French taxi drivers, assault, attempt to kill Uber taxi drivers + passengers

[DoughDoe]

edition.cnn.com/2015/06/25/europe/france-paris-uberpop-protests/

[DonkeyOaty]

Errrr reluctant to open in case it's gruesome

Can you reassure it's not please? Sorry!

[DoughDoe]

Not gruesome

[DonkeyOaty]

Omg boggle! Bloody hell.

[LazyLouLou]

Not condoning that in any way but Uberare, basically, illegal, uninsured, unprofessional and nigh on untraceable. Not what you want in a taxi driver or company.

A quick google threw up all sorts of questionable 'business practices'.

[DoughDoe]

But not as illegal and unprofessional as what the legal taxi drivers are doing.

Actually the law tends to be a bit murky, they tend to skirt around it a bit, not necessarily illegal. I'm pretty surw they are insured.

Most users will tell you that from a user perspective uber is much bettrr than traditional taxis

[LazyLouLou]

A quick Google suggests that that may not be universally true, DoughDoe. Some very odd practices are reported in many countries. Some drivers aren't necessarily insured to carry fare paying passengers, don't pay tex etc etc etc

And I did say I don't condone the violence. But that does seem to be the French way of dealing with such stuff... I remember what French farmers did to British 200 sheep.... I wouldn't mess with them on home turf!

[Backforthis]

Black cab drivers pay to be licensed to pick up passengers without a booking and charge by meter. They jump through hoops and fork out cash only to be undercut by people who are subject to fewer checks on their cars and their selves. I'd be pretty pissed off. The situation is similar in most cities.

[Branleuse]

The french sure know how to protest

[DoughDoe]

The French taxis don't actually pay for their licence, but what happened is that they lobbied the government to restrict entry to the profession with the result that there is (was!) a secondary market for taxi permits at around €250,000 a shot.

[LikeIcan]

I wouldn't get in an über cab if you paid me - unchecked drivers, & most of them haven't got a clue where they're going.

[DoughDoe]

The drivers ARE checked, and compared to a normal taxi there is a record with Uber, and on your phone, of the number plate + name of the driver before you get in the vehicle. If you for instance were to hail a taxi in the street late at night, while drunk, you are unlikely to know the driver's name, registration or who he works for.

And how would you know whether they have a clue where they are going if you haven't been in one of their cabs?

[LikeABadSethRogenMovie]

I use uber all the time. They're great! And they shouldn't be getting lost because they use the uber gps on their phones.

[LazyLouLou]

DoughDoe, have you googled the concerns about Uber?

I had never heard of them but, as I usually do, I googled to see what the French were protesting about. CNN and many other carriers are asking questions about Uber's practices.

Having read through some older reports I am somewhat shocked that anyone would promote their use, given the regular evidence of unlicensed drivers, using private vehicles without proper insurance, often as a second job with earning not being declared. Such is the stuff MN usually rails against!

[prh47bridge]

Whether or not Uber is illegal depends on the jurisdiction. In the UK they appear to be operating legally.

Where they are operating legally the "uninsured" claim made by regular taxi companies is a straight lie. Uber provide insurance that covers claims by passengers that are not met by the driver's insurance, including claims where the Uber driver was not at fault. Indeed, the level of cover they provide is much higher than that of regular taxis in many jurisdictions.

Whether or not they are unprofessional is a matter of opinion.

To claim they are untraceable is ridiculous. As a previous poster points out you have a record of the vehicle registration and driver's name before you get in the vehicle. That is more than you get with regular taxis.

Saying their drivers are unchecked is also wrong. They do run checks on all their drivers. However, there are questions as to whether or not their checks are adequate.

[CoteDAzur]

"most of them haven't got a clue where they're going"

How do you believe that is even possible in the age of GPS on every smart phone?

[FuzzyWizard]

I've used uber a few times. They've been great so far. The last one I got was super professional, gave me bottled mineral water and I was able to use spotify to play my own music in the car. It was reasonably priced and arrived in a couple of minutes.

[fiercebadrabbit]

Hmm, my jury is out on Uber

Cote do you think satnav is 100 per cent reliable. Ime Uber drivers follow it religiously, when it often takes you the long way round, shows no knowledge of short cuts etc. Drivers will usually not listen when you try to tell them the route, it can be very frustrating and cost a lot more than it would with a driver with a basic knowledge of the area. However,the longer they drive, the more they should improve.

They also often do a 1.5, 2. 2.5 per cent surcharge and a minimum fare, in my part of London at least, which makes them just as expensive if not much more than a black cab.

Otoh, I like the fact you can usually get one quickly and when price points are normal it's good value. I very rarely use black cabs because they're so pricey so it's not like they're losing my business, as they didn't have it in the first place.

[CoteDAzur]

It is very reliable. If your SatNav often takes you the wrong way around, that would mean you need to update the software in your car.

[LikeIcan]

Cote - satnavs are great when they work, but as we both know techy stuff is prone to failure - so, if you are totally reliant on equipment to get you from A - B you're a bit screwed if it goes wrong ? Which it does frequently. I'd feel happier with a driver who actually knows where he's going without staring at a satnav every 10 seconds.
Plus, uber may be a bit cheaper now ( but I'm not sure they're much cheaper, ) just wait until they've wiped out all competition, which is their aim - they'll be charging you what they like.
Happy days

[CoteDAzur]

The whole point of Uber is that drivers are in competition with each other and not a cartel like taxi drivers.

Speaking strictly for France (where this thread is about), SatNav is very reliable and all drivers I have ever seen whether taxi, Uber, or VTC ('voitures avec chauffeurs') have always known where to go. And again in France, taxi drivers make up a group of spoiled, grumpy, and unpleasant cartel. They are incredibly expensive, if they show up at all (not joking here). We have had enough of them and welcome Uber with its affordable fees, reliable service, and drivers' pleasant attitudes.

Again, if your SatNav isn't reliable, that is usually an indication that you need to update its CD.

[LikeIcan]

As women, I'm sure we both want the same thing - a safe, reliable, cab service - because I for one would not dream of using public transport after dark.
Hopefully that service will continue, which is why I fully support the black cab trade. ( & as a London based female who uses cabs frequently I kinda know what I'm talking about )

[fiercebadrabbit]

Well, sadly a lot of Uber drivers in London don't update software and show absolutely no lateral thinking in sometimes deviating from the computer's instructions, when they're clearly not working. But hey, some things about Uber are great, the jury is out here.

[LazyLouLou]

The whole point of Uber is that drivers are in competition with each other and not a cartel like taxi drivers.

That cartel exists for so very many reasons... as pp have already mentioned. If anything there is clear evidence that Uber (and maybe Ola) are attempting to corner the global market, by foul means or fair.

If Uber is so good then why is there so much negative press out there? Remember, I had never heard of them before and all I know is what I found on Google - and it isn't all good. If Uber is so good then why are they not being licensed to trade in cities across the world? Why is their business practice being questioned in so many countries?

A really short Google about them tells you that they are much more than a taxi company...

I appreciate that people like to get a bargain... but what cost your cheap cab fare?

[CoteDAzur]

That cartel exists here because of the pathetic social state France is. They have total job security, which means they take the piss on a regular basis. The number of times we booked a taxi that didn't turn up or came 45 minutes later despite multiple calls is too high to believe. More than once, we got told "Oh I set my alarm but just hit snooze and continued to sleep. It was too early for your flight anyway" or some such. When they turn up, they are rude, don't care to smile, don't do anything to accommodate you.

It is about time that a competitor emerged and now that it has, they are tantruming all over town, preventing anyone from coming in or out of the one regional airport we have here, blocking the highway, burning tyres, etc. They need to grow the fuck up or go the way of the dinosaurs.

[LazyLouLou]

I don't disagree with much of your post, but have you googled Uber?

Meet the new boss....