I love using Lyft in the Chicago suburbs. It's so much easier and cheaper than a taxi. I hope these services don't go away. In my area of southern California, you cannot get a taxi except at the airport or to the airport. Lyft and Uber have been a godsend for getting around when your car isn't available or if parking will be an issue.

I believe some of the concerns are that Uber fails to adequately vet drivers.

Drivers have also protested the way the company pays them. I've read that the whole model depends on a poor jobs economy.

These are two problems I have always seen with these 'cheap' rides.

Lyft and Uber are indeed a godsend in the suburbs, but when I'm in a city I always use either public transportation or a regular cab.

> I believe some of the concerns are that Uber fails to adequately vet drivers.

Yes. But with that said the serial killer in my city that was apprehended and convicted of murdering two young women and raping another worked driving a taxi. And it is suspected that he picked up one of his victims in his taxi. So just because it is a actual honest-to-god taxi that doesn't necessarily mean you are any more safe than using a ride share or even hitchhiking.

Interesting. I’ve used Uber in London a couple of times.

I use it because they pick me up. I don’t have to wait on a corner and try to flag down a taxi that rides past me to pick up someone else.

I am all for tightening up regulations. I have had good experiences with both Uber and Lyft. I like how you get the count down as to how far away your ride is.

We only have one taxi service which is over in the next town. It is the same town that we use when taking the train into the city. They are always waiting at the station. But......the cars are old, not especially clean. Although the drivers are nice enough, they look a bit "downtrodden" for use of a better word. The other thing I dislike is that they double up on rides, so although technically on the way, we might have to drop someone off first, with no discount in price for me for the inconvenience.

They are so much more money too. A few months ago I had to go into the city for a funeral. I knew parking would be a disaster. The local company wanted $125 while Uber did for me for $50. Brand new car, well-groomed driver.

In large cities in the US and abroad, Uber and Lyft are incredibly useful. Not when you're in a big crowd - a sports event ends, show ends, concert ends.... But the same is true of taxis.

Go out exploring in a city. You're done, are taxis cruising down the street,? Is there a hotel or cab rank around? No? Start an app, put in your destination. GPS transmits the pickup point automatically. Couldn't be easier.

Uber drivers do not have to pass the Knowledge test in London. But we've had good rides with Uber there, as well as good rides in London taxis. We did have one London taxi driver who didn't know where our intended destination was (a friend's home in a secluded street in Notting Hill). We had to direct him there. It was funny, but so odd, as we had never encountered any cab driver not knowing exactly where they were going.

For non traditional drivers in London, The Knowledge is the GPS directions from their smartphone. Just as good plus live traffic rerouting.

I like *regulation where it affects my safety. I expect that my airline pilot isn't 'winging it'. I want a driver to have met standards and be checked periodically -- his car and his insurance, too. Apparently the other two non-taxi companies in London have been willing and able to meet guidelines.

Chicago has had several problems with Uber drivers harming passengers. It doesn't seem surprising in such a fly-by-night, make-ends-meet 'job'. Is there a profile of who does this and why and for how long? Maybe it's like airbnb where people only *think* they will make a living doing it -- and only can if they don't meet regulatory standards.

I love Lyft and Uber, much cheaper, cleaner than any taxi I've been in, except for maybe ones in Japan. They have doilies on the seats and the drivers wear white gloves! Unlike American taxis that stink high to heaven and are filthy.

Chisue, I have a family member driving for, I can’t remember if it’s uber or LYFT. His employer closed, and he is using this, in addition to another job, during his job search...which is going on too long. For him it’s a stopgap. He does a lot of runs from the lake to the airport. You would love to be in a car with him, he’s smart and fun and nice and a safe driver. I wish all uber/LYFT drivers were as stellar.

HotRod, ask for the house with the blue door! (Notting Hill is one of my favorite movies,)

Even though I’ve never used either service, I have some mixed emotions about them. I realize that a lot of people like to use them and they’re a good alternative for someone who needs a flexible schedule or to subsidize their income. Still, the whole idea of letting a stranger get in your car or getting into the car of a stranger really gives me pause. The reasoning behind why London is wanting them out is concerning too. They refuse to meet the safety standards that London requires, I sure am curious about what those requirements are and why they refuse to comply.

I love our community Uber. It is less expensive and I have never had a single problem. I use it maybe once a month, so I might not be the best judge.

It seems that the human resource pool is, er, 'fluid'. Lots of turnover. There must be a lot of upfront expense for Uber to vet applicants -- unless they don't. I wonder what the process involves regarding the person, his vehicle, his insurance.

The consistent I'm hearing in favor of using Uber is that it's *cheaper*. 'Cause WHY?

I really can't see how this is profitable for the drivers, although it may take a while for before one recognizes the expense side of his gig.

When you use a taxi, the taxi company has liability. What's Uber's?

My son drove for Uber and Lyft for a short time. He didn't make a lot of money in Lexington Ky except when the college students were drinking on the weekends. They do a background check on the drivers, check their driving record, do a vehicle inspection, check to make sure they have insurance, etc... I know my daughter thought about driving for Lyft but then she bought a 3 door car and she couldn't drive for them, you have to have a 4 door car.

I know of people who make good money in the bigger cities.

Used them this Fall in LA and have used them instead of renting cars in recent years in other cities. So much easier and cheaper. Not having to pay to park a rental car at hotels and on the street/parking garages, not having to pay to rent a car. I always tip good, especially on short trips. They are providing a great service and saving me money and saving me from having to sit in a gross overpriced taxi.

I love Uber/Lyft. So much cheaper than taxis, and I feel safer in them. I see a picture of my driver, their license plate and a description of their car. Far less anonymous than the random cab driver who pulls over.

Funny story - we got back from a cruise a few weeks ago, and didn't have transportation home arranged yet. We were checking out Uber prices to get home, and what started out at $40 quickly jumped to $150 within 2 minutes, as more and more passengers increased demand on the services.

I had an idea that perhaps our fellow ship passengers had heard of Uber, but were less familiar with Lyft. Sure enough, I was able to get the same ride on Lyft for about $30.

I hate to be a downer about it, but I cringed when my DD told me she and my SIL like using Uber. I didn’t tell her how I feel, they’re in their early 40’s and don’t need me butting into their decisions but it makes me uncomfortable.

People say they’ve never had a problem but the reality is it only takes one time. I’m reminded of Jason Dalton by the guy in Kalamazoo who killed 6 people a few years ago. He was just an average unsuspecting guy who went off the rails one night and killed several people in a shooting rampage, including a little girl.

People say they’ve never had a problem but the reality is it only takes one time.

There isn't any completely safe transportation, though. People are killed on the subways, mugged walking to the subways late at night, killed by taxi drivers or other passengers, and even driving your own car is no guarantee that some drunk driver or road rager won't kill you.

OK, I'm still hearing that it's *cheap*, or 'convenient'. I'm having trouble seeing how this 'business model' works for the drivers, and I don't see safeguards for the passenger.

In a way, it's like Vrbo or airbnb. The responsibility is all on the owner of the rental -- the agents just make money 'selling' it. The rental agents take no responsibility as to whether the rental is even legal -- or safe.

If you are harmed while riding in a cab or on public transportation, there's an entity to sue for damages.

Chi, I realize that there’s no guarantees and stuff happens, but I guess from my perspective, there’s more risk with businesses like Uber, Lyft and even taxis or shuttles. I haven’t used any kind of hired transportation in more than 30 years. I always drive myself & usually others as well. If I need a ride to the airport or something, I turn to my family. Maybe if I lived in a more urban area or wasn’t able to drive anymore I’d feel differently.

Coming back to this post. We had an Uber ride yesterday in London and it was fine (and half the cost of a London Taxi) because the Tube doesn't go where we needed to be. I am under the impression that they're still operating under a grace period.

Thanks for the update, Hot Rod. This would be their *third* 'extension' in London. Do you see options for other non-taxi car services? The article that prompted my OP said there were at least two others that had met safety standards and were licensed.

Of course 'everything's fine'...until it's not. We're used to there being government standards to protect us.

Yes, chisue - there are other options, but we've always used Uber successfully (both in Europe and the US) so we haven't tried them. The last time Uber lost their London license, we used Black Cabs. Luckily we don't need a car service very often because our home is within a block of a Zone 1 Central Line tube station.

And relying on "government standards" to protect us is a bit naive, especially when government agencies are bought-and-paid-for by various companies. :)

These battles have happened in various places and the sense I have is that more than a concern for safety is involved. Cities license and get money from regulating taxi medaillions. They stand to lose money with alternative forms of transportation.

To make a broad statement that agencies are bought and sold by companies is pretty cynical. And, mostly wrong.

When DD lived in LA, they used Uber for going to cocktail parties or meeting friends at restaurants where he would have cocktails and they would not have to scout around for a parking place that could be quite distant to their destination. DD used Uber for returning home from the airport with their kids, and she always requested a female driver.

Hot Rod -- Life would be better without standards or regulations, you think? I applaud when standards are *enforced*, as London is apparently doing with Uber. It's failure to uniformly enforce that encourages people to scoff.

chisue, I'm not sure why you're such a boo-bird with a negative attitude about a service you've never used that millions of people have used countless times and appreciate. I haven't been travelling lately as much as I did before and that will soon change but in the last 5 years, I've used Uber a few dozen times, in 6 different locations in the US and in 4 foreign countries (including in London, UK) and have had nothing but positive experiences. In London, as I explained before, if I see available cabs in a rank or quickly encounter a passing available cab, I'll use that. If not, Uber.

If you haven't found occasions to use it and you have opinions about it, great. That's a story about you, not about Uber.

"DD used Uber for returning home from the airport with their kids, and she always requested a female driver."

I wondered if you could pick a female driver. I wonder if that makes the drivers feel more vulnerable.

I can't speak to Uber as such but I believe Elmer may have a point. Everything seems to revolve around money and I suspect that this does as well.

Elmer, I think chisue has very strong opinions on things she doesn't like or approve of. I've just done some reading back through here and she also seems to be disapproving of AirBnB.

Both AirBnb and rideshare owners are simply trying to make a living. Most people I know who own an (not multiple) AirBnB property or who drive for Uber or Lyft are simply trying to make a living and/or save for retirement. Every time this subject comes up, chisue is very vocal and opinionated about these services. She does not approve. Period.

But that's why it's so great that these options exist, for those who want options other than the traditional, established hotel/taxi businesses. I'd rather my money go directly into someone's pocket than to some vast entity that shares only a small portion of their earnings with their employees.

As I've *said*, it's the idea that 'unregulated' is 'just fine'. I'm not upset about any particular product, but the consensus that regulations are unnecessary.

Eliminating regulations is a basic tenet of the Trump administration.

In today's news I see that Illinois has cut funding and personnel for the state EPA by 38% over the last ten years -- while Illinois climbs the list of states with the most pollution. Nixon created the national EPA to try to combat this laxity where states can't or won't enforce standards.