Please don't put words in my mouth. I didn't say evil and I do believe they have some good things to offer. I said surge pricing is not in the consumers best interest. And it's not. It can very easily cross a fine line between matching price to supply and demand over to opportunistic gouging. For people who are dependent on taxis like some seniors or the disabled it's very bad.

Here in BC if a driver refuses to pick you up or otherwise fails to follow regulation you get the company name and unit or plate number, call Min Tran and they get in trouble. That system works. I have complained about two drivers before and been quite satisfied with the results.

If people in an area agree that current prices or availability are not where they should be then that can be addressed. We don't live in a dictatorship and the taxi companies are not omnipotent. The media is not 'too terrified to take them on.' The media would hang them every day if it got ratings or sold papers but they know that most people just don't care. Like I said, I'd like to see some progress but like selling black market cigarettes at the train station or untaxed liquor from the back of a van I don't think Uber's doing it the right way.

Funny thing is a service like Uber's will probably be licensed soon here but it won't be Uber because of their strategies.

uh
Do you have any evidence that there has been gouging? Charging 3x at 1am on new years day sucks but that's not gouging. I remember there being a bunch of drivers gaming the system (by deliberately accepting then cancelling trips in repetition) but I haven't seen nor heard of any cases of actual systemic gouging of the system.

You know what works? Ordering a ride and being picked up. And if you get jerked around you need not make any phonecalls.


You have clearly never dealt with the taxi industry in Calgary. The cartels control everything in the city, and especially YYC, to their liking. I don't think the city has issued a medallion (worth tens of thousands of dollars) in years despite explosive growth. I know Canadians hold regulation and government control dear to their heart but something seriously needs to change. Sadly Edmonton of all places is pioneering things.

Brain fart on my part. I did say evil. Too many conversations going on at once. Apologies. And I am truthfully conflicted about this company. I will correct that and say imho their senior management is totally evil. I think there is a lot out there to support that from them wanting to dig up personal dirt on journos who 'cross' them them to lying about their business to serially breaking the law in many countries to not wanting to offer any benefits to their drivers. But they do offer some good features and employ a lot of decent drivers who offer good service under some difficult conditions. And a cheap ride from a good driver is very attractive. No doubt.

Do I have any evidence there has been gouging? You seem to think gouging can only happen outside of or by abusing their current model. Interesting. Some people think their current model is gouging. Gouging is a matter of perspective and they have charged much more than 3 x on New Years.

And now I'm checking what I did say and I said ' It can very easily cross a fine line between matching price to supply and demand over to opportunistic gouging' and 'So many ways that can be abused if it becomes the standard.'
Right now I think Uber is showing some serious restraint (although 5x and higher pricing happens)and much of what they do looks good when compared to conventional taxi services. But if their model became the standard I have zero faith that gouging would not become rampant.

You know what also works? Phoning a taxi company and having them pick you up. It has worked for me fine. I've yet to be stood up. Maybe I'm lucky.

Re 'cartels\ controlling everything in Calgary; yeah, I don't live in Calgary but that sounds like conspiracy theory bs. It's hard to get a taxi license or even impossible? Ok, I believe that. It's hard here too. Is the solution to just break the law? That's a personal decision but people always come up with all kinds of justifications for breaking the law when it's convenient and saves them money.

Your blanket statement about Canadians holding 'regulation and government control dear to their heart' is a gross exaggeration (and probably an insult to a majority at least in your province) and does not help your argument. But otherwise despite my arguments I actually share some of your support for the company.

If you want more background on Uber and the industry this guy has driven for Uber, Lyft and a regular cab co and has written some good articles about it:
http://disinfo.com/2014/12/gouge-awa...s-perspective/
https://idrivesf.wordpress.com/

Oh yeah their senior management is absolutely evil, there is no dispute over that. But what it is consumers get in the end is....yeah. It's shady. And kinda funny how consumers will act towards an evil corporation that actually does something (arguably) good. I'm on the side of Uber because the taxi cartels in places like Calgary are 100x more evil.

And come on, Canadians love laws....I mean there's a law in Calgary against having a fire in your back yard after 10pm!

Doesn't work for me and judging by Uber's momentum, it doesn't work for many people. Every taxi company I've ever phoned says the taxi is five minutes away. Sometimes that true, often not. I think it's a standard line

What I love about Uber:

• App based. No searching for a local phone number
• Selecting the type of car that I want
• The transparency of having the driver's cell number
• The transparency of knowing where the driver really is and a true estimate of the arrival time
• The ability to pay via credit card (Many cab driver hate credit cards)
• The ability to leave a rating/comment

And Uber drivers have never scared me like some Seattle, San Francisco, and Boston taxi drivers have when the trip I wanted was too short for their tastes.

I wonder if Curb (formerly Taxi Magic)
http://gocurb.com/
cures some of the most common taxi ills?

Uber is pulling out of Broward County, Florida at the end of this month. This slightly complicates the trip I have planned to FLL in October unless I rely on taxis. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/br...ry.html#page=1

FLL often has some of the cheapest car rentals I've seen. If you haven't considered this option, it may be far more cost effective than taxis (and more convenient given how sparse taxi service can be there).

Thanks, I wish I could consider car rentals, but I don't drive (anymore) due to medical issues. So I will need to rely on buses and taxis unless I cancel/alter my trip.

It depends on where you are planning on going, but IMO, FLL has some of the worst public transportation in the US.

You may want to consider staying closer to Dade County so that you can use Uber. Uber is allowed to drop off in Broward County.

I recently needed to go from downtown Columbus, Ohio, to CMH. Requested car; two minutes later a clean, late-model Volvo SUV shows up. Quick trip and cost was $12. A colleague made the same trip at roughly the same time via a taxi and was charged $25 for a ride in a dirty car.

I just got an email. Uber and Broward have come to an agreement and service begins again tomorrow morning 08:00. ^

DC is great, lots of drivers, fares are cheap.

Uber in Las Vegas, different story... few drivers, uncertain addl fees being negotiated, prices are high (taxi's even higher)