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Not so sure about the prevalence of longer route tactic. I’m sure it happens, but with the route plainly visible on the map, it’s hard to cheat here unless the driver is being a bully, which is a different class of problem. As others have also mentioned below: - Uber is global, and has a standard interface. I don’t have to fiddle with credit cards and the payment dance. It’s the de-facto global “taxi”. Kind of like the warm homey fuzz one feels at a Starbucks in a foreign land after enduring burnt coffee served in a styrofoam cup on a long flight. (Granted, a bourgeois American-centric view, but I hope it’s illustrative.) - If you pay a premium (Uber Comfort and higher), the cars are better, the drivers are better (higher rated too), and one can communicate preferences such as temperature and conversation (no, thanks). - Other long-tail uses: 7 passenger SUVs for large groups, lots of luggage, etc. - I’ve tried using the taxi apps (Flywheel, etc.), and they’re atrocious/geographically limited. In some places the Uber app can now call taxis. Even then, I’ve never voluntarily wanted to call a taxi for the last decade or so. I especially like the Black Mirror vibe of drivers and passengers having a “rating”. ;) |