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Illinois Nazi

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The government wants to tax it now too. Interesting that they are taxing something that is potentially illegal in the first place.
Tax and the rest of the law are two separate things. I can't remember the name off the top of my head, but there was a guy here in WA a few years back successfully claimed a $200,000 tax deduction for drug money that was stolen from him.
 
May 5, 2006
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It's the taxi owners who are worried.

Taxi drivers can just become Uber drivers.

Yep.

People don't seem to like blunt realities but anyone with a drivers license can drive a car around. It's not a particularly impressive skill.

Govt and taxi companies just want to keep making money off the value of the plates, not the service provided.
 

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Sep 22, 2011
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I feel bad with the taxi companies basically paying for the monopoly and then the government just letting uber waltz in

They won't. Uber will be banned soon enough.

It's basically illegal anyway, no idea how it got started. People can't just start their own taxi, you need a license.

The license system is the problem with taxis, but nobody will ever stop it now, they're worth too much.
 

Stratton_Gun

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Used it once. Mate booked it after a big night in the city. Don't remember too much but I remember thinking it was weird to just get in the car of some random. Turned out ok. He stopped for petrol which was annoying but meh. Was cheaper but not ridiculously so. About 2/3 of a taxi. Would use again although I can't book it as I don't have a smartphone
 
May 5, 2006
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It's basically illegal anyway, no idea how it got started. People can't just start their own taxi, you need a license.

The license system is the problem with taxis, but nobody will ever stop it now, they're worth too much.

When the system is broken, you need a new system.

Uber is no different to Napster or Pirate Bay or any other idea that started online and took off.

I agree that it will inevitably be banned, but if it places pressure on the taxi industry to evolve then it has done its job. If it wasn't for people working out how to fileshare digital media content then there would be no iTunes or Foxtel etc.
 
Mar 2, 2011
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I just used it for the first time tonight and was very impressed. It arrived really quick. Not to mention being much easier to book and I feel it would be safer than a Taxi despite not having the regulations. I'd probably use Uber from now on even if it was the same price as a taxi.

It would be a shame if it was shut down. It would be much better if the Taxi industry was to try and improve to match the service
 

The Passenger

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It would be much better if the Taxi industry was to try and improve to match the service
The biggest issue's in making this happen boil down to cost - With Uber the driver gets 80% of the fare and Uber get 20% (or something like that)...

With the taxi industry the taxi owner needs to get their cut and on top of that need to pay licences, fuel, maintenance and probably some subsidiary costs that we don't think about. Ultimately it's the taxi driver who becomes the face of the taxi - how he presents, whether or not he knows where to go, how clean he keeps the taxi and what he does during the ride (engage with you or just drive is fine... on their phone is not fine)...

Given it's been reported some taxi drivers can earn less than $15/hour then it's no wonder they don't give the slighest s**t about their job. If their wage is going to be upped to say minimum $20/hour during weeks, 25/hour on weekends, plus potential pay bonuses for hitting certain fare bonuses is a night, then they just won't care. Taxi owners won't do this because they'll either have to up the fares which will lose customers, or they have to take it from their cut which isn't going to happen either.
 
Sep 22, 2011
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I just used it for the first time tonight and was very impressed. It arrived really quick. Not to mention being much easier to book and I feel it would be safer than a Taxi despite not having the regulations. I'd probably use Uber from now on even if it was the same price as a taxi.

It would be a shame if it was shut down. It would be much better if the Taxi industry was to try and improve to match the service

The taxi industry can't improve. There's too many hands that need to be paid.

The system is fundamentally broken.
 

craigos

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Uber driver drops drunk girl home alone
Goes back later and kills her
Uber no more

Bookmark it.
 
Sep 22, 2011
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When the system is broken, you need a new system.

Uber is no different to Napster or Pirate Bay or any other idea that started online and took off.

I agree that it will inevitably be banned, but if it places pressure on the taxi industry to evolve then it has done its job. If it wasn't for people working out how to fileshare digital media content then there would be no iTunes or Foxtel etc.

It is different, as the illegal options (ie Napster) were easily accessible and safe.

Using an illegal black market taxi is something many people wouldn't do due to the safety risk, particularly women.

All that needs to happen is Uber is shut down and the taxis go back to having no competition. Any competition needs to be fairly visible, which means it can be easily shut down by legislators.
 

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Bomberboyokay

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It is different, as the illegal options (ie Napster) were easily accessible and safe.

Using an illegal black market taxi is something many people wouldn't do due to the safety risk, particularly women.

All that needs to happen is Uber is shut down and the taxis go back to having no competition. Any competition needs to be fairly visible, which means it can be easily shut down by legislators.

If Uber died it just takes another person to set up an app for everyone to download.

The brands will change but unofficial taxis are now permanent.
 

Bomberboyokay

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Things can be illegal and flourish.

Governments won't and can't chase after everyone with a smartphone and car.
 

iDon

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Prebooked two cabs last night for 1030. First one came 15 min late, second one didn't come til 1150. Absolutely ridiculous. Was in an area with no ubers otherwise that situation would've been fixed easily enough
 
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I do also wonder how long it will take for the Uber drivers to realise that they're really earning peanuts (especially if they have to fuel and maintain their own vehicle), and demanding a greater cut of the pie (or just a bigger pie), forcing the service to have a price rise.
 

craigos

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Why couldn't that happen with a taxi driver? (I'm sure it already has)
It absolutely has and may be even related to the Claremont Serial Killer. It's something that isn't government regulated though and the taxi industry would cash in on it and the government would be forced to do something about it because people would be up in arms. People love to go crazy about sh*t they don't understand and this would be no different.
 

iDon

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Anyone catch the story on channel 9 news? Sayeed approached what he thought was an uber driving then his foot was "run over." He chased him down the road, his heartrate reached 155 lol Then ended the report with him saying he would be worried about driving a taxi again. I feel we will be getting a report a week on this.
 

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