pinniped

re: summoning an Uber/Lyft vs. hailing a cab. In most parts of the world, summoning the Uber/Lyft is *far* more easy and reliable than getting a taxi dispatched.

With the apps, a car is almost always less than 5 minutes away. With a dispatch, I've had cases where they say "a taxi will be there in 30 minutes", and then it never shows up at all. I know some cab companies now have apps too, but still...I haven't seen one that is superior to Lyft or Uber.

Midtown Manhattan might be an exception, as you can usually walk outside and stick out your arm to get a cab. There, Chicago, London, maybe a few other places. (Even San Francisco or Paris can be a PITA for finding taxis.) But even in NYC, you often have to walk to the end of the long block first, and if it's raining or the wrong time of day it's actually *not* immediate that you get a cab. So I still use Lyft, and they're usually 2 minutes away, and I can almost always drop the pin precisely where I'm standing and be found easily.

Overall, I look at the hailing process as a *huge* advantage for Lyft/Uber vs. the traditional method of either phoning or maneuvering yourself to wherever a taxi might notice you. (Busy street, taxi rank, hotel, etc.)

cestmoi123

Those "Uber" drivers at JFK are the standard black car hustlers. No connection with Uber.

Roger

Good point. Thank you.

Yes! For the reasons you mention and for cultural reasons, too, such as language.

We had no problems with our non-English speaking Russian driver a couple of weeks ago in Estonia. Apart from saying 'thank you' and 'goodbye', my very basic Russian is severely limiting and my Estonian non-existent.

pinniped

Oh, yes, Uber definitely helps both for language as well as when you don't fully understand a city's address scheme. Our office in Lima is a pain to find, and our "official" address leads drivers to the wrong place. Fortunately a local colleague knew how to tweak it slightly in the Uber app to make it work.

Sandybestdog

I specifically liked Uber because of their inclusive pricing. I never assumed a tip was already included. I just figured it was how a business transaction should be. You post a price, I pay it. Everybody knows the driver and company split the fare.

I've lived in the US my whole life and am accustomed to the culture here. I spent several years deliverying pizza and other tip related jobs. I think tipping is stupid. It's just an excuse for employers to not pay a fair wage. This will now lead to an expectation by Uber drivers that they deserve extra. I would rather Uber just say, we are increasing fares by $2 a ride and that will go directly to the driver with no cut being taken. All these stories you hear on the news about a waitresses getting a big tip from someone annoy me. They bring the food from the kitchen to the table. Why is that so great? Why don't we tip the guy who actually cooks the food? Or the person who who takes the trash out? There's way too much tipping in our culture. It creates for an uncomfortable experience.

kb9522

This statement seems contradictory... There is too much tipping already, but you are suggesting to tip more people?

Tipping is out of hand in the US... we should be tipping fewer people less money (if at all), not more people.

Sandybestdog

No I agree with you. There is too much tipping. Just increase the price of the service and then pay people a cut of it. If a driver or waiter really does a great job, sure tip them a little extra.

pinniped

Wait...this sounds a lot like the logic used to justify the tipping scourge to begin with...before it metastasizes in a culture.

I think I did a great job at work today. Nobody tipped me. I hope it stays that way.

kb9522

Exactly. People are paid to a job, and that is the reason they should do it well... Not on the expectation of a 20% bribe.

BOSTravels

I haven't seen any tipping option on the latest Android release.
The last time I took an Uber, I actually was willing to tip the driver due to his helpfulness but couldn't do so.

pinniped

You can't tip in many cities yet. When you originate a ride in a city where tipping is enabled, then I think it automatically pops up as an option.

It does beg the question though: can you summon an Uber using an older version of the app? Could a staunch anti-tipper just stop accepting app updates, yet continue to hail Ubers?

cestmoi123

Or, just not tip.

cboy

those of you who dont tip (I'm one of them) have you checked you Uber Passenger Rating?

Apparently there are a bunch of drivers who decided they will rate you 3 stars if you dont tip $5.00 or more.

I've never been drunk,loud, or anthing else in an uber. Always say hello and if they driver makes small talk I talk with them. My rating is now a 4.5x

I googled why my rating was so low and I came across a couple of threads by uber drivers calling it $5.00 for 5 stars.

ridiculous imho when uber kept pushing "no tipping needed"

**oops i see there is another thread on this**

TBD

You mean "because you believe it's the right thing to do."

Since ...

Not everyone agrees with that statement...

pinniped

Mine's 4.92 on Uber. Never a tip to date.

I don't know my Lyft rating. You supposedly have to ask a driver, and I can never be bothered. I always tip in the 20% range, which is usually $1 or $2. I believe my rating must in an acceptable range because the Lyfts arrive fast.

We're told (with Lyft anyway) that drivers rate you before they know whether you tipped. It's possible that I will take an Uber next in Seattle, and leave my first Uber tip, and if so I'll be interested in how the app performs and if the interface is Lyft-like. (I say "possible" because I still check Lyft first.)