Is it a baddie or a goodie?
You might get robbed and buggered.
Mini THMs use it a lot.
Yes. It's cheaper, more convenient and to me feels safer than hailing a random black cab.
Are they unethical though? There was a lot of controversy, wasn't there?
Specifically this is to take me to Cardiff Central for a train tomorrow, so I'll need to book a specific time and date.
Do they not have minicabs in Cardiff?
Well after the weekend's events, they are now being seen as corporate baddies aren't they....
Do not use Uber to get you to a train station. Unless you want to really test your nerves....
Its the gigg economy - a new form of ethics required
Aren't they the latest thing it's trendy to hate? Virtue signals ahoy!
Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick has a position on Mr Trump’s economic advisory group.
#deleteuber
molgrips - MemberAre they unethical though? There was a lot of controversy, wasn't there?
Specifically this is to take me to Cardiff Central for a train tomorrow, so I'll need to book a specific time and date.
You might get my FIL, he's recently stopped being a mini cab and started being an Uber (it's the same car).
Ethical, hard to say - it allows people who own cars to earn some money by giving other lifts to places, that's it. It's not a job, nor have they ever claimed to be offering one, some people who have devoted a lot of time to it and haven't made as much money as they feel they should have are upset about it, to me that's akin to claiming eBay owes you a living wage because your side-line in selling do-dahs and widgets isn't earning you £7 an hour. Most mini-cab drivers are self-employed too.
Where is does, start becoming unethical to me is that Taxis are taxed and the council also charge for their licence which goes into local public money, Uber does none of these things.
My FIL likes it because he's towards the end of a period of moving from full-time, to part-time and finally retirement, his car is 8 years old now which means it's more expensive and difficult to renew his license and the firms which run the phone numbers and such want paying the same however many hours you work. With Uber he just needs a valid license and a road legal car.
Do they not have minicabs in Cardiff?
Yes, hence the choice issue.
Boooooooooooo (said the black cab driver...)
Seems strange that uber sells itself as this and that to potential drivers and yet what it ultimately wants is to have automated cars that will put tens of thousands of uber drivers out of work and the only ones who will benefit will be the shareholders.
Boycott I say.
I've used Uber occasionally in London and it has been fine (Car quality variable), however have found Gett to be much better in Edinburgh, and it's black cabs too, and no real ethical dilemma. Not sure if they operate where you are/how good they are, but I'd go for Gett or Hailo over Uber where I had the choice.
Once tried to get into an uber taxi, and the maniac drove away as we tried to stick some stuff in the boot, boot still open. App updated, driver couldn't complete job! 😆 Tbh think he just shat himself when 4 of up trooped out a house in once of the less salubrious streets in glasgow! 😆
He turned up on a vw golf, which I found hilarious.
Nah wouldn't use them, my one experience of them has seen them labled as cowboys and shitebags forever more.
Phone a private. Don't use hacks either, they're just robbery.
Do not use Uber to get you to a train station. Unless you want to really test your nerves....
Why would Uber be different from any other taxi to get you to a train station ? 😐
Get an uber on a Friday or Saturday night and you'll find the price pretty much the same as a black cab.
Uber is rubbish in central London as they can't go in the bus lanes. But Uber for going home is good, and excellent value compared with a black cab. Also fine for normal use in the suburbs
Cycling is still betterer though
Drivers on far below the minimum wage, undercutting existing established and licenced businesses in a race to the bottom of workplace terms and conditions. Sound familiar ?
Inside London I won't use them, you never know what the fare will be £5 or £25 due to surge pricing. That being said they have been a life saver when a flight landed 2 hours late at Luton - Uber available at midnight when taxi rank was empty.
Get an uber on a Friday or Saturday night and you'll find the price pretty much the same as a black cab.
More
@benp 30,000 Uber's in London, many driving around at 20mph waiting for fares. A right PITA causing traffic congestion.
a new form of ethics required
That's one way of putting it. The other is 'zero ethics required'.
Listened to a programme on R4 back in summer....
Über as a company paid a much tax in 2015 as 5 London Black Cab drivers.
I wouldn't use Über.
Yes another ranting post ... the Uber business model is to put existing cabs out of business then ratchet up fares before firing all drivers as cabs go driverless.
Have a google on ViceNews and other channels for video pieces on Uber
I have no problem with Uber if they are licenced as what they are which are taxis
Used in Birmingham several times. Very good I've found. I'd use them again.
Über as a company paid a much tax in 2015 as 5 London Black Cab drivers.
This demonstrates nothing at all.
Companies pay tax on profits.
Cabbies pay tax on wages.
They may be fiddling the system, but they may be investing profits in research and growth ???
You might get robbed and buggered.
Do you have to pay extra for that? Couldn't find that option in the app.
Installed the Dragon Taxis app (local firm). Booked a cab for tomorrow morning, credit card stored in app so no money needed. So far so good, except they wouldn't take my corporate Amex 👿
Did you check with the wages clerk and make sure all the drivers are earning at least minimum wage, and look over the company tax returns and books before you took the plunge ? 😉
P1ss poor drivers & questionable employment ethics - I'd avoid them.
They are cheap for a reason!
Can you book an uber in advance? I'd assumed it was just on demand, but I've not explored the app in detail.
Edit: it seems you can in some places.
Commuting every day into London has shown that Uber drivers on average are dangerous. I was knocked off by one in September and am still awaiting compensation. I do not use them
^^ geoff no. That in my opinion is why they should not be treated as mini cabs
Uber just lost a court case in California where they advertised a driver could earn $80,000 a year whilst in practice it was more like $20,000 after costs. This was working full time.
^^ geoff no. That in my opinion is why they should not be treated as mini cabs
You can book ahead in Leeds. Never tried anywhere else, but I presume this means you can.....
https://www.uber.com/info/scheduled-rides/uk/
Never had any problems with them, great service every time here, and cheap enough (but not that much cheaper than anyone else)
(I've never looked at their accounts though)
Why would Uber be different from any other taxi to get you to a train station ?
You can't prebook where I am, so unless you want to get there an hour early it's a bit of a stressful event - will there be one available? Will it really turn up in the time it says it'll take? Or will it get stuck in traffic?
The app is convenient, but local firms are cheaper in Newcastle now because Uber have got so popular.
Platform capitalism isn't a good thing imo
Well, if you look at some of the "big" private hire firms there is plenty of unethical stuff happening there too! My customer experience of Uber across the UK, EU and US has been very good. I've had detailed discussions with many of the drivers and they almost all speak positively about their experience of Uber, the quality of customer it brings, the flexibility etc. The only really negative feedback I remember was in Cardiff actually - where the driver was grumpy that I was making him go all the way to the airport (most taxi drivers like a £30+ fare) - but "I'll never get an Uber to come back from there".Are they unethical though? There was a lot of controversy, wasn't there?
Dragon was probably a good shout - I'm not sure if Uber support "prebooking" in Cardiff yet. Even if you do you might suddenly find surge pricing applied when you need it. I find that the local taxi apps are often fairly price competitive with Uber anyway.Specifically this is to take me to Cardiff Central for a train tomorrow, so I'll need to book a specific time and date.
Drivers on far below the minimum wage, undercutting existing established and licenced businesses in a race to the bottom of workplace terms and conditions. Sound familiar ?
Certainly does. Sounds like post Brexit Britain.
I won't use them. I think they're unethical even before their CEO came out as a fascist appeaser.
Never used Uber and never will.
Here's a fairly balanced take on recent events...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-38798158
Used them in the 'states quite a bit: a lot cheaper than a regular cab in Seattle, and more convenient. Car and driver quality varies - same as a regular cab. Last guy was a US Coast Guard serviceman, guy before that was Iraqi who had come to the 'states after the fourth attempt on his life (he helped the US and UK army in Basra) - his kids are now in school there.
I dislike the Uber in London because the black cabs and the service they provide is amazing; saying that, they're being priced out of the market by a man, a car and a smartphone with GPS. Gets what you pays for.
There is also a certain irony that Travis is one of Trump's advisors, which has not escaped him or the media: http://uk.businessinsider.com/uber-ceo-travis-kalanick-will-talk-to-trump-about-immigration-order-2017-1
Uber takes 25% of all fares...so I was told by my Uber driver..
I'd lump Airbnb in with them. Seems like a way to save a buck, but turns out pretty shit in real life.
I wouldn't use Uber and I wouldn't use a regular private hire or taxi. The standard of driving is generally crap from all and I refuse to finance that.
The driver was a nice bloke, but his driving was rather aggressive even if he wasn't.