Threat to ride-sharing at Sky Harbor (station, best, money)

[DatBoiLavoi]

It would difficult to track whether it's autonomous or not. It's even harder if the transaction doesn't occur in USD. They could try toll booths I guess but logistically that wont work.

A better approach would be to tax airline tickets or shops within the airport. This can't be avoided and it is easier and cheaper to enforce. People going to be he airport don't go there to hangout. They go there to consume products and services.

[john3232]

O.k... if need be I can take Uber to Gilbert/Main in Mesa and ride the Light Rail to 44/Washington in Phx.

Then take the Sky Harbor train to the airport terminal I'm using.

What I don't want to do is use a taxi and find myself stuck in traffic.

Uber was great to use to/from the airport because the fare was set.

[Bates419]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

I'll bite. Here is one: a lot of drunk drivers are no longer on the road because of the simplicity and flexibility or their app. I also love the value-add of being able to watch my wife go to here destination from afar through the app. Think safety and peace of mind. It also frees up a lot of parking spots in congested towns. When i don't have to rent a car, my productivity of having to pick it up is increased. In another example, my son in Boston doesn't need a car because of it (in combo with his bicycle). I can go on and on... You're a smart guy, why do I need to explain the obvious.

So yea, the market cap value proves their value. It seems you are a little bitter toward Uber and Lyft. Care to explain why?

Results are very mixed in the claim of drunk driving reductions


https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/4/1...s-study-cities


I don't hate them, they are a great idea if they followed regulations and actually paid their workers. They take away decent paying jobs and contribute little to any Jurisdiction they are in, the minute anyone questions them they threaten to take their ball and go home. They are the definition of race to the bottom along with the others I mentioned. But hey you win singularly and short term.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by Bates419

Results are very mixed in the claim of drunk driving reductions


https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/4/1...s-study-cities


I don't hate them, they are a great idea if they followed regulations and actually paid their workers. They take away decent paying jobs and contribute little to any Jurisdiction they are in, the minute anyone questions them they threaten to take their ball and go home. They are the definition of race to the bottom along with the others I mentioned. But hey you win singularly and short term.

Sigh. They are following regulations. Are you suggesting they are doing something illegal? Big business lobbies. Like it or not it's what they do.

As for the topic of decent-paying jobs. Excluding Lyft, Uber directly employees around 30,000 high paying employees. A significant amount of workers make six-figure salaries. Next, a quick search shows they invested around $500 million a year on their autonomous vehicle unit called Advanced Technologies Group (ATG). Much of it is R&D spending. You know, high paying jobs while adding value to other people than who reside in the back seat. https://www.uber.com/us/en/atg/

So society is benefiting. With their R&D investment, they are helping us to race to the top. Are the drivers getting hosed? Yep. If you care so much, tip them what you deem as fair. I tip well. The last few drivers I used absolutely loved being an Uber/Lyft contractor.

[Kate2345]

Most of my Uber drivers have other jobs and love the flexibility. Some have fancy white collar jobs and do it as a “jobby” Some are stay at home moms who can work while kids are in school but need flexibility for sick kids and holidays. Some are between jobs and doing this in interim while job searching. Some are realtors trolling for clients. Some are retired and bored. There are lots of kinds of Uber drivers but one thing 99% have in common is they wouldn’t ever be professional cab drivers. These are not people desperate to be professional cab drivers but big bad Uber is forcing them to be rideshare contractors. Just accept that’s it’s a different pool of people who do not want to be traditional full time cab drivers.

Source: I’ve taken over a thousand Uber rides and I talked to all of them.

Fun note: some interesting Uber drivers I’ve had:

Former intel big shot (retired)
Facilities manager for baseball team spring training
Tribute band performer in casinos
French translator
Pilot from UK here for training
Mining chemist between jobs
Former Arabic translator for military (and poet!)
Former Cuban tv producer
Retired artist who actually made good living doing large corporate sculpture installations
Social worker working with at risk foster kids
Early aeoroscpace industry immigrant to Phoenix (Honeywell) in 1970 as a former RAF officer
Etc etc

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by Kate2345

Most of my Uber drivers have other jobs and love the flexibility. Some have fancy white collar jobs and do it as a “jobby” Some are stay at home moms who can work while kids are in school but need flexibility for sick kids and holidays. Some are between jobs and doing this in interim while job searching. Some are realtors trolling for clients. Some are retired and bored. There are lots of kinds of Uber drivers but one thing 99% have in common is they wouldn’t ever be professional cab drivers. These are not people desperate to be professional cab drivers but big bad Uber is forcing them to be rideshare contractors. Just accept that’s it’s a different pool of people who do not want to be traditional full time cab drivers.

Source: I’ve taken over a thousand Uber rides and I talked to all of them.

Fun note: some interesting Uber drivers I’ve had:

Former intel big shot (retired)
Facilities manager for baseball team spring training
Tribute band performer in casinos
French translator
Pilot from UK here for training
Mining chemist between jobs
Former Arabic translator for military (and poet!)
Former Cuban tv producer
Retired artist who actually made good living doing large corporate sculpture installations
Social worker working with at risk foster kids
Early aeoroscpace industry immigrant to Phoenix (Honeywell) in 1970 as a former RAF officer
Etc etc

You are spot-on ^^. I take far fewer rides that you and I just got back from Seattle. The driver who took us to the airport was a bored retiree that wanted to make some extra money. As a typical senior male who needs less sleep, he enjoys doing early airport runs and took a prescheduled early run. Our young 30-year-old driver returning from the airport was an insurance agent by day, Uber/Lyft driver by night. I got the feeling he was subsidizing his day job as insurance agents tend to be underpaid when they start out. Both were articulate and very good drivers.

Even though we rented a 4x4 to Whistler, BC. While in Seattle, we used rideshare to dodge the hassle and the expense of parking plus we also expected to have some drinks. One of the drivers was proud of his new car that he rents from Lyft https://www.lyft.com/expressdrive?ut...IaAg7jEALw_wcB I've observed drivers who rent cars several times. It must be a win-win-win for everybody involved.

[jnojr]

Originally Posted by yukon

I don't get why everyone is so upset. Unless you fly frequently, this fee will have minimal effect on you.

You might have tried reading the article. Uber and Lyft are going to stop servicing the airport over this.

Uber has already announced they're out.

I don't care about the $4... I expense all of my trips to the airport. My problem is now, how they heck do I get there? Call a taxi, wait forever, and have them charge me whatever they want? Take Super Shuttle (oh, wait, can't, they're gone)? Drive myself and park?

Lyft was my best option for a long time, and it's been taken away by short-sighted people who "don't see the problem", because they themselves do not travel and don't care about others.

[veritased]

I think some of the supporters of the tax were going to sign up to take shifts and drive us all to the airport 24x7.

[jnojr]

Originally Posted by Kate2345

Most of my Uber drivers have other jobs and love the flexibility. Some have fancy white collar jobs and do it as a “jobby” Some are stay at home moms who can work while kids are in school but need flexibility for sick kids and holidays. Some are between jobs and doing this in interim while job searching. Some are realtors trolling for clients. Some are retired and bored. There are lots of kinds of Uber drivers but one thing 99% have in common is they wouldn’t ever be professional cab drivers. These are not people desperate to be professional cab drivers but big bad Uber is forcing them to be rideshare contractors. Just accept that’s it’s a different pool of people who do not want to be traditional full time cab drivers.

That's impossible. They're all abused and oppressed! They just don't know it. But those who can see that clearly have a duty to stop them from living their lives the way they want, to make the world a better place (as I see it)!

[oceangaia]

Originally Posted by jnojr

You might have tried reading the article. Uber and Lyft are going to stop servicing the airport over this.

Uber has already announced they're out.

I don't care about the $4... I expense all of my trips to the airport. My problem is now, how they heck do I get there? Call a taxi, wait forever, and have them charge me whatever they want? Take Super Shuttle (oh, wait, can't, they're gone)? Drive myself and park?

Lyft was my best option for a long time, and it's been taken away by short-sighted people who "don't see the problem", because they themselves do not travel and don't care about others.

I think the same article suggested what you could do - take the train to a station to meet your rideshare driver. Admittedly an extra step and a hassle. It would probably be in uber's best immediate interests to pass along the fee. They would probably lose far less revenue. I'd bet far more people will be reluctant to take a train to meet an uber than to pay an extra fee and continue as is. But uber is probably more interested in winning the war than losing the battle, and is sending a message to all the other airports that they aren't going to roll over and pass the buck.