Read all about it here.
Whoops, maybe not. What happened?
Well then, read all about it here, below.
Poor Sandra! Poor Kristy!
[UPDATE, APRIL 30, 2013: Pulled. Come back May 1 for details, if you want.]
[UPDATE, May 1, 2013: Oh, you're back! Well, you know, the same basic info has been posted here by SideCar and it pays off on the headline of cars getting impounded. So I guess that's that, for now. Thank you, drive through,]
Whoa, baby!
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And they have illegal taxis too, just as San Francisco! ‘Cept instead of calling them Lyft or whathaveyou, the Japanese refer to illegal cabs as shiroi takushi (white taxis) owing to the concomitant non-commercial white license plates.
Anyway, they’re all over the place out on the streets, not just bottled up at the airport, that’s my point.
Oh, and if the local police in Japan found out that you were still operating AFTER receiving a cease and desist notice, well, they just might impound your ride (AND your whimsical novelty pink mustache) and then lock you up for 20-something days, you know, to teach you a lesson. Oh, you want to call your family to tell them where you are, or your boss to explain your absence, or a lawyer to get sprung? Well fine, just sign this complete confession first. I’m srsly. Whatever you do, don’t “disrupt” in Japan, Lyfters.
Anyway, legal taxis are all over the place in Japan, that’s my point.
Let’s see here, the right hand is holding an electronic device, you know, the better to Lyft with.
And the left hand, well that’s acting as a cup holder for a beverage.
That means that some Lyft drivers steer with their knees.
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Hey Lyft! Why don’t you tell your taxi drivers to not violate VC 23123, you know, like every fucking minute of every fucking day they’re on the clock?
Oh you do?
But enforcing the law isn’t your job.
Hey, I know, why don’t you mount cameras on your taxis, you know, the way the SFMTA does with its vehicles?
How about a GoPro facing forward and another one mounted aimed towards the driver, so that he won’t be attempted to break any laws?
The “sharing economy” demands it, I’d say.
Isn’t this refreshing?
Thys is the fyrst tyme Y’ve seen a Lyft taxy dryver alone in his/her ryde NOT surfying the web and dryving symultaneously:
All the other times, the drivers have been illegally driving while texting or talking
Hey, isn’t that behavior illygal or something?
In California, anyway…
Uh, to make more money?
From Ellen Huet comes the news of SideCar doubling its “voluntary” fares for New Years Eve 2013.
So that means you’ll need to pay double to avoid getting blackballed by SideCar’s drivers.
Of course, if a trained and licensed San Francisco taxi driver charges you double a during busy time, that’s a misdemeanor.
But if a SideCar driver jacks up rates on NYE, that’s called bidness.
Oh well.
Hey, Gentle Reader! Why not check in on SideCar’s “amazing year,” below? You’ll be able to see if any mention is made of CPUC case #PSG-3360, you know, that whole “cease and desist” thing.
If only this woman on Market had a SideCar sign instead of a TAXI sign:
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“Hello San Francisco SideCar Community!
2012 has been an amazing year:
Woohoo!
To ring in 2013, plenty of drivers in our community have told us that they plan to get behind the wheel on New Year’s Eve so that you can hit the town safely without having to worry about driving. <3 To thank them, we decided to do them a huge favor:
For New Year’s Eve only – and in The San Francisco Bay Area Only - from 5pm-5am, as a way of saying thanks to those driving on NYE, we are going to suggest double the community average donation for each ride within the app. This means that a ride with a typical community average of $10 will say $20 on Monday night.
Here’s why we’re doing this:
Of course, with SideCar what you donate is always up to you, and the community average is just there to help you decide. We just feel that on a night like New Year’s a little extra for drivers wouldn’t hurt. We hope you’ll feel the same way.”
Ooh, here’s one:
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See?
(It seems that most large luxury sedans in San Francisco have handicapped placards, the better to park you with, dear.)
And check it out, “Lyft drivers make $20+ per hour,” per a recent ad.
See?
So, Lyft drivers are making $20/hr+ after paying for their expenses? Mmmmm…
Something doesn’t wash here, IMO.
This woman standing at a bus stop in the Financh on Market Street outbound had a few choices, I suppose.
She could have tried hailing an illegal Lyft or Side Car jitney taxi (called shiroi takushii* in Japan) but this was a busy, rainy night so that wouldn’t have worked.
And the illegal Town Car Limos, well, they would have quoted her $50 for a ten-minute ride.
And MUNI – come on MUNI would have worked, eventually, but it would have taken a long, long time.
And a bike, well that was how I did it, but, you know, it was raining ‘n stuff.
So, she she whipped out her home-made visual aid, the poor dear.
Hey lady, look! That taxi’s “TAXI” light is on!** That means that this cab is empty** so the driver will totally pick you up** for sure!
Click to expand
Did that taxi stop for her?
No not all.
But, nevertheless, carrying around a sign like this seems like a good idea. It probably gives her an edge.
Thank you, drive through.
*”White taxi.” Believe it or not, most private vehicles in Japan have white paint (it’s like 50-something percent, or maybe that percentage is a bit lower these days but anyway), so if some unlicensed dude will drive you around in his car for money, then you call his car a white taxi. You know, as opposed to a yellow taxi*** what has permits and a color scheme and a flag drop and a meter and all the other stuff that Lyft and Side Car don’t have…
**That light is meaningless in the 415. Sorry. Yes, I know, I know, where you’re from, the light means that the driver is looking for fares but that system is not in effect here.
***Which, of course, need not be yellow IRL.
Via Monika Bauerlein comes this take-down of Uber Cab, and Lyft and Side Car and the like as well, I suppose.
A quote of a quote:
Matt Kochman… served as Uber’s founding general manager in New York before he left last year. Kochman left Uber to do consulting for transportation brands and startups, fed up with Uber’s irreverent attitude toward regulators. “Discounting the rules and regulations as a whole, just because you want to launch a product and you have a certain vision for things, that’s just irresponsible,” Kochman said.
Yep, pretty much.
I don’t know, if I wanted to create gridlock in SoMA / Financial / Union Square, I think I’d hire some jackasses to drive “mobile billboards” around the block and around the block all day long.
“Blocking the box” yesterday with a mobile billboard truck in the middle of the intersection of 3rd Street and Market:
“Hey everybody! Stop everything and look at me!”
Reverse angle – now the driver is only blocking one lane of 3rd Street:
Note the Washington state license plates.
And here’s the result of the advertising trucks. Gridlock:
Oh well.
“Blocking the box” is illegal these days, but the SFPD doesn’t really hand out tickets for that, so have at it.
Now I’ll tell you, Lyft taxi, a service that you just might like, isn’t legal, but mobile billboards, a “service” that you don’t like, are legal, more or less.
Isn’t it ironic?
Don’t cha think?
Sorry Lyft. It turns out that it’s Uber what’s “revolutionizing personal transportation” these days. See below.
I’m a cowboy/ With a pink ‘stache I ride/ Wanted/ Dead or alive:
All right, now back to Uber. I think they’re legal now. Good for them!
(But Virgin, please don’t let San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee find out about the whole “Silicon Valley’s Airline” thing – you know, he’s having a bad year.)
“Virgin America Hitches A Ride With Uber: First-ever Uber Frequent Flyer Partnership Offers A Seamless, Connected Travel Experience From Ride To Roll - Silicon Valley’s Airline Offers Elevate® Frequent Flyer Benefits to New Uber Users
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept.12, 2012 — Virgin America, the award-winning California-based airline, announces today that it has partnered with Uber, the company revolutionizing personal transportation, to offer Virgin America’s Elevate® frequent flyer program members the ability to earn Elevate points when they complete their first ride with Uber. As of today, Elevate frequent flyer members who are new to Uber can sign-up (on the Uber website or through the Uber app) with their Elevate membership number and will be awarded 800 Elevate reward points upon completion of their first Uber ride. To celebrate the partnership, as of today, Virgin America and Uber will also be giving one winner a week a free domestic roundtrip on Virgin America and $500 in Uber ride credits until October 2, 2012. More information on the “Ride with Us, Roll with Uber” sweepstakes*, official rules and other details are available at: http://vgn.am/VXuber
“As two companies known for looking at ways to improve and reinvent the travel experience, we’re pleased to partner with Uber to offer travelers a new option for ground travel that fits their busy, connected lifestyles,” said Luanne Calvert, Vice President of Marketing at Virgin America. ”Our new partnership with Uber provides our frequent flyers with a more connected, seamless travel experience – from the air to the ground.”
The latest partnership with Uber offers Virgin America’s tech-forward guests more options for ground travel during their business trip or leisure getaway. Uber harnesses the latest technology to provide an innovative on-demand car service that is unique in the marketplace. Since its launch in 2007, Virgin America has grown a passionate following of flyers for its topnotch guest service and unique amenities. The airline’s Elevate frequent flyer program was among the first U.S. loyalty programs to offer dynamic reward pricing – with the ability for guests to redeem reward points for any unsold seat – on any flight, at any time. Earlier this summer, Virgin America announced a suite of enhancements to its Elevate program – including new Elevate Gold and Elevate Silver status levels with a host of traveler perks and enhanced social rewards for virtual check-ins. Elevate program details can be viewed on the airline’s website at: www.virginamerica.com/elevate“
And then, all hail VA, etc, after the jump
