I wonder how many incidents have happened with Uber. I'll bet if you made a list of the number of incidents with Uber drivers VS Cab drivers, Uber might take up 2 or 3 percent of the list.

Is Uber Cheaper Than Owning A Car? - Business Insider (http://www.businessinsider.com/is-uber-cheaper-than-owning-a-car-2014-9?utm_content=bufferf5bb6&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer)

I wonder how many incidents have happened with Uber. I'll bet if you made a list of the number of incidents with Uber drivers VS Cab drivers, Uber might take up 2 or 3 percent of the list.
Nowhere did I or the article imply that this is a common problem with Uber, Just that, with Uber becoming such an identifiable and popular (perhaps even iconic) brand for this line of business, this is exactly the kind of publicity they don't need. You don't want your brand associated with this sort of activity. "I almost go 'Ubered" last night on the ride home", etc... :tongue:

As for cabs having the same problem, that's exactly my point. Everyone knows cabs can sometimes be sketchy. Uber is supposed to be the option that's above that sort of thing.

Nowhere did I or the article imply that this is a common problem with Uber, Just that, with Uber becoming such an identifiable and popular (perhaps even iconic) brand for this line of business, this is exactly the kind of publicity they don't need. You don't want your brand associated with this sort of activity. "I almost go 'Ubered" last night on the ride home", etc... :tongue:

As for cabs having the same problem, that's exactly my point. Everyone knows cabs can sometimes be sketchy. Uber is supposed to be the option that's above that sort of thing.I got you. My bad

It would be unrealistic to not thing things like this will happen from time-to-time, they simply employ so many people it can't be avoided. There background checks - like every other company's background checks - is limited to what pops up on a traditional background check. So, unless you've had a history of trouble, there is no way for them to predict it or filter you out.

I would like to see Uber do a bit more; like actually meeting with potential drivers before hiring them. This would allow them to make sure they a least appear to be a good fit for the brand. As it is now, they never see you, talk to you, see your car or experience you driving skills (or lack thereof).

I agree. One way Uber and other newer services are curbing the negative trends is through swift removal and remediation of offenders and a transparent and useful rating system. As traditional taxi companies implement these (many are) I think innovation will start to show it's lovely face and we'll look back and wonder how we ever let it get so bad. Demand for 'taxi' type of transportation is going up and I don't think that's going to change any time soon. We're on a brink of a new era, IMHO.

The ease, cost and acceptance of services like Uber are convincing me someone could go carless in OKC if they wanted to.

FYI - Uber recently lowered rates in the OKC area by 15%. Uber claims their rates are now 22% cheaper than a local cab's rates for the same trip (however, not during 'surge' price events).

Oklahoma City Council passes blight, rideshare ordinances | News OK (http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-council-passes-blight-rideshare-ordinances/article/5358880)

Anyone have a link to the actual verbiage of the new ordinance(s)? Not an article, but the actual law.

This is a link to the municipal code. I think the council just basically said that they have to comply with everything here.

https://www.municode.com/library/ok/oklahoma_city/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=OKMUCO2010_CH56VEHI

http://www.okc.gov/AgendaPub/cache/2/at0nux55rqpzqj555rdcddnq/249376110232014101418177.PDF

Be jealous.

https://blog.uber.com/KITTENS

what a waste of gas

what a waste of gas

It looks like the minimum cost is $30, but you can donate as much as you want with 100% of the proceeds going to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Not sure how many people did this last year, but it looks like it is for a good cause.

New app is like Uber for kids | Oklahoma City - OKC - KOCO.com (http://www.koco.com/video/buzz60/new-app-is-like-uber-for-kids/29366796?utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=koco%20eyewitness%20news%205&utm_content=sh2014)

not sure if I'd trust this. Well, I don't and if I had kids they wouldn't be using it.

Inaction Is Tacit Approval: Why I Deleted My Uber Account*|*Lisa Abeyta (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-abeyta/delete-uber_b_6188548.html)

More problems for Uber elsewhere,

City of Portland asks judge to stop Uber | News OK (http://newsok.com/city-of-portland-asks-judge-to-stop-uber/article/feed/769881)

New Delhi bans Uber after woman says driver raped her - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/08/world/asia/india-uber-alleged-rape/index.html)

And it continues.
California Prosecutors Sue Uber; Lyft Settles - ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/california-prosecutors-sue-uber-lyft-settles-27487824)

UberX
around 1 a.m. saw it was 8x normal fare


Minimum Fare: 35.40

Base Fare: 15.05
+ 12.47/Mile

edit: looks like it just dropped back to normal prices, so they only jacked up the prices for an hour or so

UberX
around 1 a.m. saw it was 8x normal fare


Minimum Fare: 35.40

Base Fare: 15.05
+ 12.47/Mile

edit: looks like it just dropped back to normal prices, so they only jacked up the prices for an hour or so

I got an email from uber yesterday warning me that this may happen

bricktown back to 4.8x normal fare

min fare 20.20

8.40 base fare

+ 6.96/mile

crazy

-----
plaza/midtown is now 7.6x pricing

min fare $31.40/
$13.30 base fare/
$11.02/mile

midtown/plaza/bricktown 8.9x

min fare 36.60

15.58 base fare

+ 12.91/mile

ha Ha, you have turrets and moats to attend to, this sh*t is is for the peasants to monitor :)

Our group got an Uber from Midtown for normal rates at about 1am. We were amazed. $7 total.

I saw a downtown Okc to norman on the 8.9X fare. $338.

If you are a registered user of Uber, you got an e-mail well in advance detailing peak pricing times and encouraging you to plan your trips around them to avoid the high prices. There was also an alert when logging into the app. I planned my trips around them and paid roughly $8 and $9 between the HH/Mesta area and Mickey Mantle's in Bricktown. No complaints here.

The surges in OKC are not long enough to warrant hysterics. Add in the fact you are warned before hailing an Uber and you ultimately have the choice to go with Lyft, a traditional cab or a car service. If you wait until the last minute to get an Uber to take you to the airport or get to work and are 'forced' to pay a surge rate -- consider it 'lesson learned' and plan ahead more accordingly in the future.

That said, I do believe there is an argument to be made against Uber's surge policies and surge policies in general. The problem I see with price surging is that if Uber is allowed to do it, then so should all the other alternative chauffeured services and then you'd have a captive audience being forced to pay - what I do agree are - extremely high rates.

The other thing that is a little concerning to me is the fact Uber markets to not drink and drive, but use an Uber instead. So, they know their customer base is often drunk and therefore not as prone to take the price so cautiously.

The surge prices/times also often don't make any sense. I've seen downtown (a fairly small geographic area) go into a surge and yet there appears to be 3-6 Uber vehicles available to be hailed within the surge zone. So why the surge if apparently demand has not surpassed supply?

I'm all for regulation of these type of services as long as it doesn't inhibit their growth. I would though like to see a 3rd party that could require Uber to maintain (and provide upon request) records justifying things like a 8x surge. If the surge is truly based on supply and demand that's one thing. But I think there is plenty of evidence that surges are initiated to take advantage of the consumer, not because there are not enough drivers.

The surges in OKC are not long enough to warrant hysterics. Add in the fact you are warned before hailing an Uber and you ultimately have the choice to go with Lyft, a traditional cab or a car service. If you wait until the last minute to get an Uber to take you to the airport or get to work and are 'forced' to pay a surge rate -- consider it 'lesson learned' and plan ahead more accordingly in the future.

That said, I do believe there is an argument to be made against Uber's surge policies and surge policies in general. The problem I see with price surging is that if Uber is allowed to do it, then so should all the other alternative chauffeured services and then you'd have a captive audience being forced to pay - what I do agree are - extremely high rates.

The other thing that is a little concerning to me is the fact Uber markets to not drink and drive, but use an Uber instead. So, they know their customer base is often drunk and therefore not as prone to take the price so cautiously.

The surge prices/times also often don't make any sense. I've seen downtown (a fairly small geographic area) go into a surge and yet there appears to be 3-6 Uber vehicles available to be hailed within the surge zone. So why the surge if apparently demand has not surpassed supply?

I'm all for regulation of these type of services as long as it doesn't inhibit their growth. I would though like to see a 3rd party that could require Uber to maintain (and provide upon request) records justifying things like a 8x surge. If the surge is truly based on supply and demand that's one thing. But I think there is plenty of evidence that surges are initiated to take advantage of the consumer, not because there are not enough drivers.
Surge doesn't last very long often. Like the word suggests it happens because of a sudden "surge" in demand. Therefore prices go up, some people ride anyway others wait it out. The demand levels off and pricing returns to normal. It's genius really. If you try to hail an uber and it's surging, wait 5 minutes you'll be surprised. If it is a holiday do not leave at 145-215, and start checking fares 30mins before you leave you'll find one that isn't surging.

My sister from Las Vegas told me that Vegas just banned Uber.

My sister from Las Vegas told me that Vegas just banned Uber.

'Just' - not really. And it was the result of a restraining order (just to put it into proper perspective). They halted operations a month or two ago - not long after they started operations. Nevada - Vegas in particular - surely has a very power and well funded cab support base that will fight tooth and nail to keep Uber out and they have some of the most strict cab regulations.

Other than NYC I'd guess Vegas might have more cabs than any city in the U.S. Makes sense that they would have a powerful lobby.

At least Uber's surge pricing is legal..... Not so much when you're scammed by a pedi-cab....

Taken for a ride! Tourist charged $165 to travel less than a MILE in New York pedicab on New Year's Eve (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2894255/Tourist-charged-165-travel-MILE-New-York-pedicab-New-Year-s-Eve.html)

DC is #2, Chicago is #3, Vegas a distant #4. I would tend to agree with this, having traveled and used in these places.

According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxicabs_of_the_United_States#Taxicabs_by_city):

New York - 13,237 taxis
DC - 7,200 taxis
Chicago - 6,650 taxis
Vegas - 3,000+ taxis
Los Angeles - 2,300 taxis
Houston - 2,245 taxis

Uber Users Are Freaking Out About The Hefty Fares From New Year's Eve - Business Insider (http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-users-are-freaking-out-about-the-hefty-fares-from-new-years-eve-2015-1?utm_content=buffer9e1c4&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer)

Man, I really do miss personal accountability in America...

I'm going to side with Uber here.

Still cheaper than a DUI

Regardless of legality or personal accountability - surging as high as they do and when they do it and their customer's ability to utilize social media to out them is going to be a bigger stumbling block IMO than anything else in their long term popularity with individuals and municipalities.

Maybe they want Uber to become a status symbol. "Wow, did you just arrive in an Uber on a Friday night!??! You must be loaded."

I could see 'Uber' morphing into the verb for "I just got screwed."

Personally, I keep both Uber and Lyft on my phone. If Uber is surging I can almost always guarantee Lyft is not. Oh, yeah, and I drive my own car 99% of the time and don't drink to excess.

I'm still shocked Lyft hasn't become more popular in light of Uber's missteps.

Note to self. Make and license a restaurant app people can use while they are waiting for a table. You can eat next if you're willing to pay ten times.

Note to self. Make and license a restaurant app people can use while they are waiting for a table. You can eat next if you're
willing to pay ten times.

Would that get named mapp-tre d' ?

Would that get named mapp-tre d' ?

I'm thinking No Reservations, short for we don't take them and have No Reservations about how much we charge you.

I flip use uber and lyft and don't have an issue. Had one high priced ride in Austin on uber but a friend purchased it. The next night there was surge pricing and we waited a bit. (Like 30 min ) and no more surge. If you aren't smart enough to figure it out then you deserve a high fare.

I have both Uber and Lyft accounts, but have had difficulty getting Lyft rides during peak times. Surge pricing lures more Uber drivers into the pool, so there is rarely an availability issue. I think surge pricing gives you the peace of mind if you absolutely HAVE to have a car RIGHT NOW. Otherwise, know how it works and plan accordingly.

Oh, and Flywheel will always let you get a CAB, and their fares are regulated (and static). I have no problem with there being lots of choices in the marketplace, including the ability to pay a premium for a high-demand service and KNOW it will be there for you.

And if you think there wouldn't be a market for an app that lets you pay an upcharge to cut to the front of the line for a seat at a packed restaurant during a peak time you're nuts. In fact I'll bet it already exists in a major market somewhere. Ever hear of the Disney FastPass+?

There absolutely would be a market for that app. I use Uber and Halo when I'm in Chicago, to get cabs. Have never found the need in OKC.

There absolutely would be a market for that app. I use Uber and Halo when I'm in Chicago, to get cabs. Have never found the need in OKC.

Even the Outbacks of the world let one get on the wait list before getting to the door,and folks have slipped a fair sized bill in the right hand for many a decade to get favorable treatment. SO yeah, a First 4 Thirst sort of app would play in the right environment.

New Startup Sells Hot Restaurant Reservations for $20-$25 a Pop | SFoodie | San Francisco | San Francisco News and Events | SF Weekly (http://www.sfweekly.com/foodie/2014/04/15/new-startup-sells-hot-restaurant-reservations-for-20-25-a-pop)

exceptionally reasonable fee.

$25

Chicken feed. I'm going for what the market will bear.

Chicken feed. I'm going for what the market will bear.

So are you going to start with Nic's? Probably some money to be made there.

Probably about the only place in OKC where you could LOL. Maybe Ted's of 20 years ago. On your bag phone...

Probably about the only place in OKC where you could LOL. Maybe Ted's of 20 years ago. On your bag phone...

Uber OKC revenue probably isn't a blip on the Uber financial statement, much less any OKC surge pricing revenue.

Don't like the fare, don't purchase it.

Don't like the fare, don't purchase it.

Still cheaper than a DUI

I had a friend whose bill from Midtown to Edmond was $553 on NYE at 2 am. But like has already been mentioned there were so many different warnings from Uber beforehand it's hard to complain.

... bill from Midtown to Edmond was $553 on NYE at 2 am. ...

A fee easily avoided by leaving earlier or later, or using another service. And, as already noted, still way, way, way cheaper than a dui arrestt.
Let's set aside bond fee, attorney fee, court costs, fine for the moment. The DUI assessment fee, and even a short DUI school, along with the victim impact fee, will run close to this amount. And then there's the probation office fee, the DL modification fee, the subsequent DL reinstatement fee, the months of interlock rental fee, and oh yeah, all those fees and costs that we ignored at the outset.

Not a fan of Uber surge pricing, but even 2X a 553 Uber fee is cheaper than the alternative, and that presumes you actually get home with neither property damage nor bodily injury issues.

Anyone know the status of the Uber and Lyft's applications for license to operate in OKC?

According to a Nov. 24 Gazette article both companies were to submit license applications soon.

Gazette: Uber, Lyft have 30 days to apply for licenses (http://okgazette.com/2014/11/24/uber-and-lyft-have-30-days-to-apply-for-license/)

I agree, it's pretty hard to complain.

Three things though:

1) It's hard to imagine being in that much of a hurry to get home that one couldn't wait a little while till pricing became more affordable.

2) Midtown to Edmond is a decent distance, especially to some places in Edmond. The cost wasn't going to be cheap anyway but kudos to your friend for having the foresight to choose to be driven home.

3) Uber needs to add a real-time fare meter inside the app. Right now, there is a small 'bubble' on the destination pin that shows you a) the estimated time till arrival and b) the estimated number of minutes until arrival. You can toggle this but just tapping the bubble on the destination pin. Without adding any clutter to the UI, adding one more metric as the real-time or accrued fare would be an elegant solution within the app and would do wonders to help people make decisions while en route. A huge part of the problem is the sticker shock. I know Brian already mentioned this above and my point is that they've got the UI elements in place already to add it to the application in a way that people could easily use and see. I'd like to see them turn that on.

I wasn't with them so I'm not sure what the hurry was. The distance was 33 miles so it would have been around $60 on a normal day. I agree that adding a real-time fare feature would be nice, but would that change anything? It would be nice to have a ballpark price as you go, but it is not like I'm going to get out of the car if it reaches a certain point.

I agree, it's pretty hard to complain.

Three things though:

1) It's hard to imagine being in that much of a hurry to get home that one couldn't wait a little while till pricing became more affordable. When you walk the wrong direction in a foreign town ending up in the ghetto, that is one situation I encountered on NYE. My own fault admittidly.

2) Midtown to Edmond is a decent distance, especially to some places in Edmond. The cost wasn't going to be cheap anyway but kudos to your friend for having the foresight to choose to be driven home.

3) Uber needs to add a real-time fare meter inside the app. Right now, there is a small 'bubble' on the destination pin that shows you a) the estimated time till arrival and b) the estimated number of minutes until arrival. You can toggle this but just tapping the bubble on the destination pin. Without adding any clutter to the UI, adding one more metric as the real-time or accrued fare would be an elegant solution within the app and would do wonders to help people make decisions while en route. A huge part of the problem is the sticker shock. I know Brian already mentioned this above and my point is that they've got the UI elements in place already to add it to the application in a way that people could easily use and see. I'd like to see them turn that on.


I don't recall seeing the 8.9X surge pricing that I ended up paying. Came out to be $90, definitely worth it though. Then the driver gave me a discount, brought it down to $40. He was pretty cool. Not bad for a 7 minute ride.

I don't recall seeing the 8.9X surge pricing that I ended up paying. Came out to be $90, definitely worth it though. Then the driver gave me a discount, brought it down to $40. He was pretty cool. Not bad for a 7 minute ride.

How in the world did the driver give you a discount? Uber drivers can't set or discount rates that i know of.

How in the world did the driver give you a discount? Uber drivers can't set or discount rates that i know of.

I've had driver's who have had promotional codes from Uber they hand out from time to time.

I've had driver's who have had promotional codes from Uber they hand out from time to time.

I'm aware of the promo cards. I used one when I signed up. But how did that allow the driver to discount your $90 fare to $40?

The promo codes are only good on brand new accounts and are only up to like $25.