Monday’s episode of Desus & Mero on cable channel VICELAND, opens with a funny recap of this weekend’s #deleteuber activity, when Uber appeared to undercut taxi drivers who were protesting the Muslim ban. Uber’s terrible weekend has legs. Comedian Desus Nice holds no punches, opening the show by saying, “This weekend many of us had to … Read more
One of the writers for Black Mirror, a Netflix Original, used to drive for Uber; I just can’t figure out who. “Nosedive,” the 1st episode of Season 3 effectively skewers social media culture, taking one-to-five star rating systems to crazy extremes. The full third season of Black Mirror, a Twilight Zone for the Digital Age, dropped … Read more
Uber-Competitor InstaRyde doesn’t work in Toronto, as of late July 2016. While in Toronto, I thought I’d try out InstaRyde, the homegrown Uber competitor. No luck. On the InstaRyde app, you’re as likely to find a car in the middle of Lake Ontario as you are from Queen Street West. The current absence will make another comeback in the Queen … Read more
UberPOOL (like Lyft’s Lyft Line) approximates carpooling. In theory, several riders share a car traveling along a shared route. (In true carpooling, the driver and the passengers share the destination.) Uber’s version uses its large network of riders, finding some that could travel the same path for at least part of their trip. 1) With … Read more
Montréal, Québec, has a relatively new entrant into the taxi industry. Téo Taxi combines an environmental focus with the ease of app-based dispatch and billing to create a powerful hybrid company. While visiting Montréal in June, I decided to give it a try. The service has three key features: every car in the fleet is electric; … Read more