Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O.

Re:Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O. by davidf18 on Wednesday June 21, 2017 @10:43AM (#14604193)

In NYC, the Yellow cabs have a huge, huge overhead because of Taxi Medallions that used to cost $1.2 million each which effectively added $125 or so for a 12 hour shift. The value of the medallions are now < $700K, but I don't know if the $125 overhead is still in force.

Uber is far more expensive in NYC than other cities such as Chicago.

Now that Uber has allowed tipping and since there is a rating system, everyone must now tip otherwise risk getting low ratings which effectively makes NYC rides even more expensive than they had been.

Most people don't own cars in Manhattan so that they either have to take mass transit or use Uber/Lyft/Taxi. There are many elderly on fixed incomes that have trouble ambulating (moving around) where lower cost taxi service is important.

In NYC at least, Uber doesn't need all of that corporate overhead and perhaps they should spin it off into some low-overhead operation.

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Re:Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O. by pishpash on Wednesday June 21, 2017 @11:16AM (#14604503)

Tipping with rating basically equates to a shakedown. You have to now guess at the subjective price that the driver "feels" is deserved instead of what was agreed upon.

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Re:Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O. by smelterdemon on Wednesday June 21, 2017 @11:33AM (#14604655)

It's not like it was impossible to tip before. Now you just don't need to carry cash.

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Re:Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O. by taneq on Wednesday June 21, 2017 @09:16PM (#14609421)

I don't use Uber myself, but doesn't the driver not find out what tip you gave them until after they've rated you?

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Re:Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O. by s73ver on Wednesday June 21, 2017 @04:12PM (#14607476)

On Lyft, the driver doesn't know that you tipped or how much. I fail to see why this would be any different.

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Re:Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O. by lucaspm98 on Wednesday June 21, 2017 @11:38AM (#14604707)

It has been assumed that the rating system will be blind, meaning the drivers will not be able to see tips before leaving their rating. There is still the social pressure to leave a tip, but it likely will not be quite as rude as not tipping a traditional cab driver.

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Re:Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O. by rubicon33 on Wednesday June 21, 2017 @12:24PM (#14605185)

Can you elaborate on what you mean when you say, "It has been assumed that the rating system will be blind"...

- There is already a rating system for drivers, and riders, so this isn't a "will be" thing, right?

- The rating system is not currently blind, as far as I know. Certainly riders can see drivers rating, and I believe drivers can see riders rating as well.

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Re:Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O. by lucaspm98 on Wednesday June 21, 2017 @01:48PM (#14606178)

Blind was not the best term to use. I meant the rating will have to be made by the driver before he can see the tip given by the passenger, so they cannot leave a lower rating because of what they deem to be not enough of a tip.

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Re:Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O. by rubicon33 on Thursday June 22, 2017 @12:13PM (#14613254)

Ahh ok, that makes sense. Hopefully they will do it that way.

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Re:Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O. by compuguy on Wednesday June 21, 2017 @11:46AM (#14604786)

I'm guessing tipping is only available in NYC for Uber. I didn't see that option here in the Washington DC area.

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Re:Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O. by rubicon33 on Wednesday June 21, 2017 @12:25PM (#14605196)

I received an email from Uber yesterday. They're slowly rolling out the tipping service, starting in a few cities at first to test it out. It will eventually be everywhere.

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