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.
McDonald's actually buys a lot of the land for franchises, and leases it back to the franchise owners. Not always, but many of them. So at the end of the day they own the land for nothing, in some very pricy parts of the world. It was a brilliant move. I don't know of any other franchise operations that do it that way. Interesting read about it.
That Uber transcript is something. If they want to argue that their core business is somehow creating marketplaces, I think they would have to show that they've used the same model successfully in other industries, not involving drivers... which they obviously have not.
HAHAHAHAHA what?? Who does he expect to buy that???
That reminds me of a story about Ray Kroc (McDonald's founder and CEO). He asked a group of students "What business is McDonald's in?". All the students said "hamburgers!". Ray Kroc responded "Wrong. McDonald's is a real estate company". His reasoning was that McDonald's owns all the real estate that its franchises sit on, apparently, and that constitutes the majority of their assets. Interesting point.
But I don't think Uber can pull that kind of claim off though 😂
Yeah a 1.5 hour trip shouldn't be a problem. Prebooking is not 100% guaranteed though.
Yeah that's funny actually. I never wore a seat belt in a cab. Ever. You just pile in and go. Cabbie doesn't care.
My understanding is that it has to pass the state assembly as well since there were amendments added. But it is likely to do so. This will change everything.
That's great! I know it is much harder to face a fear like that than most people think. It must feel good to have done it.
FYI this has been resolved on our end.
- Chris (CTO RideGuru)
Got it. This isn't something that a rideshare company will do for you. I'm not really sure what to suggest, I'm sorry.
Uber or Lyft can take you across the bridge, but they won't drive your car.
I think you'd have better luck asking someone local if they can help you out with it.
I'm not really clear on what you need. Someone to drive your car (with you in it) across?
My best guess is that they've changed how it works, and it's just dimmed if scheduling is not available now.
Definitely one to check out.
Prices are per vehicle.
Agree completely. It makes no sense the way it is now. Might as well just be thumbs up/thumbs down.
They are just so far behind. They should have been doing this 5 years ago.
But they could still catch up if only they could compete in rates. Unfortunately in most places that is impossible as the rates are set by the municipality. Everywhere else, it is virtually impossible as well, as these are small, independent companies that can't afford to take a haircut and participate in predatory pricing.
I'm afraid taxis are something that kids born today will know only from old movies and history books.
Yes, and yes. I would pay more for uber. And I wish they would translate that into more pay for drivers. To be honest as an Uber rider I feel uncomfortable knowing what I know about how drivers are treated. I tip accordingly but I know most don't.
I think a lot of Uber users would feel the same way, if they knew the situation. But Uber and Lyft don't exactly make it a point to publicize what they pay drivers.
Someday they are going to have to stop subsidizing cars. Whether they will pay drivers more is another question.
Yeah this has happened to me too. Dealers probably find it cheaper than loaning cars or whatever.
No.
What is going on in that video? A takeover? What is the point? I don't get it. I must be getting old.
I can't understand how these things are in any way safe. They're a danger on the roads, a danger on the sidewalks, a danger to pedestrians, a danger to their riders. We don't have them where I live thankfully. They do look fun to ride and convenient and all, but I like my brain and would like to keep it intact. I think I'll stay away.
Honestly not sure what the best option is. Getting two ubers sounds like a hassle but if you are up for an adventure maybe it's worth it. If it were me I'd probably just pay the premium for a taxi service.