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A comment on Atlanta introduces bill to regulate Uber and Lyft. Parent comment

Re:Atlanta introduces bill to regulate Uber and Lyft by outside1234 on Friday February 07, 2014 @11:05AM (#7196869)
The disallowing internet apps seems dumb. Seriously, if I could flag a regular cab with a general purpose app that would be about 95% of the value of Uber to me.

I'm sort of baffled why someone like Yellow Cab doesn't just put out an app.

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Re:Atlanta introduces bill to regulate Uber and Lyft by frankydp on Friday February 07, 2014 @11:10AM (#7196906)
The use of Internet or cellular telephone software to calculate rates shall not be permitted unless such software complies with and conforms to the weights and measures standards.

Not disallowed just have to show your app is measuring properly.

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Re:Atlanta introduces bill to regulate Uber and Lyft by cjrp on Friday February 07, 2014 @11:21AM (#7196989)
Or just have the driver type in the fare manually from their meter?
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Re:Atlanta introduces bill to regulate Uber and Lyft by greg5green on Friday February 07, 2014 @11:14AM (#7196940)
At least here in Columbus, Yellow Cab does have an app for that: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id628065359?mt=8 or https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apcurium.M...

With all the crazy laws surrounding taxis and liveries, I wouldn't be surprised if an app like that is illegal in some municipalities.

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Re:Atlanta introduces bill to regulate Uber and Lyft by pmorici on Friday February 07, 2014 @11:23AM (#7196999)
It doesn't matter if it is an app or a phone call there is a culture in the Taxi industry of just ignoring calls for a pick-up in certain areas that they view negatively. Uber and Lyft don't discriminate like that.
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Re:Atlanta introduces bill to regulate Uber and Lyft by couradical on Friday February 07, 2014 @11:28AM (#7197042)
You've obviously never tried to hail an Uber from a dodgy neighborhood in Boston then. It takes me twice as long to get picked up where I live, versus my girlfriend, and I generally have to go through a driver switch or two.
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Re:Atlanta introduces bill to regulate Uber and Lyft by pmorici on Friday February 07, 2014 @11:48AM (#7197205)
Well yeah it takes a little longer because drivers aren't going to hang out in that neighborhood. You do eventually get picked up though. My experience in Baltimore with taxis is that no amount of calling will get them to come to a part of town they don't like. Nothing is going to change the fact that it is a crappy part of town but the difference between no pick-up ever and pick-up with a small glitch is huge for a lot of people living around those areas.
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Re:Atlanta introduces bill to regulate Uber and Lyft by GFK_of_xmaspast on Friday February 07, 2014 @11:35AM (#7197098)
Is a Uber or Lyft driver required to accept any pick-up?
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Re:Atlanta introduces bill to regulate Uber and Lyft by pmorici on Friday February 07, 2014 @11:45AM (#7197183)
No, but, they track acceptance % by drivers so a driver that is screening locations like that will put themselves at risk of being kicked off Uber. The expectation is that the acceptance % is very high and that once a fare is accepted it is 100% carried out. Also when they display a potential fare to a driver they only show an estimate of how far away it is in minutes and a very zoomed in map of the location so it is hard to even know where you are going to be headed exactly before you accept.
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Re:Atlanta introduces bill to regulate Uber and Lyft by ig1 on Friday February 07, 2014 @11:40AM (#7197144)
There is one: https://www.hailocab.com
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Re:Atlanta introduces bill to regulate Uber and Lyft by bbanyc on Friday February 07, 2014 @11:36AM (#7197102)
That's pretty much what Hailo is. It's not yet as widespread as Uber though.
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