Uber potheads?

[Micawber]

OK this is anecdotal but probably involves the politics of legalization.

So I'm coming back from airport day before yesterday and call an uber. Guy takes wrong turn at airport so has to
circle before reaching me. Then I open the trunk and get a whiff. Unmistakable, 95 percent certainty its my car.
In retrospect I think he intentionally took the lap to air it out. And there was the overdone new car smell masking attempt.

Then my guy takes me through a questionable set of downtown turns. Basically I get that this is his second job after being
a manager at some flooring company.

So, the observation is that I think you will encounter more casual users and semi stoned people on Uber etc... than with a regular taxi.
It's going to be part timers who don't pay the outrageous franchise costs and taxes, and wouldn't mind as much being
pulled over, or losing the uber gig. A real taxi guy is more likely to have invested a couple hundred G and have a family,
not just trying to shag a few extra bucks.

I think a real taxi is therefore safer.

[cawacko]

I uber allll the time and love it. My one complaint, at least in San Francisco, is long time taxi's drivers know the area and the short cuts whereas many Uber drivers come from out of town and google maps often sucks.

But you can't beat the convenience of Uber. On Friday and Saturday nights I used to wait 30 to 60 minutes for taxi's and that's IF they would show up. If you have dinner at 8 you call a taxi at 7 and have maybe 50/50 chance of making dinner on time. Even rush hour Saturday Uber is only five minutes away (at least where I live). You cannot beat Uber. Fvck taxi's. They harmed themselves with the bad service, refusing to allow credit cards etc.

[archives]

OK this is anecdotal but probably involves the politics of legalization.

So I'm coming back from airport day before yesterday and call an uber. Guy takes wrong turn at airport so has to
circle before reaching me. Then I open the trunk and get a whiff. Unmistakable, 95 percent certainty its my car.
In retrospect I think he intentionally took the lap to air it out. And there was the overdone new car smell masking attempt.

Then my guy takes me through a questionable set of downtown turns. Basically I get that this is his second job after being
a manager at some flooring company.

So, the observation is that I think you will encounter more casual users and semi stoned people on Uber etc... than with a regular taxi.
It's going to be part timers who don't pay the outrageous franchise costs and taxes, and wouldn't mind as much being
pulled over, or losing the uber gig. A real taxi guy is more likely to have invested a couple hundred G and have a family,
not just trying to shag a few extra bucks.

I think a real taxi is therefore safer.

You have the option of reporting the guy or just leaving a bad rating

[archives]

I uber allll the time and love it. My one complaint, at least in San Francisco, is long time taxi's drivers know the area and the short cuts whereas many Uber drivers come from out of town and google maps often sucks.

But you can't beat the convenience of Uber. On Friday and Saturday nights I used to wait 30 to 60 minutes for taxi's and that's IF they would show up. If you have dinner at 8 you call a taxi at 7 and have maybe 50/50 chance of making dinner on time. Even rush hour Saturday Uber is only five minutes away (at least where I live). You cannot beat Uber. Fvck taxi's. They harmed themselves with the bad service, refusing to allow credit cards etc.

Not on topic, curiosity, SF cans don't have a credit card machine in the back of the cab? Surprising, the majority of major cities I have been in all have them, you mean SF is behind the curve?

[cawacko]

Not on topic, curiosity, SF cans don't have a credit card machine in the back of the cab? Surprising, the majority of major cities I have been in all have them, you mean SF is behind the curve?

Most do now but for years they didn't even though riders were requesting them. (I don't know if other big cities had them long ago) So between the poor service, non ability to use credit cards or call via an apt they just left a wide open opportunity for firms like Uber and Lyft to take advantage of.

[Micawber]

You have the option of reporting the guy or just leaving a bad rating

Yes I agree. Or of just letting it go.

[Micawber]

I uber allll the time and love it. My one complaint, at least in San Francisco, is long time taxi's drivers know the area and the short cuts whereas many Uber drivers come from out of town and google maps often sucks.

But you can't beat the convenience of Uber. On Friday and Saturday nights I used to wait 30 to 60 minutes for taxi's and that's IF they would show up. If you have dinner at 8 you call a taxi at 7 and have maybe 50/50 chance of making dinner on time. Even rush hour Saturday Uber is only five minutes away (at least where I live). You cannot beat Uber. Fvck taxi's. They harmed themselves with the bad service, refusing to allow credit cards etc.

I agree completely. I also think the level of impaired uber drivers may increase more than taxi because of legalized weed.