Episode 16: Uber vs. Taxis

I’ve not got a whole bunch to say on this entry, other than I want to invite comments on why people are drawn to using Uber or similar services. I very rarely take cabs, but I wanted to note them as a shift towards ‘digitalisation’. The way I see it, I avoid Uber because I see it as part of the ‘enshittification’ of everything (not my term) that seems to be taking place under our new tech overlords.

The promise was taxi’s on demand – technology routing supply and demand more efficiently. You win with transparent pricing, driver reviews and clear waiting times. The driver’s win with more business, less waiting, and opening the driver pool beyond existing closed clubs. But, the way I see it today is: the apps lie about waiting times, leaving you stranded. The pricing isn’t transparent, and is usually about the same price as a cab. Driver’s have been screwed with a race-to-the-bottom – and nobody seems to care.

Maybe its a blessing of living in both Edinburgh and London, but every time I’ve needed a cab. I’ve walked to the road and hailed one in under five minutes.

I’m not sure of the use case of Uber. One upside I can see is for people who are alone, who feel/are vulnerable, and want to see the reputation/reviews of their driver before they get in. I

totally get that. We’ve also used it when needing to book a ride from a location far from a road (although I could have just called a number?).

For myself or when I’m with my girlfriend though, hailing a cab feels a lot more suave than plinky-plonking around with my phone and waiting in the cold because ‘Mr. X is only 2 minutes away…’