[11thEarlOfMar]

Bad for taxi drivers, good for tourism.

I've done business in both Tokyo and Hong Kong. Historically, a taxi in Tokyo has been ~3x that of the same distance in Hong Kong. When considering where to Holiday, that significant additional expense is a consideration.

I'd also be interested, if there is enough sensitivity in the data, to see a correlation between taxi cost and DUIs.

[aninhumer]

I don't know if taxi prices are as relevant in a city like Tokyo which has excellent public transport.

[11thEarlOfMar]

Haha....

Absolutely, Tokyo is mind-boggling in the sheer numbers of people they move daily.

For the same reason, taxis are generally preferred by those who just don't want to deal with those crowds. I lived in Tokyo for a couple of years, losing 15 pounds in the process. When people commented on my new svelte physique, I joked that I was "on the JR Exercise Program". (JR = Japan Railways)

[jschwartzi]

This same thing happened to me when I moved to a small town and stopped driving for a year. I lost 20 or 30 pounds.

[ekianjo]

more likely the effect of food change and not eating meat with hormones.

[11thEarlOfMar]

Definitely was from walking to and from train stations, standing on trains, sometimes for multiple hours/day, running to make connections and walking up and down a couple dozen flights of stairs.

Not sure why that earns a down vote, but there you have it.

[lacampbell]

None of those things exert many calories at all. People usually over estimate how much exercise contributes to their weight.

Last year I had a job where most of my commute was sitting or standing in a bus. Now I have a 10km round trip which I cycle or walk. It's had no effect on my weight what so ever.

[onlyrealcuzzo]

You're correct. The affect of exercise is vastly overrated on weight loss [1]. The more you exercise, the hungrier you get, the more you eat. That being said, you're healthier if you're overweight and exercise than if you're overweight and don't exercise. BUT, if you're going form COMPLETELY sedentary to walking to and from train stations, up and down stairs, and standing on the train -- that's likely to have a dramatic effect. Completely sedentary lifestyles and depression and obesity tend to go hand and hand because of hormonal / neurotransmitter issues.

In any case, changing your diet is likely much more effective for losing weight.

[1] https://www.dietdoctor.com/does-exercise-promote-weight-loss

[csydas]

I would agree that those alone will have little impact, but they also tend to be indicative of an overall different life-style. It's hard to over-shop for groceries, for example, when you have to carry everything home on your person, and soft drinks tend to be more difficulty to acquire in bulk because of the weight.

You do have to adjust to a different life style when you rely entirely on public transit, and it allows for more positive choices just because of necessity.

[mehwoot]

Definitely was from walking to and from train stations

I don't see how you could possibly know that for sure.

[11thEarlOfMar]

True... I couldn't know it in a scientific sense. But I went from a commute from garage to parking lot and a weekly outing to the bowling alley, to all that walking, standing, and stair climbing. It was a couple of hours daily by the time you added it all up. That's a good, I dunno, 400 calories daily of additional burn? So I had to be eating more as well, or I would have dropped a lot more weight than 15 pounds in 2 years.

[awjr]

People living in urban environments are lighter than people living in suburban or rural environments.

[hkmurakami]

Most of it ends around midnight though. After that it's taxi or bust (or wait for first train in a manga cafe)

As an aside, the stench of alcohol in the trains nearing last trains are pretty unpleasant.

[ekianjo]

and trains in tokyo are usually packed so you cant sit.

[seanmcdirmid]

Trains in Tokyo are usually packed during rush hour. If you are traveling off peak (as a tourist often would), you'll usually find lots of seats open. I've never had trouble getting a seat on he ring line or another JR line, simply because I was traveling in the afternoon.

China on the other hand...

[hkmurakami]

GP lives and works in Japan so he doesn't have the luxury of avoiding peak hours.

Also, as much as great public transit is nice for visitors (I don't live or work in Japan, and being a visitor there is great), its primary concern should be its residents. (subway lines do get built using big migratory events like world fairs though)

[seanmcdirmid]

Yes, but it isn't true that Tokyo trains usually don't have seats. If you work on a strict 8-5 schedule, then of course it usually won't have seats for you.

[neuronexmachina]

What are some popular cities where Uber/Lyft is unavailable or regulated in a way that makes it difficult to use? It would help me make sure I don't plan any vacations there.

[kartan]

> It would help me make sure I don't plan any vacations there.

Is this your number one priority to visit a city? Cultural offerings, architecture, meeting new people, that are my priorities. Which brands of private transportation by car are available or not is not a worry for myself.

As is difficult to picture it by myself, what makes it so important for you that you have or not that brands over other considerations?

[ghaff]

That comment floored me as well. I spent almost a third of last year traveling for both business and pleasure, in both the US and overseas and maybe took an Uber four or five times. I can't begin to imagine a mindset that would lead me to plan trips around Uber availability.

[govg]

Maybe it's just convenience. If I was traveling in a pair or so, having Uber/Lyft in a place I would go would immediately give me a way to get around the city.

[rdl]

Vancouver, BC, Canada. :( I fortunately live close enough that I just drive up there and thus have my car, but otherwise it sucks -- especially since so much of the interesting stuff is in more suburban parts.

Austin, TX (recent change)

[s0rce]

Calgary, AB is another one. Felt like going back in time when I visited from the bay area.

[aianus]

Berlin and Germany in general I think.

[dx034]

It's all of Germany, uber got basically banned by court order. In Berlin they coorporate with a local taxi company, but uber as in other countries cannot exist in Germany.