Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on February 27, 2018 at 6:26am

I believe that Uber is killing transit so I try to take a traditional taxi in the rare circumstances where one is needed.

Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on February 27, 2018 at 3:14pm

Never.  Maybe I'm strange, but I really like taking public transit, especially with all the route tracking and planning apps.  Also, the advantages Uber, Lyft and similar drivers have over cab drivers is unfair and destroying the cab industry.  Those poor people have seen the medallions they had to pay $250,000 for losing half or more of their value almost overnight.  Lots of them are being foreclosed on.  I never thought I'd say it, but I'm rooting for the cabbies.  Also, I think that the swarms of Uber drivers actually increase congestion a lot of the time, not to mention causing a lot of pollution.  Why do you think London is trying to get rid of them?  Finally, I don't like Uber as an organization and their "surge pricing", which is becoming ever more prevalent.  Uber is not the panacea that people seem to think.  

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on February 28, 2018 at 5:08am

I also never thought I'd find myself on the side of the taxi industry. It's a strange world...

Permalink Reply by Jeremy on February 28, 2018 at 7:04am

I once had a taxi driver complain about Uber, so I pointed out to him that taxi drivers used to refuse to take credit cards and wouldn't respond to phone requests. Lyft and Uber solved those problems. I personally prefer Curb to request taxis, but sometimes taxis aren't available, so I will use Lyft.

To answer your question. I ride my bike or Divvy if I want to be outside and getting exercise. I won't ride a bike if weather is bad or I don't want to be sweaty. CTA or taxis/Lyft don't affect whether I choose to ride.

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on February 28, 2018 at 7:23am

I agree that the taxi companies got caught flat-footed. The user-end convenience of being able to hail a ride from your phone is terrific.

But, the taxi companies have caught up, and as you say, Curb now allows this. In my view the city should just ban Uber and Lyft, but what do I know.

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on February 28, 2018 at 8:31am

Still rocking a flip phone like it's 2007, so ride-sharing is not a real factor in my transportation considerations.

As for the value of the taxi medallions, they were previously inflated due to an artificial scarcity. Personally, I am not "cheering" for either side. Uber, Lyft and the like need to be more regulated and the cab industry needs to continue to adapt or perish.

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on February 28, 2018 at 9:03am

I would be OK with upping the number of medallions. I just feel bad for the people who, as Jim Reho says above, invested in a medallion only to have Uber and Lyft come out of nowhere and cut the bottom out from under them. If I were in the taxi business I would be pretty peeved with the city for just rolling over and letting Uber and Lyft do what they want. At a minimum it seems to me Uber and Lyft should be taxed to make their prices closer to a taxi's. Right now their prices (or at least Uber's prices) are artificially depressed due to VC funding. A boon to consumers I guess, but when it comes at the expense of our transit system and adds car congestion to our streets I am not a big fan.

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on February 28, 2018 at 9:16am

Look, the cab industry made their bed. Say goodbye to the lack of reliable service or service at all in vast areas of the south side and west side.

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on February 28, 2018 at 9:21am

Made their bed by not adapting to the times and coming up with an Uber-like app quickly enough, do you mean?

(Fair enough about poorly serving certain areas of the city--I am not well-educated on that point. I have also heard anecdotally that Uber/Lyft have been a godsend for handicapped users.)

Permalink Reply by Argonne69 on February 28, 2018 at 10:38am

Nope. To and from work I've used Divvy almost exclusively for the past year. In foul weather I'll take the bus/train.

For errands and non-commute travel, I'll drive, or take a bus, train, or taxi. Occasionally I'll Divvy.

The cab companies and drivers made their own bed. However, as one cabbie pointed out to me, the cab companies are really in the leasing business. They really didn't care if the drivers lost money to the ride share services, as they earned their money from leasing the cabs.

The Curb app is a joke. Why should I have to pay to hail a cab? The drivers and/or cab companies should be footing the bill. I've given up trying to call for a cab. Too many bad experiences involving excessive wait times.

It would be nice if the cab drivers learned that driving in the center lane is *not* the way to pick up fares. 'Can't even begin to count how many times I was standing on a curb frantically waiving at the passing cab who didn't bother to look.

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on February 28, 2018 at 11:31am

What is the fee to use Curb? I thought it was free.

Permalink Reply by Argonne69 on February 28, 2018 at 12:22pm

"How much does Curb cost?"

"The Curb app is free to download for iPhone and Android devices.

Curb charges standard taxi fares that vary by city. A service fee of $1.95 is added to the fare to help support Curb technology upgrades and service improvements. An additional fee of $3.00 may be applied to rides that are booked in advance in select cities*."

http://support.gocurb.com/customer/en/portal/articles/1641621-how-m...