[debaserab2]

I have yet to see one of those app's come even close to replicating the experience that uber brings. It's one thing to have an app, it's another thing to have a well designed app with consistent policies that are followed the same by every driver.

Any time I've had to use an uber clone apps (from a traditional taxi service, not lyft) they haven't instilled a lot of confidence in me to how reliable they are.

[erroneousfunk]

> consistent policies that are followed the same by every driver.

This was the most amazing thing about Uber, to me. I live in Boston and used to take cabs all the time pre-Uber (still take the occasional cab from the airport). Cab drivers are rude, frequently claim the credit card machine is down (despite violating city laws saying they're literally not allowed to drive with a broken CC reader), take the long way / detours to run up the meter, air conditioning or heating might be broken, the cars are dirty, no real recourse for bad service. Even if they have a GPS, drivers refuse to "waste time" by typing in your destination address and require turn-by-turn directions. I'd call a cab and it was hit or miss whether they'd show up or not. I even had a cab driver threaten to call the police when I didn't have cash after he tried to claim that Boston was "cash only" on Saturday nights -- and he was driving me to my HOME in the South End, so it should have been pretty clear I wasn't a tourist unfamiliar with local laws.

Even with the most well-designed and reliable app in the world, cab companies can't compete with Uber -- it's the service and consistency that really made it take off.

[debaserab2]

Yep, agreed. I've literally been hijacked and taken to an ATM before by a cab driver who clearly had a VISA sticker on the window of his car. While uber seems pretty evil these days, I just can't risk the unreliability of traditional cab services.

[crispyambulance]

Although I admit the UX of Curb is not as seamless/slick as Uber's, it is certainly usable enough and given time the kinks will be worked out.

IMHO it was a small price to pay for deleting my Uber account.

[erroneousfunk]

Do you think cab drivers have gotten better since Uber came out? I only take them from the airport occasionally now, but the biggest thing about pre-Uber taxis was the service issues.

[gtirloni]

As I've learned while participating in these discussions is that all of this is HIGHLY localized. The issues you have with taxis and/or Uber will not make sense in other places with different regulations, better apps, etc.

Almost every regular/licensed taxi I take here, the driver has Uber/Lyft/99Taxi app running simultaneously so they can reach more clients. In that case, it's the same quality of service as before (which is just fine where I live, so Uber/Lyft aren't disrupting anything here).

[cstejerean]

How much more time exactly? Curb used to be called Magic Taxi if J remember correctly and it's been around for more than 4 years.

[darkmouth]

True. Escaping the law, sexual harassment of employees and low wage to drivers aside, it will still make me feel very inconvenienced to see Uber go out of business. Not even Lyft comes close to how good and fast the Uber app is. I was sold the first time I used it. I just hope some other company steps in to fill in the void.

[ExactoKnight]

eCab in Vancouver is getting pretty close. The app's technology is all but reliable, but where the problems still exist are when demand is high and taxis (by the very nature of being limited) are unable to meet it.