The hostility industry

[silverbullet]

These vermin are probably on the Taxis for Ireland Coalition.

https://extra.ie/2025/01/29/news/irish-news/guinness-tourists-dublin-pub

[watty]

I think the pub has argued before that the prices go up after 11pm (legally) and you're paying for the extra wage costs, an 'authentic' Oirish pub experience and live music to sing-along to. 

And if you're lucky enough to have a leprechaun fall into your pint and get trapped, he has to give you 3 wishes before you grant him his freedom.  You won't get something like that elsewhere for that sort of money!

[Rat Catcher]

Free Now could do something similar up above in Dublin... Maybe drop the premium service fees if you get a car driven by an Irish born driver?

[mercenary for hire]

I laugh in disbelief when I read online of people asking for Uber to come in as they are in other countries.As soon as they get in they lower prices paid to drivers during quiet times and put multiples on the fares when it gets busy.

When I was in Miami last month the basic Uber from the hotel to the cruise port was about 16 dollars.When we arrived back in Miami with a few thousand people coming off the ship an even shorter job was quoted 43 dollars.We said no thanks and closed the app.In the end I paid 25 to a passing taxi who still likely overcharged me for a 6 mile journey.Everyone thinks Uber is a  great idea until they have to pay the surge themselves.

[Rat Catcher]

They don't mind paying €30-40 surge fees to Free Now, why would they mind paying Uber?

[mercenary for hire]

Uber is trying to play the good guy until the get market dominance then they'll start pushing the passengers and drivers for more dosh.There aren't many other markets where they aren't the top app.

Uber is trying to make money now for all those investor billions they got to pump into various markets.Their CEO recently said their stock is undervalued even though it's 50% higher than the initial offering a few years ago.Seems like they're going to drive profits through their behind the scenes algo tampering.I do ok out of them but I've no way of knowing if they're taking tips when they feel like it.Typically my tips are about 5% on Uber but some weeks they're almost zero when I'm doing the exact same thing.

They could be charging anything to the passengers but we rarely meet again so it's hard to know.

Well beyond the next fiver though..

[Rat Catcher]

They're both playing one off against the other. Do you remember Hail0 / mytaxi / Free Now promising Black Cab drivers in London that they will never (again) use PHVs - their equivalent of Hackneys aka minicabs... Twice! They can fool some of the people all of the time.

The chances are that Rideshare will be given to NTA to implement / trial. In that case there won't be more than a handful of licences issued in your lifetime, never mind mine. If not it'll provide another option for those of us that don't want to work 30+ hours per week, assuming there's no age limits applied to "rideshare" licences.

[Rat Catcher]

I don't want to incur the wrath of Keith but, at the risk of sounding like the erm, if you're bothered about what's to come seek out other options. A bloke of your intellect could readily get himself an ADI licence to fall back on. The only downside of that is you have to renew the fucker every 2 years, sitting a practical test to do so... and you can't use a taxi for the test... and if you don't have a "student" for the test you need a car with open insurance so the examiner can role play... and the licence is 2 and a half ton... ok there's quite a few downsides when I think about it!

[silverbullet]

I don't want to incur the wrath of Keith but, at the risk of sounding like the erm, if you're bothered about what's to come seek out other options. A bloke of your intellect could readily get himself an ADI licence to fall back on. The only downside of that is you have to renew the fucker every 2 years, sitting a practical test to do so... and you can't use a taxi for the test... and if you don't have a "student" for the test you need a car with open insurance so the examiner can role play... and the licence is 2 and a half ton... ok there's quite a few downsides when I think about it!

You left out the parts where you have to work and deal with people.

Merc, drive a bus. They'll train you, and you can sit in a bubble behind perspex.

[mercenary for hire]

I've been contemplating doing something else lately but I'm just not cut out for full time work all the time.I can do a bit more when I need to but not interested in a 39 hour week plus commuting time to a bus depot 50 weeks a year..If I put that time into the taxi I'd be loaded like Belker.

The only things I can change is how much debt I owe.Currently it's very very little so I'll keep pushing on even if in the future I end up doing more hours behind the wheel than I want to.Only another twenty years to the pension....The last 15 have flown in.

[mercenary for hire]

I thought about applying for a civil service job recently with the idea of keeping the taxi as a back up plan.Then I realised how shite the money is and I'd still need to do all the suitability stuff and jumping through hoops that irritates me about taxi driving.

[Rat Catcher]

That's the problem I have, more or less. Debt isn't an issue but to justify buying a new(ish) car I'll have to increase my working hours - whether I go the driving school or cab driving route - which is something I don't want to do in my twilight years. Rideshare might be the answer I'm looking for!

Who was it that said work is the curse of the drinking classes?

[markmiwurdz]

Andy Capp