[burgers]

This is absolutely untrue. I have taken taxis very often in many US cities including SF while I lived in the Bay Area. Many drivers drive for both taxi services and Uber depending on the day. How is the same exact driver suddenly dangerous in a taxi as opposed to his own car hailed via a smartphone app?

[Crito]

Put it this way then:

In America, there is a widespread perception that Taxi companies have shit service, and that Taxi drivers are frequently untrustworthy or discriminatory.

Whether or not the perception is accurate, it is definitely true that the perception exists. Uber provides value to American consumers because American consumers find that the faults they perceive in traditional taxi services do not apply to Uber.

Lest you doubt that I am correct: I am an American, and the above are my beliefs. I can assure you that I have stated my beliefs accurately.

[burgers]

I made an earlier comment about that perception you have. You are likely and upper class US citizen who looks down on things like taxis and the bus. If "providing value" means playing into stereotypes, then I guess you are correct. I also am an US Citizen, born and raised, and your comments make be believe that you are a bigot against the lower classes and see them as dirty. Or maybe your issue is that there are too many non whites driving taxis. I can assure you that I have stated my beliefs accurately.

As a side note, the term "value" has been so overused at this point that when people use it I tend to think they are idealists and I don't take their comments as seriously as if they had not used the term.

[Crito]

> You are likely and upper class US citizen who looks down on things like taxis and the bus.

Lolno. I own a car, but commute every day by bus. I am middle class but, surprise surprise, still have places I want to get to. The only success I have ever had with taxis is if I ambush them when they are waiting outside of airports and train stations. Calling them is always a unmitigated shit-fest. This is both Seattle and Philadelphia. Philadelphia is significantly worse; cabs are unhailable (unless you ambush them at 30th street station) and they hang up on you when you give them an address in west or north philly.

> Or maybe your issue is that there are too many non whites driving taxis.

Eat shit and fuck off.

[SeoxyS]

The average taxi driver wouldn't make it as an Uber driver, only the superior drivers can sustain a 4.6+ rating.

Uber is extremely draconian when it comes to driver quality. Any driver whose average dips below 4.6 is out. Period. That ensures quality and weeds the bad drivers out.

Sure, there are good taxi drivers, but the average driver is horrible. I was comparing them by saying that, say, the 50th percentile cabbie (median), is worse than even the 5th percentile (worst) Uber driver.

[burgers]

> The average taxi driver wouldn't make it as an Uber driver, only the superior drivers can sustain a 4.6+ rating.

Then why is that many taxi drivers drive for Uber as well? Where are you getting these numbers? Or are you maybe just falling for marketing?

Also, in NYC and SF plenty of people rent out their account to other drivers. People sign up for Uber and never drive a single passenger so the rating is really not much more than a rented token in some cases.