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Uber Crosses 5 Billion Rides (mashable.com)

Posted by msmash on from the growing-numbers dept.

An anonymous reader shares a report: The ride-hailing company just reached a big milestone: 5 billion Uber rides around the world. With Uber's endless bad headlines, and Lyft gaining real momentum in the war against Uber, it's easy to forget how much else Uber has going on. Lyft is only competing with Uber in the U.S.; billions of Uber's trips have taken place outside America. Uber officially reached 5 billion rides with 156 simultaneous trips at exactly 7:29:06 a.m. GMT on May 20. The company announced the news on Thursday.

17 comments

  1. Ridesharing my ass by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

    It's a cowboy taxi company.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    1. Re: Ridesharing my ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes. On the investment sites, folks parrot Ubers PR that it's going to "revolutionize" transportation and folks aren't going to own cars and use Uber.... And let's bid the stock higher because we can't lose!

      My neighbor just quit driving for Uber because he was losing money.

      I see Uber and Lyft doing well in a few metro areas, but revolutionize transportation? Silly Valley hype to get dumb people to buy the stock.

    2. Re: Ridesharing my ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have a friend who quit driving for them as well for the same reason - it wasn't worth it once everything is taken into consideration. Having said that, Uber is just trying to stay afloat until they're able to transition away from bag of meat drivers and over to SDC.

    3. Re: Ridesharing my ass by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

      The theory is that once they win "market dominance", they can raise rates to earn profits. I just don't see that happening. There is no "lock-in" for ride sharing, for either drivers or riders. Many Lyft drivers also drive for Uber, and take the fares from either as they come in. Customers will be happy to switch if they can save a nickel. So I just can't see how they can ever get the excess profits needed to justify their valuation.

      In addition to all their other problems, Uber can't even write an app properly. The Uber app drains my cell battery at about 5% per minute. I can't imagine what they are doing to suck so much power. I have to let it cool down before I put it back in my pocket.

    4. Re: Ridesharing my ass by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      There is no "lock-in" for ride sharing, for either drivers or riders.

      One possibility is that local governments might be persuaded to set up some kind of permit or licensing scheme. Perhaps drivers could have some sort of ID-emblem thingy that they hang around their necks. A pendant scheme, that's got a ring (sorry) to it.

      Nah, belay last pipe. Crazy talk.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    5. Re:Ridesharing my ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Taxi companies not blessed by the government are illegal. Hence they need to call themselves a "ridesharing" company to avoid taxi regulations: like fixed quota on number of taxis (medallions) per city.

      But if Uber can run taxis if they book them through an app/webserver, why doesn't any Joe do the same thing from his bedroom?

  2. Is that an achievement when ... by whoever57 · · Score: 2

    .... you lose money at the rate Uber is losing money?

    More rides == more losses.

    --
    The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
    1. Re:Is that an achievement when ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      .... you lose money at the rate Uber is losing money?

      More rides == more losses.

      But they made it up in volume.... and rapes. Uber loves rape.

    2. Re:Is that an achievement when ... by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Rape isn't supposed to pay a living wage. It's for kids to earn a bit of pocket money. I know because cayenne8 said so.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    3. Re:Is that an achievement when ... by mjwx · · Score: 1

      Rape isn't supposed to pay a living wage. It's for kids to earn a bit of pocket money. I know because cayenne8 said so.

      What do you expect from someone who's named them self after the shittest Porsche available.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  3. Rapes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But more importantly, how many rapes and sexual harrassment claims?

  4. .... and I'm glad not to count myself among them by Sebby · · Score: 1

    I prefer companies the don't ignore established regulations and have respect for employees and customers.

    --

    AC comments get piped to /dev/null
  5. Where's the technology angle .. by najajomo · · Score: 1

    Where's the technology angle .. and why the free advert for Uber ...

    1. Re:Where's the technology angle .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who cares and cry moar.

  6. Yeah but, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Uber Crosses 5 Billion Rides"

    How many they have double crossed?

  7. Imagine the worst job you've ever had by HangingChad · · Score: 2

    And then multiply it by 100. I drove for months researching my book and it was a dreadful experience. People suck. Not all of them, but the percentage is high enough that it makes driving the most depressing job I've ever had.

    You'd think that, at some point, Uber would run out of new suckers to drive but they just keep showing up. Amazing.

    --
    That's our life, the big wheel of shit. - The Fat Man, Blue Tango Salvage
  8. That's nothing... by HBI · · Score: 1

    My ex-wife easily exceeds this, probably every year. She prefers reverse cowboy.

    --
    HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.