# Pax-Stuck On Stupid



## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Tonight i couldnt sleep.
Dove into my cab at 03:00 to work cleanup crew.
What did I see? Wait for it...

Pax hailing random cars. TNC addiction is so powerful, drunks HAIL random cars to try and get a ride home.
Whats wrong with this?
Two scenarios:
1) woman gets raped by fake TNC.
2) Pax robs/rapes/kills fake TNC.

100 years to get cabs and limos safe, and now this.

Stuck on stupid.


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> Tonight i couldnt sleep.
> Dove into my cab at 03:00 to work cleanup crew.
> What did I see? Wait for it...
> 
> ...


Laws are often to protect stupid (or drunk) people.

Smart, sober people are generally safer to themselves and others.


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## EX_ (Jan 31, 2016)

The modern conveniences of ridesharing!
Promoting willful ignorance and tolerant stupidity since 2009.


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

I cleaned up nicely.
Got a bartender who tipped well for $18.
Mystery flight landed at CLT- Got "street privilege", zoomed over, van job to Davidson. $93 for 2 hours work, all legal.


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## rtaatl (Jul 3, 2014)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> Tonight i couldnt sleep.
> Dove into my cab at 03:00 to work cleanup crew.
> What did I see? Wait for it...
> 
> ...


TNC now encourages people to hitchhike...how funny..lol


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> Pax hailing random cars.
> 
> 100 years to get cabs and limos safe, and now this.
> 
> Stuck on stupid.


...............*ain't just no passengers what's stuck on STOO-pid....................
*
(and *HINT:* we can eliminate cab and limousine drivers from the "stuck on stupid" category)


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Its the one time every week a cab or limo has complete job security every week, midnight to 04:00 fri and sat.

So it didnt anger me that they saw right through me like it does Tuesday at noon, I knew I'd have a job around a few corners.

Scares me for the bar support staff tho whos trying to drive their Nissan home to the kids.
"I'll pay surge ta get home, darlin..."
Stooopid. This is a concealed carry state, yank a barmaids car door.open at 03:00 she likely has a Ruger under the seat, and knows how ta use it, I'll tell you what...


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## shiftydrake (Dec 12, 2015)

Yes us cabbies gotta love Friday and Saturday nights I completely agree


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## Undermensch (Oct 21, 2015)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> Tonight i couldnt sleep.
> Dove into my cab at 03:00 to work cleanup crew.
> What did I see? Wait for it...
> 
> ...


Thank god we have you hanging out on a TNC forum to talk about Taxi driving!


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## SibeRescueBrian (May 10, 2015)

Undermensch said:


> Thank god we have you hanging out on a TNC forum to talk about Taxi driving!


Newsflash: Uber and Lyft are also Taxi driving, just under a different name.


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Undermensch said:


> Thank god we have you hanging out on a TNC forum to talk about Taxi driving!


He says "you are welcome".

Also, this thread is about pax seeking gypsy TNCs.
Were I your professor, this blurb would be written in red ink, and implications of your ever sinking GPA would hopefully yank you out of this quagmire of poor comprehension.


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## shiftydrake (Dec 12, 2015)

Ya know the funny thing is twofiddymile is NOT the only taxi driver that posts in these boards.......and I agree with him we ALL are taxi's just called different names Uber,lyft, whatever taxi................."ridesharing " is a faux term used by neophytes that actually think they are not unregulated gypsy cabs


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

TNC is slowly but surely regulating.
NY its TLC licensed. 
LA the bluest of the blue cities, they will obtain their pound of flesh. 

Boston is regulating, several threads going on here show that several landmark cases are in the courts now in Beantown. 
Sadly i live in the Wild South where Der Fuhrer Pat McCrory eschews any regulations and set a "law" as such.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Undermensch said:


> Thank god we have you hanging out on a TNC forum to talk about Taxi driving!





SibeRescueBrian said:


> Newsflash: Uber and Lyft are also Taxi driving, just under a different name.


Add to that, there are certain markets in which Uber offers taxis. *That's right, folks, you heard it right and you heard it right here!!!!!*
_*Uber does offer regular, licenced taxicabs with licenced drivers*_ in some of its markets. My market is one such market and I do have Uber Taxi. Thus, even if you were to assume, for the purposes of this discussion, that I drove only taxi, I would be an Uber driver, still.

In fact, I do have an UberX and Lyft account. I made my quota for Lyft's sign-on bonus yesterday, so it is back to "TNC only if it is a slow cab day".


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> 100 years to get cabs and limos safe, and now this.


100 years of monopolising and regulating and they still aren't safe. Regulations are a ruse.


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## Undermensch (Oct 21, 2015)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> He says "you are welcome".
> 
> Also, this thread is about pax seeking gypsy TNCs.
> Were I your professor, this blurb would be written in red ink, and implications of your ever sinking GPA would hopefully yank you out of this quagmire of poor comprehension.


Thanks Professor Taxi!


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## Wil_Iam_Fuber'd (Aug 17, 2015)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> Tonight i couldnt sleep.
> Dove into my cab at 03:00 to work cleanup crew.
> What did I see? Wait for it...
> 
> ...


Fiddy, I really don't see the problem. Isn't this Darwin's invisible hand at work? 8 Billion Peeps on the planet. The species is probably safe from extinction...we could stand to thin the herd a little. Smh.


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Wil_Iam_Fuber'd said:


> Fiddy, I really don't see the problem. Isn't this Darwin's invisible hand at work? 8 Billion Peeps on the planet. The species is probably safe from extinction...we could stand to thin the herd a little. Smh.


True.
Im a fan of this type of Social Darwinism, thinning the herd of those too stupid to live.


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## Disgusted Driver (Jan 9, 2015)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> TNC is slowly but surely regulating.
> NY its TLC licensed.
> LA the bluest of the blue cities, they will obtain their pound of flesh.
> 
> ...


Nope, too busy with regs on bathroom use to make any sense of what's going on with Uber and Lyft. Don't want a "man in a dress" to go into the ladies room and make all god fearing citizens shake with fear!


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## grayspinner (Sep 8, 2015)

And God forbid locwl governments in NC try to raise wages or enact employment protection - McCrory & crew will have none of that kind of small government


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

grayspinner said:


> And God forbid locwl governments in NC try to raise wages or enact employment protection - McCrory & crew will have none of that kind of small government


Agreed.
I am a registered Republican and i truly despise the guy.
You see how BofA is going after him?
They practically built the new Charlotte, and hes directly on their hitlist.
The new NC needs Northern liberal money both in Charlotte and Raleigh.

Guys a moron.


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## ChortlingCrison (Mar 30, 2016)

Undermensch said:


> Thank god we have you hanging out on a TNC forum to talk about Taxi driving!


ubering is the same as taxi driving.


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## wk1102 (Dec 25, 2015)

Another Uber Driver said:


> Add to that, there are certain markets in which Uber offers taxis. *That's right, folks, you heard it right and you heard it right here!!!!!*
> _*Uber does offer regular, licenced taxicabs with licenced drivers*_ in some of its markets. My market is one such market and I do have Uber Taxi. Thus, even if you were to assume, for the purposes of this discussion, that I drove only taxi, I would be an Uber driver, still.
> 
> In fact, I do have an UberX and Lyft account. I made my quota for Lyft's sign-on bonus yesterday, so it is back to "TNC only if it is a slow cab day".


Off subject but... How does Uber taxi work, is it your car like with uber? Is it painted a certain color? If so who pays for the paint job? Do you have a meter or is it all done through gps/app? Who pay to keep it calibrated? Can you pick up street hails? Sorry I've just been wondering these things.


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

wk1102 said:


> Off subject but... How does Uber taxi work, is it your car like with uber? Is it painted a certain color? If so who pays for the paint job? Do you have a meter or is it all done through gps/app? Who pay to keep it calibrated? Can you pick up street hails? Sorry I've just been wondering these things.


They are actual taxis. Theres only about 5 markets.


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## wk1102 (Dec 25, 2015)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> They are actual taxis. Theres only about 5 markets.


I know but who owns the car? Who pays for the equipment and maintenance and insurance? I know in NYC they can't be called uber taxis it's uber T or something so there must be some difference.


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## wk1102 (Dec 25, 2015)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> Its the one time every week a cab or limo has complete job security every week, midnight to 04:00 fri and sat.
> 
> So it didnt anger me that they saw right through me like it does Tuesday at noon, I knew I'd have a job around a few corners.
> 
> ...


Last weekend I got a ping to a residence, decent area, middle class. The pin was off a house or two. I was in front of 1250 whatever street and the actual pick up was 1245, across the street and one hour back. As I'm looking at 1250 and texting tjem my back door opens and I hear "HI!"

Holy EF. Scared the shot out of me, a) I always lock doors I don't know how they were unlocked and b) I never saw or heard them coming. If it were later in the evening or in a more sketchy neighborhood it could have ended very badly.

Turned out they were super cool and didn't mean to startle me but man, why would anyone just jump in a car like that.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

wk1102 said:


> How does Uber taxi work? Is it painted a certain color? If so who pays for the paint job? Do you have a meter or is it all done through gps/app? Who pay to keep it calibrated? Can you pick up street hails?


As TwoFiddyMile correctly indicates, they are actual taxicabs. The vehicles are licenced by local regulators. Drivers are licenced professionally by the local regulators. The vehicles are painted as taxis. The owner pays to paint it. They have meters. The owner of the vehicle pays to keep it calibrated. Yes, Uber Taxis, and _*UBER TAXIS *__*ONLY*_ can pick up street hails while operating under the Uber Banner. No other vehicle that operates under the Uber banner is permitted under regulation to accept street hails. In fact, if you accept a street hail and are driving something other than Uber Taxi, Uber will de-activate you, no questions asked.

A user who wants to order a taxi through Uber (where Uber Taxi is available) uses the Uber application to summon and pay for his taxi. In this market, at least, the driver keys in the metered fare at the end of the trip. The application adds whatever tip the user pre-selects (this is from where the "tip is included" myth springs). In addition, here, at least, the application adds a two dollar User Fee. This is not big deal in Washington, as it has cost extra to call a cab since the 1920s. The current charge for calling a cab in Washington is two dollars.



TwoFiddyMile said:


> They are actual taxis. Theres only about 5 markets.


Uber offers taxis in: US of A: Boston, New York City, Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, Honolulu. In Seattle, it appears, there are two kinds of taxis: Taxis and For Hire. In Seattle, Uber works with the For Hire.

Canada: Montreal and Toronto

Australia: Sydney



wk1102 said:


> I know but who owns the car? Who pays for the equipment and maintenance and insurance?
> 
> I know in NYC they can't be called uber taxis it's uber T or something so there must be some difference.


Here, either the driver owns or rents his taxi. I own mine. Uber Taxi accepts privately owned or rented taxis, here. The owner pays for equipment, maintenance and insurance.

In New York City, they call Uber Taxi "UberT". You use the application to summon your taxi, only. You must pay the driver. It seems that Uber can not get around the credit card processing oligopoly there. In all other markets where Uber offers taxis, you both summon and pay for your taxi through the application.

Uber Taxi drivers are subject to the same rating system as all other levels of Uber.

Uber Taxi was the second Uber to appear in Washington. Uber Black was the first Uber.

I like Uber Taxi. It sends me many customers on days that I do drive the cab. I get paid regular cab rates.

There is no money in UberX. There is no money in Lyft, either.


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## Wil_Iam_Fuber'd (Aug 17, 2015)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> True.
> Im a fan of this type of Social Darwinism, thinning the herd of those too stupid to live.


And just might "cull" a few Uber Drivers in the process! Though they seem an extremely resiliant lot.


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## wk1102 (Dec 25, 2015)

Another Uber Driver said:


> As TwoFiddyMile correctly indicates, they are actual taxicabs. The vehicles are licenced by local regulators. Drivers are licenced professionally by the local regulators. The vehicles are painted as taxis. The owner pays to paint it. They have meters. The owner of the vehicle pays to keep it calibrated. Yes, Uber Taxis, and _*UBER TAXIS *__*ONLY*_ can pick up street hails while operating under the Uber Banner. No other vehicle that operates under the Uber banner is permitted under regulation to accept street hails. In fact, if you accept a street hail and are driving something other than Uber Taxi, Uber will de-activate you, no questions asked.
> 
> A user who wants to order a taxi through Uber (where Uber Taxi is available) uses the Uber application to summon and pay for his taxi. In this market, at least, the driver keys in the metered fare at the end of the trip. The application adds whatever tip the user pre-selects (this is from where the "tip is included" myth springs). In addition, here, at least, the application adds a two dollar User Fee. This is not big deal in Washington, as it has cost extra to call a cab since the 1920s. The current charge for calling a cab in Washington is two dollars.
> 
> ...


Thanks... as always so informative!


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## JMBF831 (Aug 13, 2015)

Undermensch said:


> Thank god we have you hanging out on a TNC forum to talk about Taxi driving!


I think I'm gonna enroll in a taxi cab forum to spy on them!! lolz


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

wk1102 said:


> I know but who owns the car? Who pays for the equipment and maintenance and insurance? I know in NYC they can't be called uber taxis it's uber T or something so there must be some difference.


In NYC the medallion owner owns the car, or he whom leases the medallion. 
Do some taxi 101, please.
The cab business is pretty well described here on UPnet.
So regardless of who OWNS the taxi, lets say YOU rent a shift in an UberTaxi market.
You can then apply to Uber as an UberTaxi driver since you drive a real cab in a real Ubertaxi market.
Its not a made up thing as you wish to imply.


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## wk1102 (Dec 25, 2015)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> In NYC the medallion owner owns the car, or he whom leases the medallion.
> Do some taxi 101, please.
> The cab business is pretty well described here on UPnet.
> So regardless of who OWNS the taxi, lets say YOU rent a shift in an UberTaxi market.
> ...


Huh? I wasnt implying anything... 
I was genuinely curious :/

What is it you think I'm implying and why?


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

wk1102 said:


> Huh? I wasnt implying anything...
> I was genuinely curious :/
> 
> What is it you think I'm implying and why?


No more help for you.
You thought an "uber taxi" was some artificial construct like the rest of uber, wherein i clarified the difference.

I wont block you, but please dont talk to me anymore (go i say go away boy, ya bother me).


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

JMBF831 said:


> I think I'm gonna enroll in a taxi cab forum to spy on them!!


You can, but if you have taxi question, ask away, I will answer. I will issue one caveat: please do not ask something along the lines of "Why do all taxis smell bad and the drivers have lousy attitudes?' I will give that one the answer it deserves. I will not, however, issue a snide answer to a question about a specific incident(s), such as "I hailed a taxi yesterday, he was yakking on his telephone, he was chomping on his pungent lunch at the same time, his car was filthy and his credit card terminal did not work. When I asked him to stop talking on the telephone and eating while he drove, he swore at me. What is wrong with this guy?" I do not mind addressing questions such as that. I have addressed questions such as that.


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## Undermensch (Oct 21, 2015)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> No more help for you.
> You thought an "uber taxi" was some artificial construct like the rest of uber, wherein i clarified the difference.
> 
> I wont block you, but please dont talk to me anymore (go i say go away boy, ya bother me).


Too bad you can't just say you don't know the answer. That would at least be helpful.

UberTaxi and UberT are different. UberTaxi does not exist in NYC. In NYC there is only UberT.

My understanding of the difference is that UberTaxi is billed through Uber, with their commission taken out, and tipping is a feature in the app (unlike UberX) while UberT is a way to hail a taxi in markets like NYC that have meters for in-city travel (you can negotiate a below meter cash rate for out of city travel). Uber charges UberT riders $2 to book the ride; I can't tell if they charge the driver anything, but if they did it must be a flat fee since they don't know anything about the destination of the ride.

Now, I think wk1102 was asking some questions to push your buttons a little regarding who owns the taxi, just as every single taxi driver on here tries to claim that UberX drivers are destroying their cars, making no money, etc etc. I see nothing wrong with that since you dole that out to everyone else.


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## Undermensch (Oct 21, 2015)

ChortlingCrison said:


> ubering is the same as taxi driving.


Hardly.

If I drove a taxi that I owned and had painted as a taxi I certainly wouldn't roll in it to dinner with my wife or take the kids to their soccer game in it.

A taxi is a sunk cost for a single purpose and has no benefit to you when you are not driving the taxi for money.

UberX is a purpose for my car when I choose to use it for that purpose and my car is still my car when I choose to not use it for that purpose.

The cost structures are entirely different as a result.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Undermensch said:


> UberTaxi and UberT are different. UberTaxi does not exist in NYC. In NYC there is only UberT.
> 
> My understanding of the difference is that UberTaxi is billed through Uber, with their commission taken out, and tipping is a feature in the app (unlike UberX)
> 
> ...


The difference is that on Uber Taxi, you summon and pay for your taxi through the Uber application. On UberT, which is in New York City, _*only*_, you use the application only to summon your taxi.

In the Washington Market, Uber Taxi does not charge the driver a commission. It charges the customer a two dollar user fee, which is not out-of-the-ordniary in Washington, as it has cost extra to call a cab here since the 1920s. Currently, the charge to call a cab in the District of Columbia is two dollars.

UberT is in New York City, only. In Boston, Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, and Honolulu you use Uber Taxi. This applies also in Toronto and Montreal as well as Sydney, Australia. In Seattle, it is Uber For Hire. It appears that there are two kinds of taxis in Seattle: Taxi and For Hire. I have yet to get a complete description of the latter from anyone in Seattle.

Uber charges nothing to the driver in the Washington Market. It does charge the user two dollars. There is a default setting for the tip of twenty per-cent, but the user can change that to any percentage or to a specific amount.

Uber may charge a per-centage on Uber Taxi in other markets. What the driver does here is key in, on the application, the metered fare at the end of the trip. This is because you pay through the application on Uber Taxi. On UberT, in New York City, only, you pay the driver, so Uber does not even know what the fare is. I do not know if Uber charges New York City cab drivers anything to use the service.

According to wk1102's own statement, he was asking to become informed.

_*Ain't jess' no taxi drivers tellin' yer' that*_. If you are going to be in the business of hauling passengers for compensation, at the very least, you are going to run up more miles on your vehicle than if you used it only for personal purposes. This means that there is a higher annual frequency-of-repairs. This means that your vehicle will require more frequent maintenance work in a year. This means that parts on the vehicle that are expected to wear out, will wear out more frequently in a year. If you add to the foregoing that the driver-for-compensation is spending increased hours in horrid traffic on terrible streets and roads and in miserable conditions, you will find that there will be repairs and replacement of parts that most dealer line mechanics never knew existed. Those repairs are expensive. If all of the above beats up a vehicle used as a taxicab, it follows logically that all of the above will beat up any vehicle used to transport-for-compensation. Cab rates are what they are for a reason.

As for "making no money", at regular Uber/Lyft rates, I can do the minimum that would keep me out there if I were driving the cab (Do be aware that not only do I drive the taxi, but also I drive UbeX/Lyft) . Depending on the surge that I hit, if there are any surges, I might do better. At regular rates, however, I must work at it to keep up the minimum. Surges are so infrequent here, at least compared to what they used to be, that usually the driver is working for base rates. Still if you do the arithmetic, you will find that the money is not good for the average driver working for base rates. This is one, among several, reason why neither Uber nor Lyft can retain their drivers. They do the arithmetic and see what it what. It is not only taxi drivers stating this.


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## wk1102 (Dec 25, 2015)

Undermensch said:


> Too bad you can't just say you don't know the answer. That would at least be helpful.
> 
> UberTaxi and UberT are different. UberTaxi does not exist in NYC. In NYC there is only UberT.
> 
> ...


Oh.. I wasn't trying to push any buttons, in fact I wasn't even asking him the questions, I was asking another uber driver. I've asked him several questions on this forum and have always received a well written informative answer. I was simply curious how uber taxi works. I know a lot of people online have hidden motives but mine were not hidden, I was just curious!

I don't see what I said That could have that even been perceived as antogonist but the fact that at least two people took it that way I guess it's possible. I assure you that was not my intent.

Re-reading my post, I'm still at a loss. I don't see how anything I said can be misunderstood. It's was pretty straight forward, nothing snide, no hidden meanings, just some simple questions that I've been curious about.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Undermensch said:


> Hardly.
> 
> If I drove a taxi that I owned and had painted as a taxi I certainly wouldn't roll in it to dinner with my wife or take the kids to their soccer game in it.
> 
> ...


The statement of someone uninformed.

What would you do if your taxi were the only vehicle that you owned?

If your taxi is the only vehicle that you own, it does provide benefit to you when you are not working.

If your taxi is the only vehicle that you own (or is the only vehicle at your disposal, if you are on twenty-four hour rental), hacking is a purpose for your car when you choose to use it that way and is still your car (or still at your disposal) when you choose not to use it for that purpose.

Thus, the cost structure is the same.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

wk1102 said:


> I was just curious! Re-reading my post, I'm still at a loss. I don't see how anything I said can be misunderstood. It's was pretty straight forward, nothing snide, no hidden meanings, just some simple questions that I've been curious about.


I took it that way: simply wanting to be informed. I suspect that the poster that you quoted is a taxi-hater, more than a few of which can be found on these boards.


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## Undermensch (Oct 21, 2015)

Another Uber Driver said:


> The statement of someone uninformed.
> 
> What would you do if your taxi were the only vehicle that you owned?
> 
> ...


You really don't need to say someone is uninformed. I'm not uninformed.

However, you are pointing out that, for you, you use the car for other purposes. For me, and for many, I would not. My primary profession is not UberX. I wouldn't be caught dead rolling up to a soccer field in a neon green painted 2001 police intercepter. But you're more than welcome to.

Additionally, taxi driving (if you're going to paint the car, etc) is going to require an upfront capital investment while UberX is something that most car owners can just decide to do one day (that's what I did) and it takes $0 out of pocket capital investment to get started. That's not to say everyone takes that route. Just ask all the clowns that go out and buy a brand new Suburban to do XL only to find out that there is no XL demand in their area.


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## Bart McCoy (Nov 4, 2014)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> Pax hailing random cars. TNC addiction is so powerful, drunks HAIL random cars to try and get a ride home.
> Whats wrong with this?
> Two scenarios:
> 1) woman gets raped by fake TNC.
> ...


and even if its a fake TNC (they don't work for Uber), you'd still come in and go to the news section to post it, and *blame Uber for it*, smh


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Undermensch said:


> You really don't need to say someone is uninformed. I'm not uninformed.
> 
> Additionally, taxi driving (if you're going to paint the car, etc) is going to require an upfront capital investment while UberX is something that most car owners can just decide to do one day (that's what I did) and it takes $0 out of pocket capital investment to get started. That's not to say everyone takes that route. Just ask all the clowns that go out and buy a brand new Suburban to do XL only to find out that there is no XL demand in their area.


Had you not been uninformed, you would not deny that TNC work is the same as taxi driving, limousine driving, jitney driving, call it what you will. The bottom line is that you are hauling passengers for compensation. There are things that are inherent to that business, regardless of the level of said business.

Your second quoted statement appears self-contradictory. Please explain it or clarify it. I am having a difficult time understanding it.

TNC work does require some up front investment. A motor vehicle is an asset. An asset has value. If you are going to hire out your asset in hopes of turning a profit, you are investing said asset in that venture. You will be subjecting that asset to hazards. Such hazards could diminish the value of the aforementioned asset. The hope is that the income will outweigh the detriment thus rendering a profit. The further hope is that the income will outweigh the detriment to such a point that the profit will be a proper or sufficient return on investment of the above mentioned asset and the time invested in the venture.

While it might take little, if any out of pocket, it does take an investment of dollars. Further, do consider this. I will use examples from my market. A driver can use a car that he already owns as a taxi, here. It must meet certain requirements, but he can use it. If we assume this, we can state that the vehicle investment for taxi or TNC work is the same.

Consider, now, the other costs. A paint job is eight-hundred dollars. The stupid light and labour is three hundred dollars. The meter and labour is six hundred dollars. The total is seventeen hundred dollars. If you amortise that over, say, a four year period, that works out to a difference of four-hundred-twnety-five dollars annually. If you consider a one-hundred dollar annual licence fee for the vehicle, that brings vehicular expenses to a little over five-hundred dollars annually. In the grand scheme of things, _*that ain't no whole lot*_. It certainly does not justify the marked fare disparity between taxis and TNC.


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## Undermensch (Oct 21, 2015)

Another Uber Driver said:


> Had you not been uninformed, you would not deny that TNC work is the same as taxi driving, limousine driving, jitney driving, call it what you will. The bottom line is that you are hauling passengers for compensation. There are things that are inherent to that business, regardless of the level of said business.


You really gotta stop. You're a moderator. It doesn't have to be personal. You are not a genius and the words you speak are not the final statement of truth on everything. Thus, you never need to say someone is uninformed.

If you want to have a legit discussion, we can do that. If you want to just claim you're a genius and any other perspective is stupid then I'll leave you to your thoughts.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Undermensch said:


> You really gotta stop. You're a moderator. It doesn't have to be personal. *You are not a genius* and the words you speak are not the final statement of truth on everything. Thus, you never need to say someone is uninformed.
> 
> If you want to have a legit discussion, we can do that.
> 
> If you want to just claim you're a genius and any other perspective is stupid then I'll leave you to your thoughts.


(emphasis mine)

There is nothing personal. Had there been anything personal, I would have used a word stronger than "uniformed", such as "ignorant", which literally means "not knowing" (*V. *_*Lt.:*_ "ig" =privative, "gnorare"=to know, _*Cl. Lt.: *_gnoscere=to know). "Ignorant" has negative connotations, something that "uninformed" lacks.

Further, while taking me to task for using a neutral word, you proceed to pontificate and lecture me for supposedly behaving in a fashion that is allegedly unbecoming to the banner under my ID. Thus, while attempting to diminish the value of my arguments that are drawn from experience, you attempt to put yourself in a position that you allege to be higher by attacking me personally. I have not attacked you personally, except possibly to label you a "taxi-hater". That was in response to a direct attack on taxi drivers.

I am not unwilling to discuss anything in an intelligent manner. If, however, a poster chooses to attack me or my business, or to launch baseless attacks on my arguments, said arguments being drawn from experience, I will respond and defend.

Take a look in the virtual mirror and re-read your posts. Take your own advice. _*It ain't me what needs to "stop".*_


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## Undermensch (Oct 21, 2015)

Another Uber Driver said:


> (emphasis mine)
> 
> There is nothing personal. Had there been anything personal, I would have used a word stronger than "uniformed", such as "ignorant", which literally means "not knowing" (*V. *_*Lt.:*_ "ig" =privative, "gnorare"=to know, _*Cl. Lt.: *_gnoscere=to know). "Ignorant" has negative connotations, something that "uninformed" lacks.
> 
> ...


You did change my perspective on what some taxi drivers do with the car in off hours. It seems some taxi drivers are more like limo drivers in that the car does have use to them outside of driving hours. It wouldn't for me, but it does for some. That's interesting to me.

But you should really admit that that's not all taxi drivers. Particularly not those who drive for another company.

I don't think you're able to admit that though as you seem to just be seeing red. So we can let it go at this: we agree to disagree.


----------



## Bart McCoy (Nov 4, 2014)

Another Uber Driver said:


> (emphasis mine)
> 
> There is nothing personal. Had there been anything personal, I would have used a word stronger than "uniformed", such as "ignorant"


Truth


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## ChortlingCrison (Mar 30, 2016)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> Tonight i couldnt sleep.
> Dove into my cab at 03:00 to work cleanup crew.
> What did I see? Wait for it...
> 
> ...


I think there is a 12-step program called Ubers-anonymous. Step 1 would be "we admitted we were powerless over uber that our driving for them had become unprofitable. 2 came to believe that driving a cab could restore us to profitability and so on


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

My adopted city of Charlotte everyone has mixed use of their taxi, whether they own it or lease it.
The reason being, leases are weekly and not shift.
I happen to own my cab here. At 3 pm i stop whatever im doing and head west to pick up my kids from school.
If i leased it, it would be the same thing.
I keep their booster seats in the stow and go section of this Caravan.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Undermensch said:


> You did change my perspective on what some taxi drivers do with the car in off hours. It seems some taxi drivers are more like limo drivers in that the car does have use to them outside of driving hours. It wouldn't for me, but it does for some. That's interesting to me.
> 
> But you should really admit that that's not all taxi drivers. Particularly not those who drive for another company.
> 
> I don't think you're able to admit that though as you seem to just be seeing red. So we can let it go at this: we agree to disagree.


I know my market best, so I will address that first.

In the City, you own or rent your vehicle. If you rent, you are on twenty-four hour rental. In the case of most private owners, the taxi is the only vehicle in the family. Thus, when the private owner is not working, the taxi is his private car. He puts his stupid light to display *OFF DUTY*. In the case of the renter, frequently, there is no other vehicle in the family. Thus, when the rental driver is not working, the taxi becomes his means of transportation.

I have been in a similar situation, where as either owner or renter, the taxi was the only vehicle that I had at my disposal. I do have an old DeSoto convertible, but it is in Massachusetts. Now, it is different, as I do have the UberX car. When I changed my cab, I retained the old vehicle to use as a private car. Thus, I keep the non-business use on the taxi and the UberX car to a minimum. Still, even though I do have another vehicle available, it is necessary to keep track of business and non-business miles. That goes double when your business vehicle is the only one at your disposal.

Many years back, most of the cab drivers in the District of Columbia were part-time. They had day jobs with the Government, or whatever in the lower to mid GS/DS grades. They drove a cab enough to meet the expenses of having a car. Part time hacking allowed them to own a car: something that they could not have afforded on their salaries.

In the suburbs, some of the rental drivers do turn in at the end of their "shift". Most of the suburban companies do have rental plans available that range from twenty-four hours seven days per week (usually, you pay for six-the seventh is free) to five hours. If you rent frequently, you can have a vehicle assigned to you, even though you do turn it in every day.

The drivers in this area do not work for the companies. Be they rental or owners, they affiliate with the company by contract. Many other markets are similar. There are other markets where the drivers are employees and are compensated under formulae ranging from an outright wage to splits of the meter. There are other markets where the driver is still a contractor, but, he splits his meter with the company. It varies. Still, based on what I have learned talking to other drivers and owners as well as both conversations with Company owners and visits to their companies, the lease/own/affiliate by contract is the usual.

I was an Official of what was once the major radio cab company in this City. Thus, I had the opportunity to learn about other markets.

Still as the guy below quoted can confirm, the owner/renter situation is not unique to my market. In fact, the use of the cab as a private vehicle is not unique to my market. \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/



TwoFiddyMile said:


> My adopted city of Charlotte everyone has mixed use of their taxi, whether they own it or lease it.
> The reason being, leases are weekly and not shift.
> I happen to own my cab here. At 3 pm i stop whatever im doing and head west to pick up my kids from school.
> If i leased it, it would be the same thing.
> I keep their booster seats in the stow and go section of this Caravan.


----------



## stuber (Jun 30, 2014)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> True.
> Im a fan of this type of Social Darwinism, thinning the herd of those too stupid to live.


Uber is a Giant Darwin Award recipient.


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## Berliner (Oct 29, 2014)

Another Uber Driver said:


> Uber offers taxis in: US of A: Boston, New York City, Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, Honolulu. In Seattle, it appears, there are two kinds of taxis: Taxis and For Hire. In Seattle, Uber works with the For Hire.
> 
> Canada: Montreal and Toronto
> 
> Australia: Sydney


To complete your list:

Germany: Berlin






They can play their game in the middle of nowhere, but not in major cities. Regulators will come, inspired from the insurance companies.


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## grayspinner (Sep 8, 2015)

I am enjoying the discussion of the taxi industry & have a few questions, for those who don't mind sharing. 

1. For those who are in markets where it is the norm to use the taxi as the personal/family vehicle, what are the regulations regarding what vehicles may be used as taxis and how must they be marked/painted/whatever? 

I'm particularly interested in the NC requirements (because I try to know my local regulations) but am also curious about the other areas. 

2. What is your rate/commission structure? I've taken 3 taxis in the US in my entire life, (Two in Boston & one in Raleigh), so I really don't know what they cost - only what people say (which is rarely accurate). I'm really curious to see the difference between their cost structure and uber/lyft. 

3. How has uber/lyft honestly impacted your business?


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

grayspinner said:


> I am enjoying the discussion of the taxi industry & have a few questions, for those who don't mind sharing.
> 
> 1. For those who are in markets where it is the norm to use the taxi as the personal/family vehicle, what are the regulations regarding what vehicles may be used as taxis and how must they be marked/painted/whatever?
> 
> ...


1) thats a whole book. Long and short in Charlotte is vehicle cant be more than 8 years old, must wear franchise colors from one of the 8 or so franchise associations, which for a fee rents the meter radio etc...
2)rate set by Mecklenburg county at $2.50 per mile/.50 per min idle time. My franchise is the 2nd most expensive to belong to, has robust business so I deem it money well spent.
3) 20 months ago I owned a 5 cab company in Waltham/Newton, Ma.
I promoted my 4 websites on Google Adwords- at its peak, my company generated $500,000 in sales for about 3 years running.

...And then Uber. I thought it was an Urban phenom. I scoffed at the concept of robust service by privately owned cars coming out to I95.
Boy was I wrong!
When i finally admitted to myself that Uber was killing my book of business, it was almost too late.
I somehow found a buyer, and got a third of what valuation had been 3 years before i sold.
This was best case scenario- if i hadnt found a sucker *cough* i mean buyer, id likely be down to a 1 cab operation or completely belly up.

@#$% you, Uber.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Bart McCoy said:


> Truth


Thank you.



Berliner said:


> To complete your list: Germany: Berlin


Thank you for the update. I had heard that Uber did try to launch Uber Taxi in another city in Germany, I forget if it was Ulm, Kiel, Friebourg, Frankfurt, Dresden or somewhere else, but, from my understanding, they could not get any drivers interested. My Taxi had all of it. How is Uber Taxi doing in its competing with My Taxi in Berlin?

We had My Taxi in Washington until May, 2015. They left a message on my answering machine stating that they were going to "pause" the service, but would be back. I have yet to hear of their return. Washington was the only market in which My Taxi ever set up in North America.



grayspinner said:


> 1. For those who are in markets where it is the norm to use the taxi as the personal/family vehicle, what are the regulations regarding what vehicles may be used as taxis and how must they be marked/painted/whatever?
> 
> I'm particularly interested in the NC requirements (because I try to know my local regulations) but am also curious about the other areas.
> 
> ...


In the District of Columbia, they must be four doors. Sedans, vans, SUVs crossovers are permitted. In 2012, the City Council passed a law that dictated that all City cabs have a uniform colour scheme. What was a three to four hundred dollar paint job that was unique to each company and had character is now an eight-hundred dollar, uniform, lockstep, "little boxes on the hillside" paint job. But then, everyone knows what runs the local government here and those people have a beehive'lockstep mentality, anyhow. Nothing is allowed to have any character unless it is one of their "pet" groups.

In the suburbs, the vehicle types are the same. Each company has its own paint scheme.

The age limits vary by jurisdiction. In the District of Columbia, it is supposed to be seven years, but, the Taxicab Commission, at the instigation of the Commissioners affiliated with the hotel, restaurant and tourism businesses (and whose trade groups have been on record for at least thirty-five years as hostile to cab drivers, cab companies and their interests), there is an excessively burdensome and oppressive service life limitation. This was passed in response to the City Council's allowing Uber to circumvent the law and write its own "regulations". If you have a standard, gasolene powered vehicle, you can keep it only for four years. A gasolene/electric hybrid can go six. A pure electric/alt fuel is allowed the full seven. An alt-fuel accessible is allowed ten.

There are no commissions paid to any cab company in the Washington Metropolitan Area. If you own your vehicle, you are responsible for insurance, registration and maintenance. You purchase your own meter and pay to have it maintained. If you want company dispatch, you pay to subscribe to it. You purchase your own top light, a type mandated by the City. The light is really stupid, it makes your cab look like a third world taxi and is set up to work at the maximum inconvenience and trouble to the driver. The equipment for the credit card is provided at no cost to the driver. The driver can not choose his own credit card processor, he must pick from one "approved" (READ: that paid off) by the City and pay ridiculously high fees and excessive extra fees. This has to be illegal.

Uber and Lyft have not hurt me that much, as I do have Uber Taxi. I do know that it has hurt the drivers who used to like to run East of the Anacostia (the poorer wards of the City), as Uber and Lyft are significantly less expensive than a taxi. The introduction of U-Pool and Lyft Line have cut even more into the cab business in that part of the City. I never worked over there, much. For years, I drove for a company whose primary business came from the West Side of the City, where the money is. Initially, Uber Black took many of those customers, as most of the cab drivers back then would not accept credit cards (I was a glaring exception--I have accepted credit cards since 1998). With the arrival of Uber Taxi, many of them went back to the taxis. The drivers who work East of the River these days are running the Metro Access contracts.

The one thing that I do notice is that slow periods are even slower, now, as the option for UberX and Lyft is there. You have more of the frugal minded here during slow periods. They are spending their own money, then, as opposed to someone else's.

*EDITORIAL NOTE:* I did forget to mention that initially, UberX hurt the two big suburban company ownerships more than anyone. When UberX first launched, here, the rates were not that bad. Historically, the suburban cab companies have mistreated their drivers horribly. The tow largest were the worst. What happened was that drivers were parking their rental cabs and driving UberX, as six year old Camrys were not out of their reach. Northern Virginia is full of "But here, pay here" lemon lots. Sadly, for the drivers, at least, as the UberX rates became more and more "new" and more and more "exciting", their income dropped to the point that more than a few of them had to go crawling back to their own cab companies.


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## EcoboostMKS (Nov 6, 2015)

Undermensch said:


> However, you are pointing out that, for you, you use the car for other purposes. For me, and for many, I would not. My primary profession is not UberX. I wouldn't be caught dead rolling up to a soccer field in a neon green painted 2001 police intercepter. But you're more than welcome to.


You'd rather be caught driving people around for $.85/mile and no tips?


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## wk1102 (Dec 25, 2015)

Another Uber Driver said:


> Thank you.
> 
> Thank you for the update. I had heard that Uber did try to launch Uber Taxi in another city in Germany, I forget if it was Ulm, Kiel, Friebourg, Frankfurt, Dresden or somewhere else, but, from my understanding, they could not get any drivers interested. My Taxi had all of it. How is Uber Taxi doing in its competing with My Taxi in Berlin?
> 
> ...


What kind of car does Uber taxi require?


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## Undermensch (Oct 21, 2015)

EcoboostMKS said:


> You'd rather be caught driving people around for $.85/mile and no tips?


I don't believe I've ever said I don't get tips.


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## EcoboostMKS (Nov 6, 2015)

Undermensch said:


> I don't believe I've ever said I don't get tips.


I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume you don't much. But I guess anything looks big next to a $2.87 fare you drove like 10 miles for.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

wk1102 said:


> What kind of car does Uber taxi require?


In this market, it must be 2009 or newer and have a DCTC card and H-plate. There are still a few older cars left out there as cabs. By 2018, all of the older cars will have been phased out and all cars will be subject to the age limitations/service life limitations. D.C. never had an age limit on privately owned cabs until 2011. There was a ten year age limit on rental cabs that went into effect in the early 1990s.

Uber does not offer taxis in the suburbs, here. It did try to launch Uber Taxi in Arlington (a Virginia suburb) a little bit back. It would have been the first venture into a suburb for Uber Taxi. It never launched. I have yet to get an answer from anyone at Uber as to why.


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## Slavic Riga (Jan 12, 2016)

N


Another Uber Driver said:


> In this market, it must be 2009 or newer and have a DCTC card and H-plate. There are still a few older cars left out there as cabs. By 2018, all of the older cars will have been phased out and all cars will be subject to the age limitations/service life limitations. D.C. never had an age limit on privately owned cabs until 2011. There was a ten year age limit on rental cabs that went into effect in the early 1990s.
> 
> Uber does not offer taxis in the suburbs, here. It did try to launch Uber Taxi in Arlington (a Virginia suburb) a little bit back. It would have been the first venture into a suburb for Uber Taxi. It never launched. I have yet to get an answer from anyone at Uber as to why.


Need full control of City by-laws & officials or there is no loop-holes in Arlington suburbs by-laws.


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## Undermensch (Oct 21, 2015)

EcoboostMKS said:


> I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume you don't much. But I guess anything looks big next to a $2.87 fare you drove like 10 miles for.


You have no idea what I make. But you could if you look up my pay and cost Google sheets that I posted in the Pay forum.

It's not $2.87.

I'm sorry you are unable to get tips. I'm doing fine with tips.


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## shiftydrake (Dec 12, 2015)

Ok I'll bite and play along here in St Louis.....#1 4 door vehicle sedan,Prius,van,Crown Vic,and so-on. #2 as a brand new taxi not older than 6 years old....but already taxi's can be on till 10 years old I own a 2010 Hyundai Elantra put on in 2015 I can use until July 2020 every year in July taxi plates assigned to taxis expire in July plates are assigned to company,or owner no 2 cabs same number, governed by Metropolitan Taxi Commission and here in St Louis Uber is operating completely illegal without approval from MTC and against state law in regards to drivers not going through fingerprint background checks or carrying chauffeur license so anyway company I contract with has 300 cabs on fleet operating since 1935 only cab to be rated A+ by BBB and they contract to all drivers... 2 classified drivers #1 owner/operator..pays weekly lease fee of $339 per week for commercial insurance and rental of equipment meter,computer, credit card processor,and owner pays for maintenance and such......#2 lease driver pays (depending on vehicle) for 24 hour cab sedan is Like $525 wkly...van is like $569 wkly and Prius / Camry is like $589 wkly the way we make $$ is we collect all. Of the meter then wkly we pay company we contract with rate is $3.00 for flag drop(meter start) $2.00 a mile plus $1.00 for each additional psngr and when gas goes above $3.00 a gallon we are allowed to charge$1.00 each trip to cover gas


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## 14gIV (Dec 12, 2015)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> .


cabbies that complain nearly *EVERY* day are stuck on stupid


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## shiftydrake (Dec 12, 2015)

Oh good lord here we go again with this poster. Above


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Slavic Riga said:


> Need full control of City by-laws & officials or there is no loop-holes in Arlington suburbs by-laws.


There are only two potential things that might stop Uber from offering taxis in Arlington: dispatch regulations or credit-card processing.
As far as I know, Arlington does not regulate dispatch services except that they do not discriminate with regard to race, color, creed, national origin, geographic location (within Arlington County, mind you)________________(fill in whatever Federally or State "protected class" that might apply).

As far as I know, Arlington County does not require that the cabs accept credit cards. All of the companies in Arlington require that their drivers accept them, which would obviate the need for the County to get involved. Arlington County does not allow independent cab drivers; you must affiliate with a company.


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## Slavic Riga (Jan 12, 2016)

Another Uber Driver said:


> There are only two potential things that might stop Uber from offering taxis in Arlington: dispatch regulations or credit-card processing.
> As far as I know, Arlington does not regulate dispatch services except that they do not discriminate with regard to race, color, creed, national origin, geographic location (within Arlington County, mind you)________________(fill in whatever Federally or State "protected class" that might apply).
> 
> As far as I know, Arlington County does not require that the cabs accept credit cards. All of the companies in Arlington require that their drivers accept them, which would obviate the need for the County to get involved. Arlington County does not allow independent cab drivers; you must affiliate with a company.


Thanks for the reply.


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## ABC123DEF (Jun 9, 2015)

14gIV said:


> cabbies that complain nearly *EVERY* day are stuck on stupid


And what are you stuck on?


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Slavic Riga said:


> Thanks for the reply.


De rien.



ABC123DEF said:


> And what are you stuck on?


The banner below mine identification precludes my rendering unto thee an honest reply on behalf of the poster to whom thou hast posed thy query.


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Sucks wearing a mod hat and being precluded from calling out asshats.

Been there, done that.


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## Berliner (Oct 29, 2014)

Another Uber Driver said:


> I had heard that Uber did try to launch Uber Taxi in another city in Germany, I forget if it was Ulm, Kiel, Friebourg, Frankfurt, Dresden or somewhere else, but, from my understanding, they could not get any drivers interested. My Taxi had all of it. How is Uber Taxi doing in its competing with My Taxi in Berlin?
> 
> We had My Taxi in Washington until May, 2015. They left a message on my answering machine stating that they were going to "pause" the service, but would be back. I have yet to hear of their return. Washington was the only market in which My Taxi ever set up in North America.


Not really. UberTAXI has never been an option in another city than Berlin bc UberBLACK is bannend only in Berlin, not in other cities. UberTAXI was their only way to stay in business.

They tried to launch UberX with professional drivers and licensed cars in Berlin, Hamburg, Duesseldorf and Frankfurt but lack of partners they stopped it.

One dealbreaker is our taxsystem. Cabbies as a part of the public transportion system benefit from a reduced taxrate of 7%, while limos have to charge 19%. At the end of the day ( 20% cheaper than a cab, Ubers cut, no tips and 19% tax) the limodriver has less than half per km in his pocket as a cabby but the same costs.

UberBLACK and UberX are only available in Munich. From what i hear these are most out of town companies who fill their gaps between their regular airport trips (the airport is 20 miles out of town, so out of town companies are allowed to serve the airport).

MyTaxi in Berlin is a very slow game for the drivers. In my average shift of 15 rides there is 1 MyTaxi ride. Nice to have, but not necessary. Same for UberTAXI, I´m only online when it´s very very slow. Most rides are from, sorry, US college student who are wasting my time and money with their short trips. Honeymoon is over.


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

shiftydrake said:


> Ok I'll bite and play along here in St Louis.....#1 4 door vehicle sedan,Prius,van,Crown Vic,and so-on. #2 as a brand new taxi not older than 6 years old....but already taxi's can be on till 10 years old I own a 2010 Hyundai Elantra put on in 2015 I can use until July 2020 every year in July taxi plates assigned to taxis expire in July plates are assigned to company,or owner no 2 cabs same number, governed by Metropolitan Taxi Commission and here in St Louis Uber is operating completely illegal without approval from MTC and against state law in regards to drivers not going through fingerprint background checks or carrying chauffeur license so anyway company I contract with has 300 cabs on fleet operating since 1935 only cab to be rated A+ by BBB and they contract to all drivers... 2 classified drivers #1 owner/operator..pays weekly lease fee of $339 per week for commercial insurance and rental of equipment meter,computer, credit card processor,and owner pays for maintenance and such......#2 lease driver pays (depending on vehicle) for 24 hour cab sedan is Like $525 wkly...van is like $569 wkly and Prius / Camry is like $589 wkly the way we make $$ is we collect all. Of the meter then wkly we pay company we contract with rate is $3.00 for flag drop(meter start) $2.00 a mile plus $1.00 for each additional psngr and when gas goes above $3.00 a gallon we are allowed to charge$1.00 each trip to cover gas


 One word: Punctuation.


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## grayspinner (Sep 8, 2015)

Thanks for sharing some of the ins and outs of the taxi industry - it's interesting to read all the differences between markets


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## yoyodyne (Oct 17, 2015)

wk1102 said:


> Turned out they were super cool and didn't mean to startle me but man, why would anyone just jump in a car like that.


Because they have your car description and your license plate to confirm. That's how the system works. Request a ride, ride shows up, jump in car.


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## yoyodyne (Oct 17, 2015)

Undermensch said:


> I wouldn't be caught dead rolling up to a soccer field in a neon green painted 2001 police intercepter.


"Whose dad is that?"


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## shiftydrake (Dec 12, 2015)

Ya know fuzzyelvis I don't believe in punctuation cuz I'm not a grammar nazi


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## Undermensch (Oct 21, 2015)

yoyodyne said:


> "Whose dad is that?"


Ha ha ha!!!!

That's exactly what I was afraid of!


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## Undermensch (Oct 21, 2015)

Another Uber Driver said:


> While it might take little, if any out of pocket, it does take an investment of dollars. Further, do consider this. I will use examples from my market. A driver can use a car that he already owns as a taxi, here. It must meet certain requirements, but he can use it. If we assume this, we can state that the vehicle investment for taxi or TNC work is the same.


I'm not sure what you mean by an investment of dollars yet no out of pocket expense to start driving for Uber.

I owned the car before I started driving for Uber, I'll own it afterwards, and I'll own it regardless of whether or not I drive.

My startup costs looked like this:


Scan drivers license - $0
Scan registration - $0
Scan insurance - $0
Wait 3 days - $0
That's it. I didn't paint my car to see if I could make a buck. I didn't form an LLC or a corporation. I didn't have to buy a 6-12 month commercial insurance policy. I didn't have to enter a contract with someone else who owns the taxis or meters. Shoot, I don't even think I got dressed that day. Pretty sure I did the first three steps in my underwear.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^By the "logic" of your argument, the car that you invested in Uber driving has no value.^^^^^^^^^^^^


I owned the car that I had used for a cab before I used it as one.

I owned it while I used it as a cab.

I still own it and drive it as a private car, as I have replaced it with another vehicle to use as a cab.

By your "logic" this car never had and still has, no value.


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## Undermensch (Oct 21, 2015)

Another Uber Driver said:


> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^By the "logic" of your argument, the car that you invested in Uber driving has no value.^^^^^^^^^^^^
> 
> I owned the car that I had used for a cab before I used it as one.
> 
> ...


Uhh... Thanks Spock.

Unfortunately, the conclusion is that driving Uber didn't change the value of the car that I already owned. It didn't require me to purchase it and it didn't require me to sell it. It was present before and after driving Uber and regardless of whether I ever started driving Uber or not. That doesn't mean the value is zero, but rather it has value to me and is already being retained for other purposes.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Undermensch said:


> Uhh... Thanks Spock.
> 
> Unfortunately, the conclusion is that driving Uber didn't change the value of the car that I already owned.
> 
> It didn't require me to purchase it and it didn't require me to sell it. It was present before and after driving Uber and regardless of whether I ever started driving Uber or not. That doesn't mean the value is zero, but rather it has value to me and is already being retained for other purposes.


........here we go again with the name-calling............that diminishes the value of anything that you might state, if, indeed the aformentioned has any value........................

Did driving Uber put additional miles on your vehicle? If it did, perhaps you are aware that increased mileage does reduce the value of a motor vehicle. If you were not aware, you are now. Crash goes that chariot.

The third quoted statement has earned you the "HUH?" button.


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## Undermensch (Oct 21, 2015)

Another Uber Driver said:


> ........here we go again with the name-calling............that diminishes the value of anything that you might state, if, indeed the aformentioned has any value........................
> 
> Did driving Uber put additional miles on your vehicle? If it did, perhaps you are aware that increased mileage does reduce the value of a motor vehicle. If you were not aware, you are now. Crash goes that chariot.
> 
> The third quoted statement has earned you the "HUH?" button.


Guess you don't like jokes. Spock is all about logic!

Let's stay focused on the statement we were talking about: driving Uber has $0 startup costs. I think you agree to that since you're now talking about how each mile driven diminishes value instead of trying to argue that there is an out of pocket or capital cost, that would not otherwise be incurred, to drive for Uber.

Point to Larry David!


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Undermensch said:


> Guess you don't like jokes. Spock is all about logic!
> 
> Let's stay focused on the statement we were talking about: driving Uber has $0 startup costs. I think you agree to that since you're now talking about how each mile driven diminishes value instead of trying to argue that there is an out of pocket or capital cost, that would not otherwise be incurred, to drive for Uber.
> 
> Point to Larry David!


So you have appointed yourself referee and are now awarding yourself points? ......no surprise.

I do not agree that there is no capital investment. I never stated that. I never agreed to that. I do not agree to that. I never will agree to that.

You put words onto my keyboard, which is another factor that contributes to the reduction in value of any argument that you might make. We now have two factors, from this exchange alone (which we can add to factors from the previous exchange) that diminish the value of any argument that you might make: name calling and putting words onto my keyboard. .....WAIT! make that three, the third's being self-appointed referee (we will consider the awarding of points to be under self-appointed referee).

I can understand your "joke" for what it is. I will pass over, for now, that I understood the "Spock" reference. Crash goes that chariot.

WAIT AGAIN!. You are the self-appointed Chair: setting the agenda ("Let's stay focused....). I will pass over the "I think..." business for now, except to state that you might want to avoid allowing your "thoughts" to conflict with reality. Further, I am only guessing what you mean by that "sentence"; it is not clear. That chariot gets _*crashed into*_ because it never got going.

A self-appointed referee's chariot crashes by default.

Do they have tow trucks for chariots? Somebody might need one.

If a motor vehicle has any value, and you are investing said motor vehicle in doing TNC work, you are making a capital investment. There is a parallel in re-financing a mortgage.


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Point to AUD for dropping Chariot into a side thread...lol.

UnterMensch you definitely picked the appropriate avatar.


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## ChortlingCrison (Mar 30, 2016)

Undermensch said:


> Guess you don't like jokes. Spock is all about logic!
> 
> Let's stay focused on the statement we were talking about: driving Uber has $0 startup costs. I think you agree to that since you're now talking about how each mile driven diminishes value instead of trying to argue that there is an out of pocket or capital cost, that would not otherwise be incurred, to drive for Uber.
> 
> Point to Larry David!


No startup costs? For starters the $10 fee for the app. etc and so on....


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## Undermensch (Oct 21, 2015)

Another Uber Driver said:


> So you have appointed yourself referee and are now awarding yourself points? ......no surprise.
> 
> I do not agree that there is no capital investment. I never stated that. I never agreed to that. I do not agree to that. I never will agree to that.
> 
> ...


I awarded Larry David a point... I'm not Larry David.


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## ChortlingCrison (Mar 30, 2016)

Undermensch said:


> I awarded Larry David a point... I'm not Larry David.


 That really curbs my enthusiasm.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> 100 years to get cabs and limos safe, and now this.


_You were saying?_

Instances of rape climbed 6 percent last year with stranger rape climbing 49 percent. Of the stranger rapes, a full 10 percent were committed by cab drivers.

Statistics from 2015 show that taxi rape outnumbered subway rape by 14-1.

There have already been two reported rapes by cab drivers in the 7-day-old new year.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Undermensch said:


> I awarded Larry David a point... I'm not Larry David.


I did not know who he was. I am woefully ignorant of pop culture. I am not much of a tube watcher: the Canadiens, the 49ers, the Red Sox or maybe a good documentary here or there, but not much else.......



RamzFanz said:


> Instances of rape climbed 6 percent last year with stranger rape climbing 49 percent. Of the stranger rapes, a full 10 percent were committed by cab drivers.
> 
> Statistics from 2015 show that taxi rape outnumbered subway rape by 14-1.
> 
> There have already been two reported rapes by cab drivers in the 7-day-old new year.


Assuming that you are back on this New York city thing:

According to a 10 January, 2016 article in the _*Wall Street Journal*_ there were fourteen reported taxi rapes in 2015 and ten in 2014. There are slightly over Fifty-One-Thousand active hack licences in New York City. The numbers do not even play out to one-one-thousandth of one per-cent of drivers involved. While one rape is intolerable, if anyone looks at this strictly from a mathematical point of view, the numbers are insignificant. Something that is Ninety-Nine-Point-Nine-Nine per-cent safe is pretty safe.

The New Year is not seven days old. As of this date, it is ninety-eight days old.

There are three kinds of lies:

1. Lies
2. Damned lies
3. Statistics

Thank you for demonstrating that on not just one, but two topics.


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## yoyodyne (Oct 17, 2015)

RamzFanz said:


> Instances of rape climbed 6 percent last year with stranger rape climbing 49 percent. Of the stranger rapes, a full 10 percent were committed by cab drivers.


I adamantly call BS.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Another Uber Driver said:


> The New Year is not seven days old. As of this date, it is ninety-eight days old.


It's from an article written in January. Did I need to spell that out?

Just so we're clear, you're more likely to get raped in a taxi than on the subway.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

yoyodyne said:


> I adamantly call BS.


Facts are facts. You don't have to like them.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

RamzFanz said:


> It's from an article written in January. Did I need to spell that out?
> 
> Just so we're clear, you're more likely to get raped in a taxi than on the subway.


Yes, as I went by the date of your posting. The language and format that you used did not preclude my doing so. Thank you for clarifying it.

Did you ignore the mathematics on your second statement, or is it that the "third lie" supports your taxi-hate agenda?



RamzFanz said:


> Facts are facts. You don't have to like them.


"Physician", heal thyself.


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## yoyodyne (Oct 17, 2015)

RamzFanz said:


> Facts are facts. You don't have to like them.





RamzFanz said:


> There have already been two reported rapes by cab drivers in the 7-day-old new year.


Plagiarism is plagiarism, as well. It seems you have copied and pasted someone else's "facts" and used them as your own. Shameful. Your H.S. English teacher disapproves.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

yoyodyne said:


> Plagiarism is plagiarism, as well. It seems you have copied and pasted someone else's "facts" and used them as your own. Shameful. Your H.S. English teacher disapproves.


I was quoting an article. Did I really have to explain we weren't a few days into the new year? Did you not see my own words were italicized?


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