Via is less expensive but still many times I try to book a car, it won't go through. They just say they are too busy. There is no way to get in line, you just have to keep trying. So they are bot keeping sufficient supply. Once in a car, the ride can take a while though the driver have all been great when I have used them (used to take them to commute from one non-Metro place in DC to a hard to get to area). It worked and was economical but had to keep retrying to get a car.

I remember the challenges PP mentioned! You're right, drivers don't do them anymore (I remember their maps would light up in red or orange in the challenge area). There used to be Uber passes, too, where you'd get HUGE discounts (40%-50% off rides) for 28 days, or free Pool rides between two points.

Now, the prices are CRAZY ($10 is my minimum UberX, no matter where I go, and Pools are $1 cheaper. I remember having $2.50 Pools) and cars have gotten dirtier/smellier. Plus, the taxes and fees portion is often 50%+ of the fare price! My driver was saying that he gets hit with them, too; sounds like double dipping on Uber's end to me.

Most taxi's i have taken have been either: a) reserved through Arlington Blue Top or b) street hailed in the government/business areas of DC.

Taxi's tend to know their way around. Uber drivers have no clue where anything is and if they miss their turn or the directions sends them a way that does not make sense they are flumoxed. It's crazy-making.

Most taxi's I used were less run-down than a lot of the Ubers I have gotten lately.

It's very rare that taxi's will blare personal-preference music whereas crappy Uber cars tend to combine that with playing their own favorite music loudly. (Not all cars are like this - some are great)

But personally I just feel bad for the taxi's that they are being required to adhere to rules and costs that Uber gets to ignore. Yes ride schedule/hailing is MUCH better with UBer/Lyft as options now, but if the rules like on rates and picking everyone up, etc. don't apply to everyone then they shouldn't apply to ONLY the cabbies and screw those folks over.

Uber hasn't been great. But I spent my 20s in the 2000s riding DC cabs and I've yet to have those kind of horrific experiences using Uber. Taxi drivers have sexually harassed me, refused to drive my POC friends, drove me around in circles in my own neighborhood and cursed me out when I pointed it out, refused to take a credit card and demanded cash, claimed I'd given them a $10 when it was actually $20, had cabs reeking of fresh cigarette smoke with no working seatbelts and broken seats... I could go on and on. I hope I don't have to go back to using them.

Anonymous wrote:The earlier thread about Ronald the Uber Driver got me thinking -- do you think that Uber, Lyft, and Via have gotten worse or better over the years?

Lyft remains very good.

Uber is worse but still way better than regular taxi.

Via no idea.

My main reason for being an Uber fan is not my own personal use but that my 23 year old and his friends use it after drinking. We all know the "designated driver" system fails if the DD drinks and unfortunately that happens. A 23 year old male and his buddies do not care about dirty cars or hip hop music and I'm thrilled that they get home safely without having someone who has consumed alcohol behind the wheel.

Anonymous wrote:I had a long talk with my Lyft driver yesterday. He was a 4.5 year veteran of the for-hire game and his Lexus was immaculate. He used to make a ton of money but the companies keep paying lower and lower and now he’s down to under $1 per mile. Just to give you an idea, I paid under $17 for a 13 mile trip that took about 20 minutes. He’s getting peanuts for that trip (his choice, I know). He told me uber has gotten really bad, they used to do challenges where if a driver accepted and completed so many trips they’d get a bonus. But lately the drivers get close to the bonus and uber won’t find them any more rides, making it impossible for them to complete the task. Sounds criminal to me. My guy wasn’t complaining but I’m fascinated by how the system works so I was asking a ton of questions. I think the platforms are paying so little now that the “professionals” are getting out of the game.

Uber lost 5+ billion last quarter. The business model isn't sustainable unless something changes.

I had a long talk with my Lyft driver yesterday. He was a 4.5 year veteran of the for-hire game and his Lexus was immaculate. He used to make a ton of money but the companies keep paying lower and lower and now he’s down to under $1 per mile. Just to give you an idea, I paid under $17 for a 13 mile trip that took about 20 minutes. He’s getting peanuts for that trip (his choice, I know). He told me uber has gotten really bad, they used to do challenges where if a driver accepted and completed so many trips they’d get a bonus. But lately the drivers get close to the bonus and uber won’t find them any more rides, making it impossible for them to complete the task. Sounds criminal to me. My guy wasn’t complaining but I’m fascinated by how the system works so I was asking a ton of questions. I think the platforms are paying so little now that the “professionals” are getting out of the game.

I love Uber. The PP's complaints above are relevant. I'd add that I hate the rare pot smoke filled Ubers I've received especially.

But Uber/Lyft/Via changed the the entire game for the better.

Not going to re-iterate everything they did, will just re-post:

However tax drivers are shit on earth and I'll never ever use one now that Uber/Lyft/Via are here.

Taxi drivers:
- Keep filthy cabs
- Try to up charge you
- Pick the longest routes to upcharge you
- Charge more per a mile than Uber does for an entire trip
- Charge extra for trunk usage
- Charge full fares per a person instead of per car
- Took FOREVER to find you and that's after you called a dispatcher - wait time 30-40 minutes for a taxi
- Are rude, disrespectful, and uncouth
- Would refuse credit cards so they could pocket cash (illegal!)
- Demanded tips on exorbitant fares
- Wouldn't pick up riders going to neighborhoods or in directions they didn't want

You name it, a taxi driver did it. Assholes. The fact that I can order an Uber by app and have it at my door in two minutes, zip across town, know my fare ahead of time, and follow the route on my phone. I can't tell you how much I love it. I take 5-6 ubers a week just because of the convenience and price.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/717155.page#12762264

Uber went from very good, to pretty good, to poor. It is now basically old DC cabs that you hail by iphone. Look, I don’t always want to listen to pounding hip hop at 7 am, or ride with no AC when it is 90+ degrees outside. And then there’s the expectation of tipping, because we all need to tip everyone all the time, even when they do they do nothing to deserve it. And passenger ratings, which ensure no one can ask a driver to turn down the radio, or not slam on the brakes and cause our things to fly onto the floor, etc. without rating repercussions.

I went from 100% Uber to about 50/50 Uber/cab.

The earlier thread about Ronald the Uber Driver got me thinking -- do you think that Uber, Lyft, and Via have gotten worse or better over the years?