Pilgrim Slight Return says:
September 23 2017 at 12:38 pm
The chicanery that Uber uses to define itself is enough to convince me of the same thing.Looking at one of their senior team on TV last night summed up to me what is going on – the company has put the utility of the service to the user before any other consideration – even corporate responsibility.
It’s a narrow minded hyper-individualised service for an increasingly hyper-individualised society as can be seen by the apparent 400,000 people who have gone on line to support them.
Is that spoof mask beginning to slip?
There’s that undefined ‘corporate responsibility’ again.
‘hyper-individualised service’
As opposed to crappy, one-size-fits-all-that-you-have-to-accept service.
A company that puts the paying customer first? I’m shocked, I tell you, shocked.
Actually, it is a bit shocking, although it shouldn’t be; and it’s not shocking that someone ceiticises them for it, although it should be.
Grrrrrrrrr
Luddites to a man, woman or any of the 31-79 things in between.
The whole basis of helping a failing industry is inseparable from the leftie psyche.
There maybe some issues, maybe we want to make the weaning of the cabbies off their investment slightly easier, but they had their chance, have operated a closed shop for years and have innovated zilch.
They could try lobbying for slacker rules around themselves, they could build an app, they could…. But no, screw the newcomer which is vastly superior and protect the incumbent at cost in time and money to the user.
Khan has portrayed himself yet again.
There was a remark in a Kingsley Amis novel about British Rail closing the side entrance to a station because it suited nobody except the passengers.
Off topic, but if the exit polls in Germany are right then old Schulzy has been given a good solid kick in the sack. Lowest SPD vote since the war.
@MatthewL
And Merkel gets 35%, which makes her the world’s strongest leader, apparently. While May gets 42% and is weak, weak, weak.
“They could try lobbying for slacker rules around themselves, they could build an app, they could…. But no, screw the newcomer which is vastly superior and protect the incumbent at cost in time and money to the user.”
To some extent, they’re doing the rational thing. The cabbies can’t win. When you can call a car to a station and it’s there in 30 seconds (because they’re parked right outside and waiting for a call from a cellphone) who is going to pay cab rates? When the driver can get you to any address anywhere in the UK accurately, why do you need The Knowledge?
The thing with incumbents is that they are frequently overconfident of remaining incumbents. There’s always been cabbies, they’ve always been cabbies, therefore there will always be cabbies.
Me, I haven’t been in a black cab in a decade. Even without Uber, I always found recommendations for minicabs and booked cars from stations.
@bilbaoboy, September 24, 2017 at 1:28 pm
…they could try lowering the fare instead of always charging maximum rate TfL permits – like sorta what’s it called?
Ah, compete on price until they find premium customers are willing to pay for a black cab.
The first two commenters here need to look up ‘irony’ in the dictionary; and when you’ve found out, for fuck’s sake don’t tell Ritchie about it.