> [Ubers] are as unreliable and untrusworthy and they could be - unpredictable prices, you never know if it will actually come even if company accepted your request etc.
Seriously, the number of times I've seen cancellations because the Uber didn't want to go in that direction or that neighborhood... or had unreal surge pricing applied, etc.
And that's today, so I doubt the Seattle change will make much of a difference. Many (not necessarily most. I don't have that data) drivers game the system in its current state.
Sure, but that's somewhat unavoidable. It's not as if cab drivers didn't discriminate on their fares before Uber, or inflate/make up prices via all kinds of underhanded means.
Uber and the like are getting worse, but they're just coming down to the level the taxi industry has been at for most of the last century.
> Sure, but that's somewhat unavoidable. It's not as if cab drivers didn't discriminate on their fares before Uber, or inflate/make up prices via all kinds of underhanded means.
In many places (e.g. New York City) taxis are regulated and this behavior is illegal.
The main improvement of Uber in NYC was that actually hailing a cab can be difficult in remote areas or during busy hours, and Uber solved that problem.
I've had the opposite experience. Exactly once I had a cab driver try to mess with me about fare (I told him to turn on the f'ing meter or you're going to have some big problems).
For going to an odd location, once in a while I've had a problem in Manhattan where the drivers are all heading home for the evening and they won't do trips that are "out of their way". But it was about the same frequency as Uber canceling (or hovering nearby waiting for you to cancel).
Sure, if you're somewhere where Uber is as available as a Taxi and charging more, then you should be hiring taxis if that's your experience. In my experience, Uber is still a bit cheaper than the taxis I've hired and a better experience.
I find it hard to believe that most people find Uber to be a equal or worse experience that they're paying "dramatically more" for, but still buy it anyway. It's also not as if the Taxi companies aren't taking home the bulk of the profits in the old system. It's bad all the way around.
Yes, Uber drivers are constantly canceling rides or just sitting in one spot until I’m forced to cancel myself and then dispute the charge. Thankfully Lyft still exists, I’ve switched to them and haven’t looked back. I can get to where I need to go much faster and more reliably, at roughly the same price or often less.
Seriously, the number of times I've seen cancellations because the Uber didn't want to go in that direction or that neighborhood... or had unreal surge pricing applied, etc.
And that's today, so I doubt the Seattle change will make much of a difference. Many (not necessarily most. I don't have that data) drivers game the system in its current state.