Uber coming to OKC

[BBatesokc]

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.

[BBatesokc]

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).

[Plutonic Panda]

Oklahoma City Council passes blight, rideshare ordinances | News OK

[BBatesokc]

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

[ljbab728]

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/...O2010_CH56VEHI

http://www.okc.gov/AgendaPub/cache/2...4101418177.PDF

[CuatrodeMayo]

Be jealous.

https://blog.uber.com/KITTENS

[Richard at Remax]

what a waste of gas

[sooner88]

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.

[Plutonic Panda]

New app is like Uber for kids | Oklahoma City - OKC - KOCO.com

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

[TheTravellers]

Inaction Is Tacit Approval: Why I Deleted My Uber Account*|*Lisa Abeyta

[ljbab728]

More problems for Uber elsewhere,

City of Portland asks judge to stop Uber | News OK

New Delhi bans Uber after woman says driver raped her - CNN.com

[ljbab728]

And it continues.
California Prosecutors Sue Uber; Lyft Settles - ABC News

[blangtang]

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

[Jeepnokc]

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

[blangtang]

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

[blangtang]

midtown/plaza/bricktown 8.9x

min fare 36.60

15.58 base fare

+ 12.91/mile

[blangtang]

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

[dankrutka]

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

[gopokes88]

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

[Urbanized]

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.

[BBatesokc]

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.

[gopokes88]

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.

[Bellaboo]

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

[BBatesokc]

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.

[Urbanized]

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.