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Uber Brighton



Tory Boy

Active member
Jun 14, 2004
968
Brighton
Uber is a huge move forward. For a female travelling alone, it's great that they will know the car and driver in advance, the journey will be logged and they won't have to find cash there and then. This can only be better than standing at the side of the road and flagging down a cab where nothing is known or recorded.
Those options are not unique to Uber, an exiting B&H operator has a very similar system that allows customers to pay cash as well as credit cards etc.

I'm quite sure all the B&H firms will have everything Uber offers and more shortly. Uber is actually old hat.

TB
 




Those options are not unique to Uber, an exiting B&H operator has a very similar system that allows customers to pay cash as well as credit cards etc.

I'm quite sure all the B&H firms will have everything Uber offers and more shortly. Uber is actually old hat.

TB

I agree but my point was missed. The B+H taxi firms are basically another private hire operator like Uber. It's the Hackneys that are old hat.

The drivers/owners of a Hackney license actually believe it's a license to print money and that their license will always be worth a small fortune when they wish to exit the trade. The council have issued limited numbers of hackney licenses which in itself ensures there is a market for the transfer of a license. Hailing a cab in the traditional sense in surely going to diminish, be it due to Ubers arrival or the other PH firms introducing new technology?

But what gets me most is how daft the PH firms are. The Uber model has been there for a while now. The technology can't be too tricky too create. You would have thought at least one of the local firms would have been using such technology for a while now? Instead they wait until a new player comes to town, and will no doubt lose a chunk of business to before they adapt
 


Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch
NSC Patron
Oct 27, 2003
21,086
The arse end of Hangleton
After last night can't say I'm impressed with any of our cab firms - including Uber. I attempted to pre-book a cab last night for 7.30pm over an hour before I needed it ( as it was Saturday I knew it would be busy ). I phoned 3 cab companies and all said 'Well we're busy tonight so we can't guarantee anyone will get to you'. Well that's helpful, thanks. So I booked a cab with all three in the hope that one might turn up. One did, and on time - the other two did as well but late - I wonder if they enjoyed their fruitless journeys ?

As for Uber - no cars available all evening - to their credit I did at least know where I stood unlike the other three cab firms.
 


Wellesley

Well-known member
Jul 24, 2013
4,973
After last night can't say I'm impressed with any of our cab firms - including Uber. I attempted to pre-book a cab last night for 7.30pm over an hour before I needed it ( as it was Saturday I knew it would be busy ). I phoned 3 cab companies and all said 'Well we're busy tonight so we can't guarantee anyone will get to you'. Well that's helpful, thanks. So I booked a cab with all three in the hope that one might turn up. One did, and on time - the other two did as well but late - I wonder if they enjoyed their fruitless journeys ?

As for Uber - no cars available all evening - to their credit I did at least know where I stood unlike the other three cab firms.

Well done for booking three cabs. The drivers that are trying to make a living for their famlies must really appreciate that. Maybe if people like you only ordered one cab, there would be more cabs available for everyone. Whatever you think of the Companies, the cab drivers I know and use don't make a fortune, you should be ashamed.
 


Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch
NSC Patron
Oct 27, 2003
21,086
The arse end of Hangleton
Well done for booking three cabs. The drivers that are trying to make a living for their famlies must really appreciate that. Maybe if people like you only ordered one cab, there would be more cabs available for everyone. Whatever you think of the Companies, the cab drivers I know and use don't make a fortune, you should be ashamed.

Maybe if they actually gave some sort of definite answer to actually arriving to pick me up then I wouldn't NEED to multi book ? I was booking more than an HOUR before I needed the cab - not beyond the wit of man to ensure ONE of the DOZENS of cabs they have on the road is pre-booked to be somewhere ( local ) at a pre-set time.

One of my mates used to be a cabbie and he always blamed the controller when he turned up and nobody was there .... not the prospective CUSTOMER.
 




Tony Towner's Fridge

Well-known member
Aug 22, 2003
5,384
GLASGOW,SCOTLAND,UK
We have had Uber here in Glasgow for a few years now and it is great value. Courteous drivers, low fares (5 poonds into the City Centre for me from the West End (about 3 1/2 miles)). Also no fiddling with cash and you know the driver's name,reg number and location to the minute. UberEat is to be launched soon, it will be very interesting to see where that takes the take away /home delivery food industry.

5 Nil against The East Anglians; who would have thunked it?


TNBA


TTF
 


Wellesley

Well-known member
Jul 24, 2013
4,973
Maybe if they actually gave some sort of definite answer to actually arriving to pick me up then I wouldn't NEED to multi book ? I was booking more than an HOUR before I needed the cab - not beyond the wit of man to ensure ONE of the DOZENS of cabs they have on the road is pre-booked to be somewhere ( local ) at a pre-set time.

One of my mates used to be a cabbie and he always blamed the controller when he turned up and nobody was there .... not the prospective CUSTOMER.

My brother was a cabbie for 12 years. The drivers are self-employed and by the nature of the job, are not sure where they will be situated an hour in advance. They are 'offered' a job by the controller. Unless your journey is going to make it financially viable for them to sit around on a Saturday night waiting for your job to come up, they will of- course be working elsewhere. The way I understand it, your job is offered 5 to 10 minutes before it is wanted and the nearest cab that is first in the queue gets it. If your address gets known as a 'No job' , drivers that work your area will ignore it. You are costing drivers money, that they are working all Saturday night for. It's almost thieving., then boasting about their 'fruitless journeys.' For cabbies to earn enough money to live in this expensive area, you must expect the service to be stretched at peak times, or how would they make any money during the rest of the week when it is quiet?
 






beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
35,332
After last night can't say I'm impressed with any of our cab firms - including Uber. I attempted to pre-book a cab last night for 7.30pm over an hour before I needed it ( as it was Saturday I knew it would be busy ). I phoned 3 cab companies and all said 'Well we're busy tonight so we can't guarantee anyone will get to you'. Well that's helpful, thanks. So I booked a cab with all three in the hope that one might turn up. One did, and on time - the other two did as well but late - I wonder if they enjoyed their fruitless journeys ?

what a shitty thing to do, you wonder why they cant give a straight answer to a booking, its because some other numpty has triple booked their journey too. :ffsparr:
 


what a shitty thing to do, you wonder why they cant give a straight answer to a booking, its because some other numpty has triple booked their journey too. :ffsparr:

He's been told that there is no guarantee a car will get to him. What's he meant to do? Say, oh, OK, if one turned up I'll continue with my plans but if not I'll just cancel them!

He's been pro-active and got a result. In the same situation I would do the same, although I would like to think I would make the effort to let the other cab co's know I no longer needed them.

In this day and age it can't be too tricky to get a cab to a punter in the city centre during a 10 minute window with an hours notice.
 


Wellesley

Well-known member
Jul 24, 2013
4,973
He's been told that there is no guarantee a car will get to him. What's he meant to do? Say, oh, OK, if one turned up I'll continue with my plans but if not I'll just cancel them!

He's been pro-active and got a result. In the same situation I would do the same, although I would like to think I would make the effort to let the other cab co's know I no longer needed them.

In this day and age it can't be too tricky to get a cab to a punter in the city centre during a 10 minute window with an hours notice.

So two out of three cabs driving to jobs where their is nobody there all over the city is going to enable them to improve the service is it? I hope your Sunday pub lunch is f@cking 'orrible! :lol:
 




Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch
NSC Patron
Oct 27, 2003
21,086
The arse end of Hangleton
He's been told that there is no guarantee a car will get to him. What's he meant to do? Say, oh, OK, if one turned up I'll continue with my plans but if not I'll just cancel them!

He's been pro-active and got a result. In the same situation I would do the same, although I would like to think I would make the effort to let the other cab co's know I no longer needed them.

In this day and age it can't be too tricky to get a cab to a punter in the city centre during a 10 minute window with an hours notice.

Thank you. As yet those that have criticised have yet to provide a practical answer to what I should have done !

That said, you're last point is a fair one - maybe I should have phoned the other companies. What I will say though is that they are in the customer service industry and given my recent experiences of cabbies barely speaking English, not knowing where they're going, not having change, arriving late - sometimes not at all - and their general rudeness I struggle to have any sympathy when I play the system to try and make sure I get the service THEY offer.
 
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beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
35,332
Thank you. As yet those that have criticised have yet to provide a practical answer to what I should have done !

the practical answer does not involve being part of the problem. booking an extra 15-20minutes ahead would be a good idea, just as one would allow extra time to drive somewhere when a busy time.
 


Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch
NSC Patron
Oct 27, 2003
21,086
The arse end of Hangleton
the practical answer does not involve being part of the problem. booking an extra 15-20minutes ahead would be a good idea, just as one would allow extra time to drive somewhere when a busy time.


I was booking an HOUR ahead !
 








beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
35,332
I was booking an HOUR ahead !

i meant the time of the booking. if busy dont book for a cab at 7pm, book one for 6:45, you might turn up bit early but allows for a late cab (or even a no show - phone up a the same or a rival for a taxi now). occupying 3 cabs for your booking means the cab firms arent able to send two of those cabs to other jobs, so creating the problem of unreliable bookings, shirley you can see that?
 


Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch
NSC Patron
Oct 27, 2003
21,086
The arse end of Hangleton
i meant the time of the booking. if busy dont book for a cab at 7pm, book one for 6:45, you might turn up bit early but allows for a late cab (or even a no show - phone up a the same or a rival for a taxi now). occupying 3 cabs for your booking means the cab firms arent able to send two of those cabs to other jobs, so creating the problem of unreliable bookings, shirley you can see that?


That's what I did and yet not ONE company could guarantee I would even get a cab ..... at all !
 




Tory Boy

Active member
Jun 14, 2004
968
Brighton
After last night can't say I'm impressed with any of our cab firms - including Uber. I attempted to pre-book a cab last night for 7.30pm over an hour before I needed it ( as it was Saturday I knew it would be busy ). I phoned 3 cab companies and all said 'Well we're busy tonight so we can't guarantee anyone will get to you'. Well that's helpful, thanks. So I booked a cab with all three in the hope that one might turn up. One did, and on time - the other two did as well but late - I wonder if they enjoyed their fruitless journeys ?

As for Uber - no cars available all evening - to their credit I did at least know where I stood unlike the other three cab firms.
Thankfully your address and mobile will be blanked by the two firms you messed around.

You must be feeling really big wasting some poor blokes time.

One good thing about Uber, is they charge low life's like you.

TB
 




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