I, Anonymous Nov 26, 2014 at 4:00 pm

Uber Alles

Comments

1
A couple weeks back a friend of mine took a broadway cab to my house. After he paid the driver drove off my driveway tearing up a flower bed and hitting and damaging a retaining wall. He pulled back forward and my friend thought he was going to stop and discuss the damage but instead he just took off. Frankly I don't see how cab drivers can say with a straight face that they are doing a better/safer job than just any random person who signs up for Uber would. Stop the monopoly, all it does is to maintain high prices and horrendous service.
2
evolve or go extinct
3
Step back and think about what you're saying, and think about why people are choosing Uber over traditional cabs. Because taking a cab (in Portland and elsewhere) can be a miserable experience.

Sorry, but being local isn't good enough by itself. People want fast and friendly service at a fair price. Uber does that better than cabs. Why not just improve your service as a cab driver and gear up to compete with Uber rather than whining about it?
4
@econoline, I assume you called Broadway and told them what happened? Because if you did, they will be held accountable. Guess what happens if you try to complain to Uber? You get a big fat middle finger. They claim zero liability for anything their drivers do. Also, anon was talking about RADIO Cab. Big big difference from Broadway.
5
Well how about we come in your business and take away from you wages ???? You would not fucking like that ! Are you kidding me monopoly? Wtf their are many can companies in portland ! Anyone with fucking common since would not like any not having to pay fees or follow rules and regulations coming in on a free pass to work your Job! Are you prople so stupid ? Uber is exploiting their drivers to break the law and uber is making the money not the drivers ! And when you drunk at bar time and pay $100 to get home , who is the dumb ass ?
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Well how about we come in your business and take away from you wages ???? You would not fucking like that ! Are you kidding me monopoly? Wtf their are many cab companies in portland ! Anyone with fucking common since would not like any not having to pay fees or follow rules and regulations coming in on a free pass to work your Job! Are you people so stupid ? Uber is exploiting their drivers to break the law and uber is making the money not the drivers ! And when you are drunk at bar time and pay $100 to get home , who is the dumb ass ?
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^
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This guy's drunk . Ya?

Not that I disagree
8
So you want uber in Portland? Here is what you'll get!

Drivers who lie to there insurance companies because the insurance they need is unaffordable ($800 and up) " so you'll be riding in a car that is not insured in case of accidents!

You also be riding in a car with someone who has only had background check for the last 5 years! ( and that's only if they really do one ) so if they raped or assaulted or committed robbery or any felony you will not know about it )

You will only get cheap rates at slow times when you never have to wait long anyways ! All other times you will pay a lot more than cab charges!

You will also be riding in a car that can be 10 yr old and NEVER subject to inspection for safety!

You will be riding in a car without knowing how many hours your driver has worked ! For it is not regulated

And that's is just a few notes for you !
You people are all about you. You seem to believe cab drivers a rich ! Far from the truth ! We make a living just like you . You people need to do some research ! UBER is taking advantage of people desperate to make money with false promises to them ! Uber makes the money ! The are so sketchy and run just on the line of the law. Example : now uber is offering people with poor credit to get financed with their connections! Sound great ? But they get them in a car , uber charges them $400 a week for this perk ! No one can make money like this ! Uber with all their millions of dollars backing them do nothing ! The wear and tear is on drivers car ! They make drivers break the laws so they can make a few bucks!
On the web site ! Want be an uber driver?
NO driving experience required!
2005 or newer car
4 door
No pick ups (lol)
We just need your license,proof of insurance!
You can be a uber driver
So though you people out there that could care less about us cab drivers making a honest living and also putting a lot of money back in our lovely city of Portland , I hope this never happens to you at your job!
Just so you can save a buck ! On off peak hours ! Enjoy your ride !
9
Helen home from Fred Meyer?!?! Well, Anon, that's a laugh. I actually waited at Fred Meyer for almost an hour for a Radio Cab driver to pick me up. When one finally did, she told me I had been dropped from the queue, and that it was common among cab drivers to drop people from the queue if they are at a grocery store. (Because they don't want to get stuck driving Helen 4 blocks with her bag of cat food for a shitty tip.) I watched three Radio Cab cabs drive by with the roof light on, with no passengers. I was the one who wrote that fantastically long and detailed e-mail to Radio Cab headquarters about my experience. As an extremely loyal taxi-rider, Radio Cab had been my company for years. When your dispatcher hung up on me when I called to find out where my cab was, THAT'S when you lost me as a customer. So don't get high and mighty and blame the consumer for demanding more and better options. Instead, review the actions and policies of your company and focus on being the best company you can be. If you are the best, then you will survive an thrive. If you suck balls, then I won't mourn your demise. Capitalism at it's finest.
10
I'm all for supporting local businesses but Portland has one of the lowest numbers of cabs per capita of any major city in the country and relatively high fares. With a booming population this makes it increasingly difficult to find cabs and I'm willing to support any business or change in legislation that would break down the arcane rules of this city and make it easier to get from point a to b safely and efficiently - whether that's allowing uber to operate here or simply doubling the number of cabs on our streets.
11
To say we can't use our brain and have the best of both worlds and should just settle for cab companies when there is a potentially better way is like saying we should all stay off the internet and read print media because journalists need jobs. It might make sense because internet has got media companies strapped for resources and has changed the market; in depth, informed, and quality reporting has gone down in the market with the exception of alternative specialized media forms that few people read (sorry mercy but its true).

But the game is going to change regardless if you or I are concerned about quality reporting and well informed journalism. What you CAN do is find a way to reestablish such a thing by adapting to the new landscape. You may even find a new and improved way of accomplishing all that your worried about.

...unless all your worried about is stopping change from happening.
12
Madcabbie is wrong on most of his fear mongering.

Also, it's caked innovation. Do you feel bad for all of the people that own pay phones?
13
@ewignes cities across America are reversing the TNCs. Ride sharing applications assume no one will get into accidents or have to perform maintenance on their vehicles. Talk about change all you want but the "low" rates Uber has are going to drive away their "partners". You might have a cool story about Uber but its overshadowed by the 1000s of complaints out there about the service. Never mind that all Uber will bring on rejects from the other companies. Have fun with that!
14
I don't care too much about cabs uber or otherwise. I got two legs god gave me and I use the shit out of them. I do however believe it is peoples right to share resources if and when it benefits them. And i don't think your arguing against that idea so much as simply trying to shut it down (there is a difference). If your were really trying to to use your head and get people to do the same you'd think of solutions not problems. we can have the best of both worlds.

doesn't matter though, change is going to happen, the northwest might hold out longer but it is only a matter of time.
15
Burtreynlds, I'm sorry that it can take a long time to get a cab at a grocery store or in general during peak hours. I'm a cabbie. I pick up at grocery stores whenever I am offered such a trip. I'm happy to do it. I'll assist our customers with bags of groceries, walkers and wheel chairs. What makes you think the guy who is driving for Uber because he couldn't pass the city's licensing requirements or got fired from a local cab company is going to prioritize your trip from a grocery store over other orders, which are likely to pay more, any more frequently than local cab companies currently are? Their only accountability is to the ratings of customers they pick up. We are accountable to our management, real people in portland. The city is evaluating issuing more cab permits in the next few months. That is the solution to your having to wait to long, not letting Uber flood the market with amateurs and criminals who couldn't pass our background check.
16
Uber adds to the taxi fleet. People will drive more and further for the extra pickup cash. Address that issue. If Uber is just a taxi fleet.... is transport overall improved or harmed?
I'd say the better solution is transit and TOD. Here's something:
Buy no GM/Ford municipal paratransit vans on the 1970's chassis.
Seniors/disabled need Low-floor Low-emission Hybrids, circa mid-90's technology.
GM gets bailed-out, then gives your aging, disabled, grandparents and veterans the finger.
Uber will definitely add more cars on the road. So convenient. Hahah! Let's drive across the county! Whee?
17
^ so in english that means your on ubers side?
18
WELL, here is my big bad cab story. I have only used them in Portland a couple dozen times, when I was drunk or to the airport, and it's always been fine. SO there you go.

As far as Uber, the no insurance and risk of surge pricing are a deal killer.
19
I've been in and around Portland for the last 19 years and was a big supporter of Radio Cab. Brian in car 90 is an owner and he was my last straw in trying to support your beloved company. I love local, and even more than that, loyalty. But not at the expense shit service like an "owner" can offer. Uber won't get here fast enough. I've used it all over the country and not a single instance of bad or questionable service. I've take 140 cabs this year alone (curb app counts for me) most with Radio. The day Uber arrives guess where that business goes. If you want to help Radio survive, start by dumping Brian in car 90 as an employee let alone and owner.
20
Kalah Allen's illustration puts a blonde Jake Gyllenhaal as a pdx cab driver, so I guess this issue depends on where one stands with Donnie Darko. Wait, no. Maybe that doesn't make sense. Cool art tho!
21
This might be less of an issue once uber is forced to comply by the same regulations as proper cab companies.
I agree with, and support anon. There is no monolpoly by radio can, and I have had pretty negative experiences with uber in LA.
Cab drivers are trained, insured, and held liable for accidents and damages. Uber does not have that kind of protection for its clients/ drivers
22
Do a better job serving your customers and Uber wouldn't stand a chance.
23
Uber drives are also locals. I don't understand all the 'using cabs = supporting local businesses' rhetoric.
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UBER does not care about their drivers. Their drives make little to no money. Their primary concern are the shareholders of their multi-billion dollar corporation based not here, but in SF. In case you haven't noticed (or just moved here as I'm sure most of you have) there isn't a whole lot of livable-wage entry-level work here in Portland especially as people flock into the city and homogenize every neighborhood. Radio Cab is a business, with history of offering that to people, like me, who are increasingly struggling because people keep moving here and the cost of living is skyrocketing.
This is a city that prides itself on local business. If you moved here for the Portland 'brand' than fucking deal with it. Move back to the Bay if you don't like it.
There are over 500 drivers at our company. I would apologize to anyone who has had a negative experience but the vast majority of us are hard-working people who care about our customers.
As for the ridiculous argument that UBER is local too, well, how about if you're job became part-time and you took a dramatic pay-cut? The drivers might be local but they are also desperate.
Also, you might want to read about UBER's business practices, if you care, about how they forced their competitor out of business in SF. Very ethical.
As for this sort of Laissez-Faire attitude about competition, well, how would your company compete with an unregulated, untaxed competitor? And, this is Portland, if you're such an ardent capitalist move back to NY or SF and continue to decimate the culture and history of those cities and leave ours alone
25
At the end of the day, it's all about customer service. Cab companies in Portland are horribly inconsistent and non transparent (from my house in close in NE, it can be 5 min or 55 min at the same time of day, and the dispatcher typically has NO guidance on timing when I call in). I get that each day is different, there are often busier days than others....but there is clearly a lack of cab inventory in this town among the reputable providers. And trying to get a cab home after a night out?....forget about it most of the time.

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