over $200. The only explanation is the above reasons stated. We Uber drivers, because of technology, can simply do many more trips when operating at full capacity than taxi drivers did back in the day, at full capacity ( unless you are driving in NYC, where there are flags everywhere ).

Today, if i get a ping on the free way, I do not have to stop and look at a mapbook, I jsut hit navigate and the app takes me right to the rider, and I don't have to climb out of my car to knock on doors, etc. You guys are spoiled !!!!

But, I kinda miss the old days of two way radios, flag meters, hanging out at the cab lot shooting the sheet with other drivers, while waiting for an available cab, etc. Today, we're like a little cog in a big machine, and I don't even know who my supervisor is, let alone the bosses phone number. There still is a cab company in San Diego, that operates on old tech, Coronado Yellow.


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## Oscar Levant (Aug 15, 2014)

A_Driver said:


> And gas was $0.35 a gallon in 1969. You could buy a 2 year old car for $500.


I got my first car in 1969, it was a 1961 Chevy Biscayne, and I paid $175. It took me a few months to save for it, since my weekly pay check was about $40 ( after taxes ). But, my rent was $50 a month ( my share of rent in a 2 bedroom apartment in the MacArthur Park district of L.A ) gas was 26 cents at gas war places, 35 cents at Mobil, etc. I turned 21 in 1972, and I remember drinking all night long in a bar for about $20. A Dewars & Water ( my drink ) was $1.10, as I recall. $500 sounds too cheap for a two year old car. I remember a brand new volkswagen being around $2000. I doubt it depreciated that much in two years.


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## SpeedyGonzalez11 (Jan 16, 2017)

Atlanta is in July 1979. Wow that's crazy.


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