Matt Davies for July 07, 2015

I remember a time we used to hitchhike everywhere. Mostly, it was safe. At times, not so much. I was one of the lucky ones; my most scary times were when the driver grabbed my package, and the woman who had the speedo pegged at 120 in her Duster and did not say one word for over a hundred miles. Riders who use Uber should use much caution. If I was a serial killer, I would be tempted to advertise my ride.

Uber is just a symptom of overregulation and government interference. We’re a society of people who believe we should be free; sooner or later, there will be rebellion, innovation, whatever you want to call it.

Yes, scab labor is cheaper than hiring union members. And food is a lot less expensive if you don’t have to comply with all those bothersome sanitation laws, too. In fact, we can go right back to the days of the robber barons and scrap all those ridiculous laws that simply ensure safety and protect the working poor.

The people I know who use Uber like : 1) It’s credit card only, no cash changes hands. (2) Drivers AND Passengers are reviewed so both can decide if they want to use/serve a person with a bad review. (3) Cars must meet a set of criteria that makes them more ‘comfortable’ to passengers. (4) Drivers must have their cell phones on settings that allow management to locate them and clients to see where incoming drivers are at any given moment. (5) Drivers often provide bottles of water and/or other ‘treats’ for riders and are more friendly than taxi drivers – this again is according to friends who use Uber.People believe Uber drivers are held to a higher standard than taxi drivers. In my area, taxi drivers are not union and don’t use medallions. A taxi driver from our church says turn over is very high and dealing in cash makes drivers prey to riders and people who act like they want to catch a ride.

in NYC the yellow cab drivers are liars and crooks. Uber is a far better alternative.

The cartoon left out the part where the woman wakes up naked in a hotel room with the Uber driver. There have been numerous rapes and assaults by Uber drivers since they only do a cursory background check.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/04/more-bad-news-for-uber-driver-arrested-in-los-angeles-rape-case.html

Obviously standard cab service became petrified by government and union rules. Uber innovated to provide a better experience and value to it’s customers. That’s the way old companies die and new companies become successful.

Welll Said Stan and Ted. Governments love to set up taxes and rules that benefit their crony contributors when they think the public has no alternative.

I love the fact that Uber has exploited the government’s own foolishness.

I’ve used Uber in 3 cities and found it to be a clean quick service. As far as safety knowing when to expect your driver to arrive, which was never more than 10 minutes, is far safer than standing on a street for 30 minutes while waiting for an old school cab.

Taxis are over regulated, obviously. Uber’s technology platform makes getting a cab easier, and, you can track the Uber car’s progress as it gets closer. The taxi industry has been a sleepy backwater of hit or miss, regardless of the regulatory nonsense. Great case of the downside of sclerotic regulation. One cannot generalize though, and either say Uber “needs” to be more heavily regulated, or that other regulatory regimes are as antiquated and stupid as taxis.

My taxi permit came from the County Sheriff’s Department, & came with a criminal background check. People trusted me to pick up their kids from the babysitter or their drugs from the pharmacist. Don’t know ’bout Über.