UBER Car Service

[Anonymous]

Über Elite member here. I use it all the time. It all goes to a business card and is a business expense for me.
I use it to get around town in DC. I use it to get home from DC. It picks me up in Alexandria.

I love the courteous drivers. They open the door, help with bags and don't talk on the phone. They almost always have bottled water available.

I don't mind paying more for a premium service when the service is that much better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This would be a great option for AA men who are refused service by cabs when they are out on the street. Excellent!

Indian American man here. Been using uber for a long time precisely because I had problems getting picked up in dc by taxi's.

dc taxi's that have complained to the dc government/council constantly since uber came are assholes. Hope Uber and services like uber destroy the legacy taxi business here.

[Anonymous]

I LOVE Uber and will never use another shitty DC cab again.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Wow, not one negative review. I'll be giving it a try shortly. Thanks to everyone for the feedback.

[Anonymous]

I use Uber X, which is the lower-cost version. It's supposed to be comparable to a cab service, rather than a sedan car service.

Pros -
-No cash needed. No wallet, even. I like that I can charge it directly to my corporate card.
-Receipt is emailed to you.
-Cars are always nice and clean.
-Drivers are very courteous.

Cons -
-Arrival can take longer than hailing a cab if you're in an area w/ a lot of cabs (downtown, Capitol Hill).
-I've had several drivers who were new, and needed help to navigate to the destination. A couple asked me for help, and a few used GPS. The problem with the former is that I don't always know the best route and the problem with the latter is that I don't always know an exact address (example -- I was going to the Russell Senate Office building).
-You can't order a car in advance (like order the night before for a 6 am pick up to the airport). I've never had an issue getting a cab in a reasonable amount of time, but ordering in advance would be nice.

The pros outweigh the cons so I'll continue to use it, but I have to remember to give myself extra time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Über Elite member here. I use it all the time. It all goes to a business card and is a business expense for me.
I use it to get around town in DC. I use it to get home from DC. It picks me up in Alexandria.

I love the courteous drivers. They open the door, help with bags and don't talk on the phone. They almost always have bottled water available.

I don't mind paying more for a premium service when the service is that much better.

You don't mind charging it to the company.

[Anonymous]

I'm a single woman who doesn't own a car, and I won't use UBER for a number of reasons.

Like most Americans, I don't have a smartphone. I have a small child, and I'm home or at work a lot, so my computers provide adequate connectivity.

Just because the US Attorney chose not to charge the driver in the DC case, doesn't mean an assault didn't take place. This isn't the first time that an UBER driver has been accused of a violent crime.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/12/dc-uber-lawsuit_n_2861451.html

A licensed cabbie in DC has had a criminal background check. They have a posted license in their cabs, and I check the driver against the picture on that license when I get into a cab. UBER just contracts with other car services, and I have no idea what kind of background checks they do. In fifteen years, I can't remember an unpleasant incident with a DC cab driver. However, I've used limo services a couple of times, and I've had drivers ask me uncomfortable questions. I think some of those services are family businesses, and they won't fire their relatives.

Taxis are what economists call a experience good. You can't observe the quality until you purchase the good, and it's difficult to use the discipline of the market to ensure quality. UBER may have a driver rating system, but using that alone and not regulating the system is like saying we don't need a Consumer Product Safety COmmission; we can just use Amazon's customer ratings.

[Anonymous]

You can use Uber to call a taxi. You pay a $2 booking fee and they automatically add a 20% gratuity. You still get the convenience Uber provides.

[Anonymous]

PP again. Other cities have had issues with these private contractors being underinsured. Some have tried to get away with using their personal insurance policies, but those policies won't cover them if they are driving commercially. Hope one doesn't hit you.


http://reason.com/archives/2013/10/23/driving-into-the-future

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This would be a great option for AA men who are refused service by cabs when they are out on the street. Excellent!

Indian American man here. Been using uber for a long time precisely because I had problems getting picked up in dc by taxi's.

dc taxi's that have complained to the dc government/council constantly since uber came are assholes. Hope Uber and services like uber destroy the legacy taxi business here.

Have to ask if the drivers who don't pick you up are also Indians?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This would be a great option for AA men who are refused service by cabs when they are out on the street. Excellent!

Indian American man here. Been using uber for a long time precisely because I had problems getting picked up in dc by taxi's.

dc taxi's that have complained to the dc government/council constantly since uber came are assholes. Hope Uber and services like uber destroy the legacy taxi business here.

Have to ask if the drivers who don't pick you up are also Indians?

I dunno. I know indian -americans (I guess indian people in general) get a bad rap for being miserly tippers, but if that's the reason I was getting stiffed then it's their loss because I tip fantastically well, even for below average service, because those jobs are difficult jobs and i'm glad someone is doing them (barkeep, food service, bellhops, porters, cabbies, etc).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't get the attraction. Red top is computer dispatched, they text you when they get close, they take a cc. Sounds like the price is the same after tip.

I take Red Top from Arlington to DC and always take Uber home to Arlington.

[Anonymous]

I love being able to check on the app and see how many cars are nearby and how many minutes away. That way I can know that if I want a car in the next half an hour I can wait 25 minutes to call one. Getting a Red Top to come into DC to take me back to Arlington can take forever and is just a hassle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This would be a great option for AA men who are refused service by cabs when they are out on the street. Excellent!

Indian American man here. Been using uber for a long time precisely because I had problems getting picked up in dc by taxi's.

dc taxi's that have complained to the dc government/council constantly since uber came are assholes. Hope Uber and services like uber destroy the legacy taxi business here.

Have to ask if the drivers who don't pick you up are also Indians?

I dunno. I know indian -americans (I guess indian people in general) get a bad rap for being miserly tippers, but if that's the reason I was getting stiffed then it's their loss because I tip fantastically well, even for below average service, because those jobs are difficult jobs and i'm glad someone is doing them (barkeep, food service, bellhops, porters, cabbies, etc).

I didn't know that. Thought that kind of thing is usually directed toward AAs.

[Anonymous]

Sounds live there's a schill for the DCTC on here.