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Cab Hailing Service Uber Collected Just $9M of Fares During 15 Months In Boston
curtwoodward writes "Uber, the well-funded startup that hails cabs and black cars with a smartphone app, is a pretty slick way to book a ride. But how competitive is Uber with the traditional, highly regulated cab market? According to results from the startup's move into Boston, not very. Figures released in a court case show that, over 15 months, Uber processed just $9 million in gross fares (the drivers get most of that). Meanwhile, Boston's overall cab industry is pegged at doing about $250 million a year in fares. Despite the publicity, Uber still has a long way to go."
I've noticed weird trend among the middle classes to feel entitled when it comes to eliciting the services of those who they perceive as lower down in the pecking order.
Being a cabby is obviously a stressful and fairly tedious job (and I speak only as an occasional rider). More importantly, it's a job, not servitude. Of course they're going to prefer to the more profitable routes, and there are going to be some providers more competent than others. And if you were sat for an hour waiting for a single cab company in one place in a city, you were doing it completely wrong.
Self-righteousness is wanting to a sue a cab company(!!) because you were waiting around for an hour in a big city for a single cab, claiming it's not your problem that you behaved helplessly, wagging your finger at the person furthest from your communication, then waving an irrelevant disability card for good measure.
This thread had well illustrated the worst excesses of entitlement attitude of the American middle-class chair warmer. Thank you for reminding me why America's now living off printed money and Chinese loans. Even if my argument doesn't convince you, maybe evidence will: Uber simply wasn't doing very well in Boston, and the attitude displayed in this thread has caused America to fall on the world economic stage.
Now resume barking... :-)