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Comment by emodendroket | Hacker News Reader

It's also amazing how many (presumably unpaid) cheerleaders they have to flood the comments of every discussion about them.

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It is easy to cheer for Uber because they are not running over puppies or snow bunnies, they are dismantling the medallion mafia, unworthy of legal protections. So Yes, I cheer for Uber and its Ayn Randian CEO.

>dismantling the medallion mafia

Is that really a thing outside of NYC? Pretty sure it isn't.

It was a thing in almost every developed city around the world.

Literally medallions and literally the mafia? Not as far as I know. But most cities restrict supply of taxis to keep prices high and fix prices as the behest of the taxi industry -- in addition to all of the other fun things the taxi lobby does.

When Seattle built the Link light rail system, it stopped 1 mile shy of the airport because the taxi drivers didn't want the competition. Fortunately public outcry shut that down, but it's pretty rare that the general public gets upset enough about an issue to overcome the power of a specific interest group (yes, this includes Uber as well!)

There's plenty of literature to explain why price fixing and limiting supply/licensure is bad. There's no competition, no incentive to improve or provide a premium service. There's no reason to provide service in far-out areas where it might be hard to find a return fare. There's no reason to provide service in less "desirable" (read: minority) areas.

Of course, there are problems with the Uber model, too: Surge pricing being one of them. Some people think it's gouging, some think it's the right solution to provide supply for excess demand.

> most cities restrict supply of taxis to keep prices high and fix prices as the behest of the taxi industry

Why is it always left out that a limited number of taxis is good for society as well? Taxis operate on public roads, pollute public air, cause traffic congestion the public must deal with, cause car accidents and hit pedestrians. When you're not catching a ride taxis (and Ubers) are a nuisance and society has decided to limit their negative side effects.

This is definitely a thing elsewhere. The amount of rudeness that I received from cab company dispatchers in Seattle is astounding. I would much prefer to deal with nearly anyone - Comcast, traffic cops, DOL - than a cab company even today, and there has been a marked improvement in customer support since Uber, Lyft, etc have become a real thing.

They where a monopoly, and they acted like it, and now they aren't.

I assumed it was a thing all over. Is here in Ottawa as well, at least.

They offer a service that young people use a lot, and they offer it in a way that makes the service they were using previously look like an embarrassment.

I had to take a cab home from the airport a few weeks ago because my phone was dead. Not only did it cost almost twice as much as an uber would have, but the cab smelled terrible, the driver didn't know where we were going, and when we got to my house, I had to wait for five minutes while he literally made a carbon imprint of my credit card.

Uber has a bunch of, yes, unpaid (in fact negatively paid!) cheerleaders because it's offering a service that people really like.

I've ridden in lots of cabs for many years in many cities, and hardly ever have had an experience like that (not that you didn't this time). I think the Uber-fans are exaggerating the situation a bit (in fact, many Uber drivers are, or were, cab drivers).

Using modern tech for summoning, paying, and rating cabs is a great idea though.

It's also amazing how many (presumably unpaid) cheerleaders the entrenched, corrupt, consumer-harming incumbents have to flood the comments of every discussion about Uber.

Maybe some Uber supporters take "don't let perfect be the enemy of good" to heart. Uber does a lot wrong, and there are a lot of reasons to dislike them, but there are also reasons to cheer their success -- if not some of their methods.

Why are you using the word "corrupt" to describe the other side, but not Uber? Everything I've seen about them is just as corrupt, or even more so.

I'm fine with describing Uber that way too. I didn't go out of my way to do so, because I was replying in-kind to someone who was asking why people defend Uber; I was merely pointing out the same could be said of the Taxi industry.

> presumably unpaid

What would give you the idea that they are not paid?

This is a good point. Astroturfing is an old technique by now, and judging by Uber's other behavior, I wouldn't be surprised at all if they used it.

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