[dtnewman]

Not just wealthier [1], but also younger and more urban. People who have 25 mile commutes from the suburbs--even very wealthy suburbs--are more likely to own cars and less likely to use Uber.

[1] In cities with good public transit (e.g., Boston, NYC), uber can seem more like a luxury but in cities that are very car centric (e.g., Detroit, Miami), Uber is actually cheaper than owning a car for many people. I live in Miami and use UberPool all the time and I meet people from all walks of life. Car insurance here is very expensive, so for a lot of people, using Uber saves them money.

[maverick_iceman]

Even in San Francisco I have forgo car in favor of Uber. Using Uber is far cheaper and convenient than having a car.

[justinc8687]

The question is, when the VC money dries up and they can't subsidize the fares any more, does this still apply?

[zxcvb]

I prefer having a car - I can put my surfboard on the roof, I can put my bikes on the back. I can always have the boot / trunk full of camping and beach stuff. It's far more convenient than relying on taxis and hire cars.

Really helps when you have kids too.

The convenience of hire cars and Uber covers a limited scope.

[prdonahue]

As a Boston native, I'm going to have to disagree with your assessment of their public transit as "good"!

[fpgeek]

I'd say the goodness of Boston's public transit depends on your comparison set. If you compare to the rest of the US, there aren't many cities with better public transit. If you compare to the rest of the world, it's another story.