I live half time in DC and use cabs and Uber interchangeably. It's a paid ride from point A to point B. There are some things I prefer Uber for (post theater, after Metro closes at Union Station, some streets where cabs aren't frequent) but it really makes little difference.

Uber operates legally in DC and Virginia having negotiated with government authorities regarding back ground checks, safety inspections and commercial insurance.

I was in a cab accident in the early 90s, nothing serious, but I racked up a small chunk in medical bills, particularly stemming from the visit to the emergency room. No question the cab driver was at fault. My insurance & the cab company went around for almost two years sorting it out.

So I'm not one to think that cabbies and cab company's are bastions of security, safety & generosity. Or honesty. Circuitous route to pad the meter -- I've called out a couple of them. Twice in the last two years I've had a taxi refuse to take me from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Illegal, no?

I could and would change my mind about Uber in the future but right now I see a place for them if they work with localities to cover the regulatory issues.

Denver, San Francisco, Seattle are cities where I've used Uber though not extensively. Mostly b/c cab service, both call and hailing, is so spotty. Portland Or needs something like Uber b/c their cab service stinks.

I was smart enough to recognize the bubble. Sold it near the peak after the price was double what I paid for it.

$160k after taxes goes a long way toward paying for hotels and greens fees.

obxgirl, my niece said that in DC half the time the cabs didn't show up for scheduled pickups.

I've had no show cab's in DC on occasion, nothing like half of them though.

Before they FINALLY switched to a metered system (albeit one that still contains hidden extra charges), I had DC cabs try to overcharge me for the same ride at least half the time. I lived near the border of a zone, which they seemed to feel was an open invitation to rip me off.

Tourists couldn't have been expected to understand the deliberately obfuscating, but perfectly legal, Zone Map, which of course was the whole point. So no, cabs have no corner on honesty or any other human virtue.

I've used Uber and it is really convenient. Just this past weekend we were at a party at the house of some friends. When it was time to go, I checked my Uber ap and saw that there was a car available in 5 minutes. We booked it, said our goodbyes and went outside. We could monitor the progress of the car as it made its way to us. We verified that this was the right car, the driver verified that we were the right passengers and off we went. The car was clean, the driver was professional.

Same situation with a taxi - we'd have to call dispatch, then wait for the taxi to show, and taxis in our city are notoriously slow about getting to you - you could stand outside for a half hour waiting for the car when dispatch said it would be there in 5 minutes. Drivers are pretty much "whatever" about their jobs and taxis are generally old and poorly maintained. If there are multiple people waiting at the same place for a taxi, there is always confusion about whose taxi this one is.

No one is holding licensed cabbies as bastions of responsibility. What I am addressing is what remedies and rights does a traveler or passenger may have in the event of an injury or worse.

Some people are always willing to defend the saving of fee bucks. This is fine, as long as they understand the possible consequences.

I am sure the millions of stories of cabbies doing this or that, including good deeds like returning a Stradivarius, but that is not the point.

<i>This is fine, as long as they understand the possible consequences. </i>

And what are those specific consequences you're warning everyone about?

Uber isn't necessarily cheaper than a cab.

Uber is far better than cabs.

Uber either insures or requires commercial insurance for drivers.

I have little faith cabbies are rigorously vetted.

One should note that the replies from those that use Uber are invariably positive, while those warning have no experience and seemingly less knowledge.

The possible consequence is that if there is an injury and there the driver or home owner will have no or the wrong coverage, then the burden of expenses will be on the passenger or renter. This is bout the fourth time I have written this.

Additionally, there are usually municipal agencies that regulate cabbies, who regulates Uber and what are your remedies for disputes, discrimination, etc.?

The above is also concentrating Uber with little attention to Airbnb.

<This is bout the fourth time I have written this.>
But Tab answered the question above, several posts ago. Did you not see her post?

I think the point about disputes is well taken.

I think you clearly know nothing about Uber if you think people are using it to save a few bucks. During peak times, it can be more expensive. The point is not that people are being foolish to save money, the point is that people prefer the quality of the service so much that they may not care about the finer points .

And finally, some of your questions--such as, who vets the drivers?--could be asked of taxi companies, too, and the answer would be the same: we have a process, but it's not foolproof.

<I>The possible consequence is that if there is an injury and there the driver or home owner will have no or the wrong coverage, then the burden of expenses will be on the passenger or renter. This is bout the fourth time I have written this.</I>

If this is the fourth time you've written it, how have you missed finding out that it is wrong (about Uber)? Someone posted in this very thread about Uber's insurance, which seems more than reasonable.

I don't know anything about AirBnB, other than that a few friends swear by it, but your "concerns" about Uber are misplaced and reflect a lack of knowledge about the product. What is troubling is that you have been provided a link that explains Uber's insurance coverage, yet you ignore it and proceed with making stuff up. It is one thing to be ignorant, but quite another to try and spread ignorance.

I didn't say anything about AirBnB b/c I know very little about it other than it seems to make heads explode whenever the topic comes up here. From what I've read I think some of the concerns are probably warranted in apartment buildings.

Mostly I prefer hotels.

Since this has reached the name calling stage, I will leave this posting.

Just so we are clear, nobody has called anyone any names anywhere in this thread. Saying someone is mistaken or doesn't know what they are talking about is not the same as name calling.

SD was hit by a cab a few years ago. Three other people were hit also, one injured very seriously.

The cab company had very little insurance and like obx, her attorney went around with their attorney for a couple of years and received a measly settlement.

Cabs in Denver are a mess. We much prefer taking Uber to the airport, but get stuck with a taxi to take us home. The difference is night & day between those two experiences, with Uber being so much better.

Sorry - in many cities there are taxi commissions that test and control all taxi and car service drivers - who have to display the official documents in their cars, They are required to have commercial car insurance - completely different from that of a regular driver - which does not cover commercial use of hte car. (That's why they ask you how you will be using the car when you insure it - and driving it to and from work - never mind FOR work/commercial purposes is a higher price that someone who just drives for regular daily purposes

There have been problems with uber in some places since the drivers are not licensed by the local government (NOT the owner of the cab company) and the cars are not covered by commercial insurance.

There may be places in which cab drivers are controlled only by owners of cab companies - but typically not in sizable cities.

<i>There have been problems with uber in some places since the drivers are not licensed by the local government (NOT the owner of the cab company) and the cars are not covered by commercial insurance</i>

For Christ's sake, do you ever actually read anything that's been said before you post?

<i>They are required to have commercial car insurance</i>

Uber insures drivers while they have the app on and the insurance coverage while carrying passengers is significantly better than the required insurance for any city I can find.