[NAGDU] ride share services

Thu Jun 13 19:47:38 UTC 2024

I will say that in the 1990s I had two Boston area taxi companies take quick action when drivers wouldn't take me with my dog.  In one instance, the company fired the driver and gave me some rides to compensate.  In another, my usual cab company sent the driver right back to take my wife and me to her medical appointment.  Not all the news was bad.

The big trouble I had was getting cabs to pick me up at grocery stores.  There may have been a general reluctance to pick people up at those stores, but there were enough instances when the discrimination was obvious (because other people saw it happen) that I had a mediation session with a company representative.  (This was with the company I typically used.)  The guy made no excuses and seemed very much on my side, and I think denials pretty much vanished for a time from that source.  

Best!

Al

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Buddy Brannan via NAGDU
Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2024 2:30 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Buddy Brannan <buddy at brannan.name>
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] ride share services

True, they *could* lose their licenses, but in my experience, this rarely happened. It was our word against theirs. “Oh, I didn’t see him when I drove past.” And since at that time there was little or no way to track drivers, and the actual cab companies rarely took our side on this sort of thing, it was as good as no oversight at all. 

--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV, WRVB670 - Erie, PA
Email: buddy at brannan.name
Mobile: (814) 431-0962

> On Jun 13, 2024, at 1:41 PM, Jody ianuzzi via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> We don't have Uber or Lyft where I live. We have three small taxi companies. They are licensed through City Hall. If they don't transport service dogs they can lose their license! That was true of all taxis. That's the problem with Uber and Lyft, there's no recourse.
> JODY
> 
> To Boldly Go  🖖🏻
> 
> 
> thunderwalker321 at gmail.com
> 
> "What's within you is stronger than what's in your way."  NO BARRIERS  
> Erik Weihenmayer
> 
>> On Jun 13, 2024, at 11:32 AM, Buddy Brannan via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Sure. There was such a time. We used these things called “taxis”, which, on the whole, presented their share of similar driver refusals. The problems sort of balanced out. Whereas taxis are regulated by a local or state board of some sort, Uber is not, so there was, theoretically, some accountability there and some protection. Unfortunately, that was in too many cases, only protection on paper. Cab drivers would routinely drive past and pretend they didn’t see us, if we didn’t get the same sort of outright denials. Whereas, Uber and Lyft are not so regulated, but they have, again on paper, accountability in the app, as they can be tracked and the rides and cancellations are documented. Amounts to the same “on paper” and theoretical protections. All that to say, the problem is getting worse, but it’s never not been bad.
>> 
>> 
>> --
>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV, WRVB670 - Erie, PA
>> Email: buddy at brannan.name
>> Mobile: (814) 431-0962
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Jun 13, 2024, at 10:25 AM, Richard via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi;
>>> 
>>> I have been looking at all the issues people are having with ride 
>>> share services with a bit of concern.  It doesn't exactly make me 
>>> eager to use either lift or uber.  There was a time that there were 
>>> no ride share services and we all survived although it wasn't as 
>>> convenient.  I may stick with bus and paratransit and not have to wory.
>>> 
>>> I find it interesting that I ride to church with the same person 
>>> each week and have asked about dog hair and was told that there 
>>> wasn't any.  Now they may have just been polite but I suspect that 
>>> if it warranted cleaning I would have heard.  I don't think that 
>>> uber and lift have issues picking up drunks which could lead to serious clean up issues.
>>> 
>>> Richard
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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>> 
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