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256 points reubensutton | 2 comments | | HN request time: 1.433s | source
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_vrmm ◴[] No.21627000[source]
I know this opinion is not popular but I'm so happy everytime I see bad news for Uber and all these companies that only exist thanks to basically exploiting THEIR workers.

Private transporting is not sustainable and it is not something that has to be affordable for everyone, even less by lowering workers wages or playing with the tariffs by demand. Taxi regulations gives us passengers safety and fair prices. There are taxi apps that work exactly like Uber's like 'Free-now' where you can see your trip, its aproximate cost, the driver's rating...

We have to promote governments that support affordable and good quality public transport, even though I love driving alone in my car.

I hope Deliveroo, Glovo and other companies are also punished for their labour rights abuses. Make sure your delivery guy is payed fairly or either go to the restaurant yourself.

So many years of labour rights fights being attacked by these startups that do not invent anything but base their business model on lower wages.

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daneyh ◴[] No.21627219[source]
Typically i'd agree with your sentiment. Unfortunately I remember what getting around was like pre-Uber and that unregulated minicab companies are no better for workers exploitation or working rights and passenger safety...where is TfL(Transport for Londons) action on those firms? or the many uber clones that have popped up recently (Bolt, Kapten et al.) Uber is really an easy target for them. The alternative is the black cabs who are apparently the safer/regulated option however the number of times in my early 20s catching black cabs and not seeing any driver registration and having their card machines constantly not working and paying sky high prices in order to pay for their obsolescent knowledge test and fume producing diesel chugging machine makes me really sad at the thought of returning to this. Hopefully uber can clean up their act and get something sorted as seems to me the consumer is the loser in all of this.
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NeedMoreTea ◴[] No.21627498[source]
Funny, I remember London black cabs as mainly being a reliable service with reliable drivers. I'd rather have a driver with their route knowledge in their head than one blindly relying on GPS. At least they can make intelligent choices when problems crop up.

Not that it was completely without problems, but compared to say NYC cabs they were worlds apart. Sure, there was a problem for a while with rogue unregistered cabs, though IIRC that was mainly minicabs and relied on intercepting despatch radio messages, but there were some black cabs. The cliche of not going south of the river held up to some scrutiny too. Uber of course go with phone you then just don't show if they don't like the route and waste half and hour of yours. At least it was a two way conversation with a cabbie.

That London hasn't put a blanket ban on diesel cabs in the low emission zone isn't really the cab's fault - that's firmly on the authorities...

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djohnston ◴[] No.21628090[source]
it costs 100 quid to go from heathrow to zone 3 via black cab, and about 35 for uber.

"Uber of course go with phone you then just don't show if they don't like the route and waste half and hour of yours. At least it was a two way conversation with a cabbie."

I completely disagree. The uber app shows the route the driver is taking and offers way more transparency than a black cab.

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1. lhopki01 ◴[] No.21628189[source]
It doesn't matter if it shows the route. Uber in my experience will side with the driver if they take a bad route. I was swindled for triple the price because of a fictitious gas leak. Driver took a very circuitous route that just so happened to take in some very fast roads to increase distance and price. When I complained to Uber they just said it was a normal route. On the map the route looks like a sickle. How can anyone look at that as normal?
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2. Jommi ◴[] No.21628761[source]
I feel like you're not giving us all the details of this case. What do you mean by fast roads? Uber calculates price on both distance and time, so fast rides can also be to your advantage. How do you know the gas leak was fictitious?