> Did you ever try getting a taxi in any US city besides Manhattan — not even the rest of NYC — before Uber? It was expensive, frustrating, and completely lacking in integrity.
Yes, lots of times and you’re overstating it substantially. The only reason Uber was cheaper was that they were heavily subsidizing each ride. Once they stopped that, amazingly, prices rose to match or exceed cab fares.
The specific area where Uber was better was that many cab companies would illegally refuse service to black neighborhoods. Uber deserves credit for breaking that but these days I’m hearing more anecdotes about drivers skipping pickups so I’m not sure that’s permanent.
Yes, lots of times and you’re overstating it substantially. The only reason Uber was cheaper was that they were heavily subsidizing each ride. Once they stopped that, amazingly, prices rose to match or exceed cab fares.
The specific area where Uber was better was that many cab companies would illegally refuse service to black neighborhoods. Uber deserves credit for breaking that but these days I’m hearing more anecdotes about drivers skipping pickups so I’m not sure that’s permanent.