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CT 173: "Say you're from Vandalay industries!!"

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The one time I've been in an Uber was definitely nicer than a cab. Thanks for the suggestions. I will probably stick with a taxi but who knows. It looks like regulations may have recently changed or be changing soon to allow Uber in the normal pick-up area at DFW but after a couple searches I can't tell if that has happened yet. I don't look forward to any extended time in a vehicle with a stranger, whether that is a cab or an uber.
 
JDawg said:
there's like maybe three cities where Uber doesn't make sense for whatever reason.
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i never said it didn't make sense, i said it solved a problem that didn't exist

i'm all for cheaper cabs and #marketdecisions and #deregulation and all that nonsense, don't get me wrong
 
Uber is usually a lot cheaper than a cab (except when it surges) and the cars are newer and the ease of just being able to get out when you reach your destination is great.
 
Why can't townie just say what he means so the #dense crowd can chime in
 
BarcaDeac said:
Uber is usually a lot cheaper than a cab (except when it surges) and the cars are newer and the ease of just being able to get out when you reach your destination is great.
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meh

bothtables.png
 
LadyDeac03 said:
I feel like some (most?) airports don't allow Uber because they have strict licensing on which cabs can come in, etc. I'm pretty sure in the DC area you can't Uber from an airport.

But I definitely would advocate for Uber when available. I have my account set up with both my personal card and my business card so that I can easily take an Uber for work or personal. And then the receipt just gets emailed to me. No worrying about cash, credit card machines in the cab being broken, figuring out tip, etc.

I have had a couple of annoying Uber experiences recently where the driver had a hard time finding me (despite being at a specific intersection or address that was accurate on the app), but I've also had some great experiences with very clean cars, good drivers, etc. Overall much more positive than cabs (at least in DC).
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you can definitely get an Uber at DCA. they used to just circle the airport, but now they're not allowed to be on the property unless going to pick-up someone, so they wait nearby. just request one when getting off the plane and by the time you get downstairs it should be almost there. I think they're talking about putting in a designated pick-up area and adding an airport fee like you have to pay with cabs. I took one to the Boston airport in October and randomly got an email about a week ago that some fees were inadvertently charged so I got $8 back.

I will say that we took maybe 5 different Ubers in Philly this weekend and they were all sub-par compared to the ones in DC. one smelled horribly of smoke and the guy refused to move from his spot 2 blocks away even though it was pouring, some reckless drivers, and one guy who had his driver's seat basically all the way back (and it was in a Cadillac, so not a small car), so the person sitting behind him had her legs jammed in the small space and my wife who was in the middle sort've had to sit sideways. every time we asked him to scoot up he did so like an inch at a time.
 
Uber is definitely cheaper in DC. a cab from Chinatown-my apartment is usually $12-15, Uber is about $7. to DCA it's about $25, Uber $13
 
BarcaDeac said:
you can definitely get an Uber at DCA. they used to just circle the airport, but now they're not allowed to be on the property unless going to pick-up someone, so they wait nearby. just request one when getting off the plane and by the time you get downstairs it should be almost there. I think they're talking about putting in a designated pick-up area and adding an airport fee like you have to pay with cabs. I took one to the Boston airport in October and randomly got an email about a week ago that some fees were inadvertently charged so I got $8 back.

I will say that we took maybe 5 different Ubers in Philly this weekend and they were all sub-par compared to the ones in DC. one smelled horribly of smoke and the guy refused to move from his spot 2 blocks away even though it was pouring, some reckless drivers, and one guy who had his driver's seat basically all the way back (and it was in a Cadillac, so not a small car), so the person sitting behind him had her legs jammed in the small space and my wife who was in the middle sort've had to sit sideways. every time we asked him to scoot up he did so like an inch at a time.
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I have plenty of gripes about Uber, though I get why people like it, especially in cities without good cab service. Cabs in Philly are great. They're everywhere, I've literally never had a single problem in the dozens and dozens of cab rides I've taken. They are all clean, all have credit card readers, and all try and take you the fastest way because there's always a fare waiting for them at the next stop. The lack of regulations with Uber means the experience is gonna be different in different places. Uber has not really been so great in Philly yet.
 
isn't it more of an indictment on the local (presumably un or semi employed) populace than uber if the experience sucks in certain cities?
 
*uber rolls up, driver wearing 2001 era AI jersey*

"I'll walk"
 
I did see several billboards and stickers on telephone poles recruiting Uber drivers which I've never seen elsewhere
 
I always had great Uber experiences until recently when my driver asked me what I did for a living and then proceeded to ask me about alienation of affection and tell me how he hadn't had "relations" with his wife in 7 years. So awkward.
 
In practice I can tell you that chart for Baltimore is nowhere close to accurate. A $13 cab ride is getting you like two miles. It's probably closer to 2:1 in reality.

Last week on Lyft I took a 6.2 mile ride for $13.06. That same ride would easily be over $25 in a cab.
 
CT 173: The Three Day Weekend is the Suburban Dream

Uber only doesn't make sense in cities with efficient public transit or a regulated cab industry that actually works efficiently. From my experiences those cities are the urban areas of NYC, Philly, DC and sometimes Chicago. I can't speak to Boston or anywhere in Cali.

I usually take uber either to or from any dinner or bar that is more than a mile walk away. My average fare is $5-7. Totally worth it.
 
yep. i take uber probably 2 times a weekend on average. fare's usually around $5-7. it's great.. you do have the occasional kind of creepy driver, but nothing of particular note for me.
 
efficient public transportation doesn't describe DC. the NTSB had a two-day hearing last week about how awful Metro is -- this came in the wake of someone dying on a train in January due to smoke asphyxiation.
 
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