RIDEGURU
Chris Hawes (chawes)
Ride Guru from Boston, MA
CTO of RideGuru, tech expert & enthusiast
756 Rider GuruChris has been involved with the Taxi industry since co-founding TaxiFareFinder.com in 2007, and has been an avid follower of the rideshare industry since its inception. An expert in full-stack web design and development, Chris oversees all the technical aspects of Unleashed's innovative products.
Activity
Posts by chawes
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How to keep your car safe during COVID
Check it out, some smart people figured out how to make airflow in your car safest for avoiding getting germs … -
Due To New California Law, Uber Allows Some Drivers To Set Their Own Rates
Whoahttps://www.npr.org/2020/01/28/800437791/due-to-new-california-law-uber-allows-some-drivers-to-set-their-own-rates?utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR25AV1xVIyT5ykvB3lF6EcC8thYJ4pf4BX2pBKCOZmGCZV8isrR5a_-KOU -
Uber: The ride-hailing app that says it has ‘zero’ drivers
Reality distortion field...Uber contract drivers helped bring in more than three-quarters of the company’s revenue in this year’s first … -
Bird raises new funding at a $2.5 billion valuation, thanks to longer-lasting scooters
Lot of cash for a company that can't turn a profit......That may have something to do with grim reports … -
Inside the new Uber: Weak coffee, vanishing perks and fast-deflating morale [Washington Post]
It's official. Uber has gone from hip startup to boring big company.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/09/30/inside-new-uber-weak-coffee-vanishing-perks-fast-deflating-morale/Sounds like morale is pretty low among … -
Inside Uber’s plan to take over city life with CEO Dara Khosrowshahi
https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/26/20885185/uber-ceo-dara-khosrowshahi-interview-exclusiveIt’s an ambitious play to become the de facto transportation and delivery service in every major city. But the … -
New York City’s first self-driving shuttle service is now open for business
https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/6/20755163/new-york-city-self-driving-shuttle-serviceMuch like other autonomous vehicle (AV) shuttle services that have cropped up in recent years across the country, it … -
Woman gives birth in back of taxi. Driver is cool.
Warning: graphic. Can anyone top this??? -
The Uber for helicopters is now Uber
This pricing doesn't seem that bad. Getting from Manhattan to JFK can be a nightmare. Helicopter in 8 minutes? Where … -
As was predicted, Uber’s IPO means you’ll be paying higher fares for your rides
This article nicely sums up what I think a lot of us were already thinking.As we’ve reported before, Uber's … -
The future of the gig economy...
Is this it? LOL -
Uber rang in its IPO with champagne and mimosas. Then the hangover began.
You just can't teach an old dog new tricks, can you.SAN FRANCISCO — Uber shut down a party at … -
Beijing Taxi Trajectories
Check out this cool visualization of a day of taxi trips in Beijing. Talk about busy huh! Click on the … -
Four reasons Uber’s IPO stalled on Friday
So the Uber IPO is a huge dud, surprising exactly no one (especially after Lyft's weak performance since it's IPO). … -
Uber and Lyft stop hiring new drivers in New York City
NYC's new regulation around rideshares is officially doing its job now, for better or for worse. Uber and Lyft have … -
Electric scooters may not be around for long [The Verge]
The article is light, but watch the video for more detail.The fundamental numbers don’t really add up because scooters … -
Lyft becomes the first ride-hail company to go public, beating Uber
Welp, here it is folks.https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/1/18246328/lyft-ipo-ride-share-bikes-scooters-uber-public-secI am surprised to see how much Lyft's market share has increased in the … -
Uber and Lyft reportedly giving some drivers cash bonuses to use towards buying IPO stock
So, would you buy the IPO, or just pocket the cash? I know what I'd do...The two programs are … -
Uber Exploring Autonomous Bikes and Scooters [TechCrunch]
Pretty wild. Scooters that can drive themselves to their charging stations, and redistribute themselves to wherever they are needed. So … -
Uber Is Headed for a Crash [nymag]
Interesting read. How long can Uber survive hemorrhaging money?Uber’s investors have been buying your satisfaction in the form of …
Featured Answers by chawes
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Ok since a few people have wondered about this:
How much does it cost to charge a scooter? Less than you might think. Just to run some rough numbers:
The scooter batteries' capacities are reported to be about 8800mAh at 36V. We can convert this to watt hours: 8800 * 36 / 1000 = 316.8Wh
Electricity costs on average of 12 cents per kilowatt hour (ie. 1000 watt hours) in the US. So, the cost of charging one of these scooters from empty is going to be something like:
(316.8 / 1000) * 12 = 4 cents
It's probably a bit more than that since chargers are not 100% efficient. And, the cost of electricity varies between different locations, so take this with a grain of salt. But it's safe to say the electricity cost of charging these things is not something to worry much about.
Seriously, this is terrifying. The culture at that company is messed up.
There is a financial crimes joke in here somewhere. Someone think of it.
They're basically commodities as I see it... All offer the exact same thing.
I would like to hear the driver's side of the story before making judgement. But, it does sound pretty bad.
Uber or Lyft is a great way to get there. Just get the app and request the ride when you want to go. Assuming you are in a fairly populated area you shouldn't have trouble getting a ride to/from a train station.
For such a short trip, I would tip generously. Drivers don't get paid much for trips like that.
No joke. That last logo never made any sense. I thought it was ugly when it came out, but I thought maybe it would grow on me. And I thought maybe I would find some hidden meaning in it eventually.
It did not, and I did not.
It looks so much friendlier than their old one, which was ugly and meaningless. They are definitely trying to change their image here to be softer and more welcoming. I think it might work, too.
I always tip as well. But I think if companies started publishing (to drivers) a passenger's "tip record", or started adjusting ratings based on tipping, it would cause a lot of problems. I would not expect to see this any time soon.
Where I grew up, the local pizza delivery guys were also selling weed out of their cars. So there's that. Pretty smart play and they had a lot of business. People called in for "pizzas" they got a side of weed with it. They got busted though.
https://minnlawyer.com/2018/08/22/uber-settlement-to-pay-34k-per-harassment-claim/
Mobile war room.
The app itself is just a front end to the real magic, which happens in their server infrastructure. They deal with millions of rides per day, and have to handle them all in real time, with (hopefully) no downtime. It is an engineering feat. Developing an app from your living room is one thing, swiftly handling massive traffic levels is a whole other ballgame.
The fact that it appears to be a simple app is perhaps what's most impressive. Whatever my feelings of Uber the company are, their engineering teams deserve some credit here. They make it look easy.
Their lawyers must be making a butt load of money, don't forget that.
Gonna have to check out his novel next...
Checked out his songs. This guy is no joke. He can sing. And write! Really good tunes.
We are planning to add uploading of images in the (somewhat) near future, along with a new editor which will be better than the current one. For now, HemiDodge has it right.
Thanks for being patient!
Hey, I just went through the application process to see, and for me the license expiration dropdown went all the way up to 2078. Maybe the fixed it? Try again today?
Typically with rideshares, you just request the ride when you need it. In the Uber app, you can see how far away a driver is. Do you have the Uber app installed on your phone?
Before your appointment, I would check the app 30-40 minutes before you need to leave, just to see if there are drivers around. It will show you where drivers are and how many minutes away they are. After your appointment, you can just request the ride immediately, though you may have to wait a few minutes for a driver to arrive.
My god. 2058?? That's crazy. Here in MA they expire I think every 5 years. That way they can collect more fees from us every 5 years, it's awesome.
I'm really surprised Lyft hasn't solved this issue though, since, I mean, there must be other Lyft drivers from Arizona right?
I'll pass on my usual advice in cases like this: tweet at them. If you make the problem public on twitter you will have better luck getting it taken care of. No guarantee they'll respond but doesn't hurt to try that avenue.
I think Lyft is in the wrong here. Their insurance should cover this. As someone else pointed out their insurance is on the car in Florida.
My advice? Tweet at them about it. Make it a PR problem for them. These days companies will solve problems if they fear public retribution. Lyft, especially, since they yearn so hard to be the "good guy" compared to uber. So, give then the opportunity to be the good guy.