Uber and Lyft in Milwaukee (Madison: coupons, crime, credit card)

[pman]

As an outsider I'm interested in the city's response (uncapping taxi services). I know it hasn't even been a month but what's happening? opinions? it's a big fight in my hometown where only uber black is available

[thefragile]

The Common Council lifted the cap. Milwaukee Common Council unanimously lifts cap on taxi permits

I personally have never used either service yet but I hear nothing but good things about them. I have a friend who drives for uber in Atlanta, he makes some pretty good money doing it on the side, usually airport runs.

[asnigro]

I've used Uber once in Milwaukee and once in Madison. Could not have been happier with both experiences.

Fast pick up, better than normal taxi cab rates, no cash transaction (Paypal account), email confirmation as a receipt explaining all fees, route taken and other details pertaining to your trip. Fills all voids I personally thought existed in using local cabs.

You can even get free/discounted ride coupons now in some places since they are just starting out.

[cheese plate]

I've only heard good things, though I've never tried it myself.

[Water 4 the Pool]

I frequently take taxis when in Milwaukee for business or personal reasons. Some are fine, but most are pretty bad--old cars, cluttered, dirty. The credit card process is time consuming and annoying.

uber will make it a lot more competitive. I assume the cars will be generally new and clean.

Don't you generally have to call for a cab in MKE anyway? I can pick them up at hotels pretty easily, but assume you can't easily hail a cab.

I live in NYC and use both taxis and uber all the time. Our cabs are generally very good but uber is great for those times when there are few cabs on the streets ("shift changes"), when you're in an obscure location, or when you need an SUV to get to the airport because you have four kids (like I do).

[Vegas_Cabbie]

To drive for Uber, you have to submit your vehicle's info to the company. It has to be a newer four-door vehicle.
In some cities, Uber would work... Milwaukee is probably one of them considering the general need for a fleet of cabs isn't there. There isn't a hub that demands cabs all the time, it is kind of spread out throughout the city. Think of the suburbs with all the neighborhood dive bars everywhere. The airport/howell/hotel area doesn't require THAT many, but there is still a need there. Then you have the downtown/east side area that also has a lot of spread out space where cabs are needed.
I drive one in Vegas and basically the need for cabs is so centralized to the Strip/Downtown/Airport (all very close together) that Uber would be a total waste of time here. We have all the cabs we need in this relatively tight location, thus not leaving areas without cabs. Milwaukee doesn't have that kind of a centralized hub, so the cab services aren't that efficient.
Uber definitely has it's issues though. There has been a recent surge in crime revolving around Uber/Lyft services.

Here is an investigation that happened in L.A. regarding Uber drivers and the company's policies on criminal behavior:
Risky Ride: Who's Behind the Wheel of Uber Cars? | NBC Southern California

I don't know what policies are like in Milwaukee for cabbies, but in Vegas, it is a heck of a lot more strict and regulated for cab drivers than what Uber requires.

I had to provide full DMV history as well as a full criminal background check in order to even be considered. Drug testing including urine and hair sample (first job Ive ever had hair test done - even We-Energies didn't do that when I was working in the Power Plants).

There are two-way cameras that record everything inside and out of every Vegas cab.

With Uber, there is just way too much of a disconnect between the driver and Uber itself... setting up potentially dangerous situations like the ones described in the video.

Uber's policies have themselves in a position where basically no matter what happens while on a ride, the company always has a easy out if things go wrong. As an Independent Contractor and not an actual Employee, they view themselves as "not responsible" for any wrongdoing.

This is in addition to the horrible tipping policy Uber has... What if your driver is a total knob... or what if they were way above and beyond expectations?

[pman]

in a lot of older cities there is a central business district where cabs are prevalent but outside of them, in the neighborhoods, they are not. often it can be difficult to get cabs to pick you up since they have to leave the more lucrative cbd. the medallions cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and cabbies make very little. seems like the answer is to eliminate medallions and uncap taxis allowing people a choice of whom to work for (uber, old line cabs, or any other potential competition). uber ingeniously harnessed the power of the car services that many already used in older cities. anyway, could the city require background checks for all drivers regardless of company? it sounds like there is still a license to drive in milwaukee