Show HN: Ulaxi calculates whether UberX, Lyft, or Taxi is best for your trip

Re:Show HN: Ulaxi calculates whether UberX, Lyft, or Taxi is... by peterwwillis on Monday April 14, 2014 @02:44PM (#7587990)

Some things I find interesting after accidentally mapping from my work to SF:

  Your trip is 2812.3 miles and will take 2455.1 minutes.

1.7 days? I found it hard to believe it would only take two days to drive the width of the country, but other maps/sources show the same time, minus breaks of course.

  Uber rate: $4957.94
  Lyft rate: $6328.86
  Taxi rate: $9087.01

For 21 miles per gallon using premium (my car; ugh), the cost of a one-way trip driving yourself is $561. If ownership cost of the vehicles is assumed the same, the hourly rate for your driver is almost $108/hour (though i'm sure there's some taxi-specific costs i'm missing).

It really makes a striking case for how inefficient hired transit can be. But the above are transit options for a single passenger that can happen at any time or schedule. What about mass-transit options?

A Greyhound bus ticket from Baltimore to SF is only $244 and two days, 15 hours. There are five transfers.

An Amtrak train ticket from Baltimore to SF is only $318, and three days, 5 hours. There are three transfers.

And a one-way Delta flight from BWI to SFO is $171, and 10 hours 49 minutes. There is one transfer.

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Re:Show HN: Ulaxi calculates whether UberX, Lyft, or Taxi is... by a-priori on Monday April 14, 2014 @05:31PM (#7589088)

The IRS calculates that the cost per mile to operate a car in 2014 is, on average, $0.56 per mile. This factors in the fixed (amortized cost to buy a car) and variable (gas, maintenance) costs.

Based on that, the cost to drive 2812.3 miles one way is actually $1574.89.

http://www.irs.gov/2014-Standard-Mileage-Rates-for-Business,...

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Re:Show HN: Ulaxi calculates whether UberX, Lyft, or Taxi is... by xivzgrev on Wednesday April 16, 2014 @02:27AM (#7596397)

Yea if someone is totally utilized on UberX or Lyft they can make some good money.

Your story reminded me of the two guys who took a cab from NYC to LA for $5000. So they negotiated the rate down a bit with volume ;) http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2011-04-22-nyc-l...

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