# Salon questions Ubers financial longevity



## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

https://www.salon.com/2018/01/14/losing-money-rapidly-how-long-can-uber-last/


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## Rakos (Sep 2, 2014)

Can you say backfire...???


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Rakos said:


> Can you say backfire...???


Yes. I can.

Can you say superconductivity? It's a little harder.


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## Rakos (Sep 2, 2014)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> Yes. I can.
> 
> Can you say superconductivity? It's a little harder.


I like your new Avatar...8>)

Can you say metalhead...???

Rakos


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Rakos said:


> I like your new Avatar...8>)
> 
> Can you say metalhead...???
> 
> ...


I joined a superhero gang. We fight crime and meet chicks at nightclubs.


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## Rakos (Sep 2, 2014)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> I joined a superhero gang. We fight crime and meet chicks at nightclubs.


That's OK....

I joined a monkey gang...

And pick up beautiful women...

And...get paid for it...8>)

They call it Uber...

Who woulda thunk it...???

Rakos








PS. Tell your wives...just picking up dudes...


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## JimKE (Oct 28, 2016)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> https://www.salon.com/2018/01/14/losing-money-rapidly-how-long-can-uber-last/


Ok, wait. SALON? Seriously, Salon? Yep, that's where I go for all my investment info! LMAO.


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> Yes. I can.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Rakos said:


> I joined a monkey gang...
> 
> And pick up beautiful women...
> 
> ...


I was going to give your post a "like" until I saw that Yankees cap.


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## Rakos (Sep 2, 2014)

Another Uber Driver said:


> I was going to give your post a "like" until I saw that Yankees cap.


That's just Ralph...

He thinks he looks cool in it...

Me... I'm a southern monkey...

Never get up in that...

Cold...cold...cold...cold...

part of the country...8>O

Rakos








PS. In the mid 20s here in Fl tonight...


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Another Uber Driver said:


> I was going to give your post a "like" until I saw that Yankees cap.


Yankees suck
Jeter swallows.



JimKE said:


> Ok, wait. SALON? Seriously, Salon? Yep, that's where I go for all my investment info! LMAO.


Did you read the article?


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## somedriverguy (Sep 6, 2016)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> Did you read the article?


They said half drivers quit in under a year, did the retention rate improve that much? It was 96% last I heard.


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

somedriverguy said:


> They said half drivers quit in under a year, did the retention rate improve that much? It was 96% last I heard.


Which is a full year attrition statistic. 50% quitting at 6 months is plausible, and doesn't negate the other 46% who quit in the following 6 months.


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## RideshareinCali (May 11, 2017)

JimKE said:


> Ok, wait. SALON? Seriously, Salon? Yep, that's where I go for all my investment info! LMAO.


There have been other publications & journalists that have questioned Uber's financial vitality. Look it up.


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## jonhjax (Jun 24, 2016)

Rakos said:


> I like your new Avatar...8>)
> 
> Can you say metalhead...???
> 
> ...


That looks like Count Monkula to me!!!


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## MoreTips (Feb 13, 2017)

Uber’s spurious claim has never been widely accepted outside the United States. After all, when traditional taxis added electronic meters to their vehicles in the 1970s, did that make them “technology” companies, and not subject to transportation laws? 

Not a bad point.


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

Uber can't ever be regulated as a cab company in the US.

They would lose market share out the wazoo and they would have to fire the overwhelming majority of their drivers and switch to just dealing liscensed providers... and they would have to charge 30-300% more than they are now (depending on the market).. which is the massive loss in market share.


Will it eventually come to that?

Maybe...


Will uber survive that?

No


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## UbingInLA (Jun 24, 2015)

Excellent article. If Uber doesn't receive this obvious designation in the US very soon - then something fishy is going on.

Regardless, Uber is probably next in line to get hit with a lawsuit like the one against the trucking companies filed two weeks ago:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-port-trucker-lawsuits-20180108-story.html

_"engaged in schemes to avoid paying minimum wage and employee benefits by classifying workers as independent contractors even though the companies 'exert near complete control' over drivers."_


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## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

Mears Troll Number 4 said:


> Uber can't ever be regulated as a cab company in the US.
> 
> They would lose market share out the wazoo and they would have to fire the overwhelming majority of their drivers and switch to just dealing liscensed providers... and they would have to charge 30-300% more than they are now (depending on the market).. which is the massive loss in market share.
> 
> ...


They're regulated in NJ. Don't forget, Uber has certain advantages over traditional cab companies. For example, I live in North Jersey, and usually start working from when I hop in the car either in front of my apartment or in the lot. If I pull a ride that is going to the southern end of New Jersey (not ENTIRELY a unicorn, but rare), I have the ability to keep the app on, set a destination filter, stay off of the highways, and work my way back, letting Riders pay along the way. That's really difficult for a cab to do. A cab gets far from the stand, and it just has to drive back. This guarantees dead miles that will come close to equaling whatever the ride itself was. Traditional cabs, for this reason, will almost always be more expensive, unless you factor in Surge.

So, why are modern riders so willing to pay surge instead of calling a taxi? Convenience. They don't have to wait as long for an Uber or Lyft as they would for a taxi, usually. If looking to get back home from out-of-town, they don't have to look up the local taxi companies. They don't have to spend 10 minutes comparing prices, either, and then go back and call the best-priced back to order. Geting price comparisons between Uber and Lyft are even faster and easier now with apps like FareWell, which does it for you, only requiring you put the ride info once. Most of the time, Uber and Lyft cars are in better shape. Not always, but most of the time.

Cab advantages? Rider can request a specific driver if they wish. You can develop a relationship with the company and have standing scheduled rides. You have the option of paying cash, and riding anonymously, or nearly so, depending on if the cab company is from an area where you are known or not. In many towns, the police will cut cab drivers a certain amount of Slack for traffic violations like minor speeding, u-turns if the street isn't busy, etcetera. If a rider is running late, provided they can actually get a cab to pick them up fairly quickly, and they get a driver who isn't a snail, they can pick up their lost I'm on the way to the destination. Try that in an Uber or Lyft, and the chances of being pulled over and the driver being ticketed increase substantially. If you're riding in a local cab, and you do it often with the same driver, you can also catch up on the local gossip.


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

SuzeCB said:


> They're regulated in NJ. Don't forget, Uber has certain advantages over traditional cab companies. For example, I live in North Jersey, and usually start working from when I hop in the car either in front of my apartment or in the lot. If I pull a ride that is going to the southern end of New Jersey (not ENTIRELY a unicorn, but rare), I have the ability to keep the app on, set a destination filter, stay off of the highways, and work my way back, letting Riders pay along the way. That's really difficult for a cab to do. A cab gets far from the stand, and it just has to drive back. This guarantees dead miles that will come close to equaling whatever the ride itself was. Traditional cabs, for this reason, will almost always be more expensive, unless you factor in Surge.
> 
> So, why are modern riders so willing to pay surge instead of calling a taxi? Convenience. They don't have to wait as long for an Uber or Lyft as they would for a taxi, usually. If looking to get back home from out-of-town, they don't have to look up the local taxi companies. They don't have to spend 10 minutes comparing prices, either, and then go back and call the best-priced back to order. Geting price comparisons between Uber and Lyft are even faster and easier now with apps like FareWell, which does it for you, only requiring you put the ride info once. Most of the time, Uber and Lyft cars are in better shape. Not always, but most of the time.
> 
> Cab advantages? Rider can request a specific driver if they wish. You can develop a relationship with the company and have standing scheduled rides. You have the option of paying cash, and riding anonymously, or nearly so, depending on if the cab company is from an area where you are known or not. In many towns, the police will cut cab drivers a certain amount of Slack for traffic violations like minor speeding, u-turns if the street isn't busy, etcetera. If a rider is running late, provided they can actually get a cab to pick them up fairly quickly, and they get a driver who isn't a snail, they can pick up their lost I'm on the way to the destination. Try that in an Uber or Lyft, and the chances of being pulled over and the driver being ticketed increase substantially. If you're riding in a local cab, and you do it often with the same driver, you can also catch up on the local gossip.


I didn't say NOT REGULATED,

I said regulated as a _*cab company*_, there's a HUGE DIFFERENCE.

Being regulated like a taxi requires...

Signage on all vehicles.

Phone number printed on all vehicles

24/7/365 commercial insurance coverage on all vehicles (This eliminates part time drivers)

"SAYING TAXI" on the side of the car.

_*Compliance with taxi rates!*_
There's no comparing prices if everyone charges the same rates, something that pretty frequently happens with taxi regulations.

Cap on the total number of vehicles

None of which you listed, all are mandatory for a cab company in many places. And this isn't even including Medallions which would be Several $BILLION$ just in NYC for uber to get into compliance. And there won't be enough medallions in many cities for uber to even get enough...

Let's take Orlando.. somewhere that I happen to know...

If taxi regulations are forced on uber...

They get 500 city permits, (if the city gives them the same allotment that the biggest company currently gets)
They have to buy 500 cars (that's all they get for the city limits.)
They have to charge taxi rates
They need to have matching paint schemes
They need to provide 24/7/365 commercial insurance for all cars
They can put more cars in the greater Orlando area, but they can't pick up in the city limits (otherwise they have to follow the same rules)
They have to charge the City standard rate
Charge no more than the maximum rate to rent taxis to drivers

What's left for uber?
None of what they are currently doing is viable. NOTHING. They will just be another cab company... nothing more nothing less. And frankly i would consider driving for that cab company. And if uber does actually BUILD A CAB COMPANY... I could probably tolerate working for them if they got everything done properly.

But that's all they would be. Just another cab company. They would lose a tremendous amount of business bringing the rates up... then they would have to shave drivers... then pickup times go way down...

They would be just another cab company... X taxis charging city rates borderline ignoring areas because there isn't enough business to warrant staying there.

People who are currently getting $10 Rides to work won't suddenly pay $30... it's not going to happen, they will go back to riding the bus.

Taxi regulations= Death for uber if they are enforced. If they are forced on uber, they suddenly have to become taxi companies or close up shop... that's the part you arn't getting. Uber can't be uber if they are forced to be a taxi company... they will just be another cab company, and if that's the case none of the drivers will put up with losing 25% of their fares to deal with uber, i would instead stick with a different company.

The only way uber could pretend to survive is just giving up and going to be an app/dispatching service. In which case 5% is WAY TOO MUCH of the pie to be taking.


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Mears Troll Number 4 said:


> I didn't say NOT REGULATED,
> 
> I said regulated as a _*cab company*_, there's a HUGE DIFFERENCE.
> 
> ...


Lol. 
Uber balked at finger prints in Houston. If some federal act made Uber comply with taxi regs, they would disappear within weeks.


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## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

Mears Troll Number 4 said:


> I didn't say NOT REGULATED,
> 
> I said regulated as a _*cab company*_, there's a HUGE DIFFERENCE.
> 
> ...


Taxi company regulations vary from state to state. I don't disagree with all of your points, but some of them just become a bit specious when you look at what people want. That's got to be what the politicians consider when they do all this regulating.

TNCs aren't taxis. Functionally, the job is almost the same, but we do have some restrictions that taxis don't. At least in NJ, we do. We can't do street hails at all. NJ TNC drivers can't do pick-ups in NYC. NJ taxis can't do street hails in NYC, but a customer CAN make a phone call to the dispatch in NJ for an NYC pick-up. Even at the airports.

In NJ, we do have to show trade dress (many still don't, but should--I know of one town that's enforcing). No phone number, but the app is available.

There are other inconsistencies that I just don't gave the time to go into right now (yeah, I know that sounds 'convenient', but it's actually true). And, as I said, I get your point, and don't disagree with all of it. Just that some of your supporting statements for it may not be applicable to other markets.

And I made an argument for both transportation systems being able to work side-by-side. They do each gave certain advantages for the customers.

And that's what it's about, right? The customers?


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

SuzeCB said:


> Taxi company regulations vary from state to state. I don't disagree with all of your points, but some of them just become a bit specious when you look at what people want. That's got to be what the politicians consider when they do all this regulating.
> 
> TNCs aren't taxis. Functionally, the job is almost the same, but we do have some restrictions that taxis don't. At least in NJ, we do. We can't do street hails at all. NJ TNC drivers can't do pick-ups in NYC. NJ taxis can't do street hails in NYC, but a customer CAN make a phone call to the dispatch in NJ for an NYC pick-up. Even at the airports.
> 
> ...


My point was if they were regulated as a taxi company... they are done... they would probably just fold up shop and call it a day.

Will that happen?

Well frankly i doubt it...

If Uber causes enough problems a state could do it... for example if uber drivers started taking street hails on cash/square for payment... a state could bring the fire and fury down on them and kill them with these types of regulations if it is found that in PRACTICE the drivers are basically cabs when technically they are not.


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