Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Millions upon of millions tourists are never going to order a car on their phone that has to travel to pick them up AND THEY HAVE TO SOMEHOW FIND IN A GIANT CLUSTER**** to take them from Ballys to the Venetian when ample cars are waiting to do that exact thing with zero effort from the passenger ! You think these tourists are filled with your hate, rage and heavy handed personal agenda, they are not! Most people over 40 have never even heard of UBER.
I preferred it before you edited this post when you simply called me insane. That's just precious.
Read up on your George Santayana. You know, what happens to people who do not learn from history.
"Why would you use a computer to book an airline ticket when you have travel agents to book tickets for you? Besides, old people will never be able to figure out how to use a computer." -- Travel agents, 1995.
"People like newspapers. They don't mind if it stains their fingertips black. They WANT to be able to do the crossword puzzle and read all the stories, printed on paper. Besides, old people will never be able to figure out how to use a computer." -- Newspaper editors, 1990.
"People love records and CDs. Why would they want a digital copy of music? That could be wiped out just by typing, 'DEL *.*' A CD or a record is permanent. Besides, old people will never learn how to figure out FTP file transfers." -- Record executives, 1990.
"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" -- Movie producers, 1927
"Airplanes are interesting toys. But they have no military value." -- various generals, 1914
This tells me you don't grasp the enormity of the problem in front of you. I have personally never been longhauled. And that's because I almost never take cabs in this town. I do elsewhere. Not here.
But you have scores of personal, first-hand long-haul anecdotes on this thread. There are hundreds elsewhere. The cab industry in Las Vegas has an awful reputation -- much like timeshare salesmen. The difference is, timeshare salesmen aren't sniveling online, "Why don't you like us. Whyyyyy?!?!?!?!?" They know why. They have trashed their own reputation so thoroughly that nobody in their right mind believes a goddamned thing that comes out of a timeshare salesman's mouth. That's just how it is.
But reputation isn't the problem you face. Your entire industry is completely, utterly, and and indelibly redundant. Cab drivers are just the next domino to fall in the industries that the Internet has irrevocably broken.
Basically, you're in the same boat that travel agents were in the 1990s. Remember those days? Prior to Internet travel booking, every town (even really small towns) had at least one travel agent. That's who you called if you wanted (or needed) to fly. Big businesses would have their own in-house travel agency.
And the reason we needed them is because they spoke the electronic gibberish that was the SABRE system. Just seeing if there were available seats looked like poorly-written FORTRAN mixed with assembly code. It was a freakin' nightmare to remember it all. Some of it is still with us -- YY class ticket prices. A lot of people know what that means to this day.
When AOL first offered EasySabre, and when the first rudimentary travel websites appeared, travel agents were all kinds of indignant. They insisted that the general public was too stupid to learn how to book a flight. And even if they could actually book a flight, the agent's experience all but guaranteed better rates. You can't compete with us, they sneered, this is what we do!
And then programmers made it so anyone could parse SABRE (which is still in use -- you buy a ticket on Kayak, it just buys the ticket for you on a SABRE system). And now we don't have travel agencies in every small town in North America anymore. Hindsight is 20-20. There are still travel agencies -- but they're the specialists. They're the ones which book sailing cruises, river cruises, safaris, trekking, and hard-to-reach places. They do round-the-world travel. But they don't book tickets from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. That's what computers are for.
I absolutely guarantee you that all the scare mongering you've done WILL come true. Some maniac Uber driver will assault a passenger. Sure, it's going to happen. But it doesn't matter. The taxi industry as we know it is done. Stick a fork in it. Uber is worth five times what every cab company in America is worth -- combined. Think about that. All those cars. All those businesses. All that hard work. Swept away by the internet in favor of a more efficient system.
Hang on as long as you can. But you may as well try to sweep the tide back with a broom. Your industry is a casualty of the Internet revolution. There will be more industries which are made utterly obsolete by technology. I guarantee that, too.
Uh yeah, wasn't the Internet supposed to wipe out the printing industry as well? Talk about scare mongering lol.
How come when I suggest to help get the bad drivers off the road, that is unacceptable too?
Let's put it this way... What would make YOU happy Scoop? Obviously for you, it's not about the fact that we do a hell of a job for the majority of people we see. I want to know how we can create an absolutely flawless system. How do we get rid of long haulers? How do we get rid of the drivers who are able to sneak through Uber's cracks in their weak background checking process? How do we get rid of shuttle and limo drivers padding the pockets of doormen to get additional passengers? How do we eliminate the bad apples of every profession out there? Because when you round up 10,000 people, there WILL BE handfuls of idiots in every one of those groups.
The cabbies (or people who don't hate us) on this thread are trying to actually suggest things to make the entire experience better not only for our local residents... But for the visitors who pay our bills. For the millionth time, WE DONT LIKE THOSE DRIVERS EITHER. Yet we suggest a simple solution to really start to make a difference and it gets laughed at and mocked.
You know we work on an averaging system, right? We are essentially graded by comparing the average daily bookings against our coworkers. What makes you think we are happy go lucky with the tools who long haul? While the majority of drivers don't long haul, those that do can push the average daily booking up, which can force the honest guys to work harder and harder to make that average.
Someone earlier in this thread compared long hauling people to being raped... Which was a bit extreme... But think of this... If you witnessed a rape or were the victim, wouldn't you want to get that person reported so they couldn't do it again??
You guys are being ridiculous. People who whine and do nothing to improve a situation for themself or others around them are the worst of the worst. It is NOT too much to ask... Look at your watch, write the cab number down, the time you were in it and called the TA number provided inside the cab. This would improve the situation in Las Vegas... AND BY RESISTING THIS METHOD SO FIERCELY, IT SHOWS HOW LITTLE LOCALS CARE ABOUT TAKING CARE OF OUR VISITORS. The quality drivers are already taking care of everyone they meet. We aren't in the cabs where the misconduct is happening.
So yeah... I'm asking for the "victims" to meet us halfway... I don't even know why I'm saying halfway when so many of us aren't doing anything but the best for our visitors. I try my ass off and it gets to the point that it's demoralizing listening to the bashing, bashing, bashing, bashing, bashing over and over again.
You want Uber? You got Uber... But don't for a second think they are 100% Angels... Remember... Bad apples in every bunch.
There is nothing more I can say without repeating. We want those people off the road. There are fewer than it's made out to be. The more quality people we have out there, the better the Vegas Experience will be for our visitors... And that is what I care about most. As residents, that is what we all should care about most. We are in it together.
Again, you sound exactly like the travel agents did in the 1990s when it became clear their days were numbered.
It's not my job to give you solutions how to save your industry. I'm telling you that it cannot be saved. In a matter of a few years, cab drivers will be like travel agents. There will still be plenty who make a living doing their job. But not nearly as many as in their heyday.
The taxi industry -- and by this I mean the cab companies which turned a blind eye to the shenanigans of their drivers -- could have postponed this by providing exemplary customer service. But look at London. Black cab drivers with "the knowledge" are universally loved by both tourists and locals. And Uber is still crushing them in London. And in a place like Las Vegas, where the industry doesn't have a good reputation in the first place? Watch how quick the market says, "See ya, hate to be ya."
Your days are numbered. Figure out a way to deal with it before the crush of unemployed cab drivers hits the streets looking for work.
As for the print industry? It's wiped out. Circling the drain. Compare any newspaper today to the same newspaper, circa 1985. Night and day.
Anyone reading this thread can see how many times you've put your foot in your mouth... Especially coming from someone who doesn't even use the cab service here. I'm done arguing with you because you're oblivious dude. Go think of a dozen more ideas than have already been implemented for years now... Since you're so innovative.
Scoop is right in long term direction but his examples and views are not going anywhere.
I actually did serious study on the paperless office and the future of printing in the late 60s and the 70s. We early on reach the conclusion that paperless would require more printing than presently existed. While the days of the newspaper and even books was limited the need for stuff on paper would only grow.
The fate of travel agents and the standard stock broker was quite clear in the 1980s. In the 70s and the l80s a lot of us thought the car salesman and the RE Agent were done for...but nope...not true.
The problem the cabbie has is not Uber Both the Cabbie and the Uber driver have the same problem. The autonomous vehicle is coming and they are going to get run over. And it is not ten years out. I awm still of the opinion it will be over the road trucks first...with all respect to Google et al that is the industry with the big payoff and the easier target. But the problem is solvable and will be.
Scoop's thought process is right but he does not understand this stuff well enough.
So, you CHOSE to ignore all the signs, warnings, telephone number, car numbers etc.. And then wonder what happened.
Yes it would be nice if there were no dishonest people out in the world, but if you did nothing to catch them then you have no one to blame but yourself.
BTW you can get free show tickets by listening to a two hour presentation...did you know that?
When you fly from England, it's almost an 11 hour flight. You are very tired. The holiday rep points you in the direction of the taxi rank. When I first visited in 2007, I don't remember seeing any signs warning about taxi drivers and their scams. I soon learned though, and started taking the WAX. I managed to avoid earning the free show tickets........
The car salesman is already being squeezed out by the internet sales department and more savvy customers. Real estate just needs a killer app to compete with the MLS. That's why the NAR shovels so much in the direction of Congress -- to protect their monopoly.
Craigslist killed newspapers. Websites killed the neighborhood travel agency. Uber is going to crush taxis. (And let's face it, driverless cars are still years off. Even though human drivers manage to kill tens of thousands and injure and maim an order of magnitude more each year, wait until the first robot car runs down a pedestrian. Or when people learn the algorithm for how cars decide who to collide with in the event of the unavoidable crash. They don't currently have ethical programming classes. These will be requirements in the engineering schools of the future.)
The recording industry thought they had a bulletproof business model. Right up until perfect digital copies of individual songs ruined it.
The movie studios thought they were safe from piracy. Right up until everyone had the bandwidth to download a movie in less time than it takes to watch a movie.
Magazines? Look at subscription rates -- they're in the toilet. That entire industry is still in its long and drawn-out death throes. The last magazine will likely be tabloid pablum such as "People."
Rolex thinks they can sell ten bucks worth of stainless steel and crystal for $10,000. Right up until 3D printers can print stainless and crystal. Watch what happens when 3D printing becomes a mature industry.
Let's take my silly little industry -- restaurants. It's a ridiculous concept when you think about it. Pay at least five times the cost of the ingredients, coupled with a $100 bottle of wine which sells for $15 in supermarkets. Pay the server 20% for delivering the food. As soon as Star Trek replicators are invented, my industry is dead. Only an absolute moron would think that people are going to willingly shell out $500 for two meals that actually cost $50, just for ambiance and tradition. It would be the height of petulance to blame the customer for being averse to overspending so much for a meal -- not when there's a sci-fi worthy alternative.
Just like the rest of these industries, the true specialists in the food and beverage world will still have a job, even in the age of Star Trek replicators. But there won't be nearly as many jobs available as there were during the golden age of restaurants.
When you fly from England, it's almost an 11 hour flight. You are very tired. The holiday rep points you in the direction of the taxi rank. When I first visited in 2007, I don't remember seeing any signs warning about taxi drivers and their scams. I soon learned though, and started taking the WAX. I managed to avoid earning the free show tickets........
That's because the sign didn't go up about estimated fares until January 2014, long after long hauling was a problem. While they would like to make it seem that you should have known better, there really wasn't much to let you know it was a problem at the time
The car salesman is already being squeezed out by the internet sales department and more savvy customers. Real estate just needs a killer app to compete with the MLS. That's why the NAR shovels so much in the direction of Congress -- to protect their monopoly.
Craigslist killed newspapers. Websites killed the neighborhood travel agency. Uber is going to crush taxis. (And let's face it, driverless cars are still years off. Even though human drivers manage to kill tens of thousands and injure and maim an order of magnitude more each year, wait until the first robot car runs down a pedestrian. Or when people learn the algorithm for how cars decide who to collide with in the event of the unavoidable crash. They don't currently have ethical programming classes. These will be requirements in the engineering schools of the future.)
The recording industry thought they had a bulletproof business model. Right up until perfect digital copies of individual songs ruined it.
The movie studios thought they were safe from piracy. Right up until everyone had the bandwidth to download a movie in less time than it takes to watch a movie.
Magazines? Look at subscription rates -- they're in the toilet. That entire industry is still in its long and drawn-out death throes. The last magazine will likely be tabloid pablum such as "People."
Rolex thinks they can sell ten bucks worth of stainless steel and crystal for $10,000. Right up until 3D printers can print stainless and crystal. Watch what happens when 3D printing becomes a mature industry.
Let's take my silly little industry -- restaurants. It's a ridiculous concept when you think about it. Pay at least five times the cost of the ingredients, coupled with a $100 bottle of wine which sells for $15 in supermarkets. Pay the server 20% for delivering the food. As soon as Star Trek replicators are invented, my industry is dead. Only an absolute moron would think that people are going to willingly shell out $500 for two meals that actually cost $50, just for ambiance and tradition. It would be the height of petulance to blame the customer for being averse to overspending so much for a meal -- not when there's a sci-fi worthy alternative.
Just like the rest of these industries, the true specialists in the food and beverage world will still have a job, even in the age of Star Trek replicators. But there won't be nearly as many jobs available as there were during the golden age of restaurants.
GREAT POST!!!
I will add however that restaurants bring something else to the table. (pun intended) The experience and great customer service. Yes the mechanics of the food are easy to do at home for the fraction of the cost. But, heading out with friends where everyone can choose their own menu and have it delivered with a smile is priceless. The time not cooking and cleaning can be spent on social interaction and step away from the usual dinner grind. The restaurant industry gets that and I pay a premium for that service and experience on occasion. If it is not delivered the restaurant folds. Easy market forces.
Cabs---Not really an experience at all. A slimy cab stuck in traffic driven by someone who really could care less about you other than cargo. Don't get me wrong I appreciate simple utilitarian transport and take cabs frequently in Las Vegas. (Yes Vegas_Cabbie I have taken Las Vegas cabs thousands of times) Just give some customer service and a good price and you will beat Uber to death. Long haul me, don't show up when your dispatcher promises (yes I am still harping on that) and we will find another option.
The hubris of the cabbies on this site is truly spectacular to watch. Snivel about Uber, blame the customer, deny that they are risk, blah blah blah. Arguing with them is proof of the definition of insanity.
Just picked up at Treasure Island and dropped off at Terminal 1. Two younger girls who blabbed between themselves nonstop. Asked me to turn up A/C... Which I did for them.
Four bags, two of them at least 60 pounds (trust me, I swear my wife packs blocks of lead in her bags on vacations... I know the weight).
Took Strip to Flamingo, Flamingo to Koval, Koval to Trop, Trop to Terminal 1. Shortest route, $14.84 right in front of their departing airline's check in.
Hands me a $20 and asks for $5 back. Thanked them and told them to have a good day.
Onto the next ride.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
