Most active commenters
  • oefrha(3)

←back to thread

Uber loses licence to operate in London, will still operate while appealing

(www.bbc.com)
256 points reubensutton | 12 comments | 25 Nov 19 10:19 UTC | HN request time: 0.46s | source | bottom
Show context
readhn ◴[25 Nov 19 13:49 UTC] No.21628057[source]▶
On one hand i am glad that a transnational company is getting stopped like that, especially when breaking the rules. they are basically a giant money hoover that comes in and sucks the money offshore with offshore interests as #1 priority.

on the other hand, often it often takes an outsider to disrupt a well established and corrupt market in order to move it forward.

replies(7): >>21628084 #>>21628087 #>>21628163 #>>21628172 #>>21628241 #>>21628269 #>>21628272 #
pen2l ◴[25 Nov 19 13:53 UTC] No.21628087[source]▶
I share your feelings exactly.

When I was in London, the ease of ordering a ride with your smartphone was a reliable comfort in a foreign land.

Maybe if I hadn't undergone shitty experiences in Paris et al. being swindled by the train operations, I wouldn't be taking Uber's side, but it just is that Uber has just worked for me so many times when other options failed.

replies(1): >>21628237 #
1. ourlordcaffeine ◴[25 Nov 19 14:12 UTC] No.21628237[source]▶
Same here. Most of the taxi drivers in the city where I live only take cash, and every time I have ridden with one, they have cheated and taken a detour.

Uber, automatic payment by card and no cheating on the route.

replies(1): >>21628259 #
2. oefrha ◴[25 Nov 19 14:15 UTC] No.21628259[source]▶
Wow, care to share where you live? I’ve hardly ever heard stories of taxi drivers cheating locals (needless to say tourists are cheated all the time).
replies(4): >>21628287 #>>21628335 #>>21628378 #>>21628463 #
3. stale2002 ◴[25 Nov 19 14:18 UTC] No.21628287[source]▶
What? There are quite a few people in the very thread, talking about their bad experiences with Taxis.

It is a common thing, to hear stori es that people have of bad experiences with Taxis.

replies(1): >>21628374 #
4. ourlordcaffeine ◴[25 Nov 19 14:24 UTC] No.21628335[source]▶
A UK city that isn't London.
5. oefrha ◴[25 Nov 19 14:30 UTC] No.21628374{3}[source]▶
> It is a common thing, to hear stories that people have of bad experiences with Taxis.

Stories of bad experiences with taxis != stories of taxi drivers cheating locals.

replies(3): >>21628484 #>>21628500 #>>21628531 #
6. thathndude ◴[25 Nov 19 14:41 UTC] No.21628463[source]▶
This was common in Chicago when I lived there from 2011-2013.

"I'd like to pay with credit card" "Machine is broken." "It's all I have." "Fine."

replies(3): >>21628519 #>>21628523 #>>21628553 #
7. stale2002 ◴[25 Nov 19 14:43 UTC] No.21628484{4}[source]▶
Stories of overcharging people are also common.

It is common to hear people talk about a "broken" credit card machine, or about a taxi "taking the long way", or the like.

8. briandear ◴[25 Nov 19 14:46 UTC] No.21628500{4}[source]▶
Most people being cheated don’t know it. Taking a little extra detour “because on construction,” or taking a drunk person home the long route — people being cheated generally don’t know it.
9. mytailorisrich ◴[25 Nov 19 14:48 UTC] No.21628519{3}[source]▶
Here in the UK, if you say it's all you have they just reply "I can stop by an ATM"...
10. oefrha ◴[25 Nov 19 14:48 UTC] No.21628523{3}[source]▶
That’s cheating their company (and/or setting up for tax evasion), which in my experience is far more common than cheating the customer with a detour, at least when the customer is local (you can show your localness through verbal cues implying or simply indicating you know the route).
11. larnmar ◴[25 Nov 19 14:49 UTC] No.21628531{4}[source]▶
Taxi drivers swindle everyone, they just have a wider array of tricks for swindling tourists.
12. spsrich2 ◴[25 Nov 19 14:52 UTC] No.21628553{3}[source]▶
Only the other night a Chicago cabbie tried to get my wife to pay with a portable credit card reader not the one installed in the machine. She made a big fuss and he 'discovered' that the built in machine was working after all.