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Comment by geekfactor | Hacker News Reader

Further, if Uber really wants widespread support on this, they should publish some data showing how many of their customers/rides would be affected under this law. How many times in the past year has a customer paid under $15 with Uber? (I'm suspecting not many, as a percentage of total fares, but that's total speculation.)

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The law puts a floor on non-taxi prices at Uber's current black car price. So 0% of their current black-car fares would be affected. What this does is prevent any future competition on price (like UberX in San Francisco). The law will literally prevent anyone (other than a taxi) from charging less than $15 for a ride, and for no obvious benefit to anyone other than Taxis.

For me, the difference here is clear. When I order an Uber, I have a certain expectation of quality, and I have the option of never using their service if they totally blow it sometime (or I can give a driver a bad rating, and if he/she gets enough he gets booted from the service). If I get a lousy ride from a Taxi, I don't have many alternatives. If a law is passed that prevents anyone else from competing on price, I have even less options.

DC Uber user here. A fact that's commonly lost on people: the District itself is actually very small, just 68 square miles. Before a recent fare hike, there was a maximum intra-district cab fare of $19, so a $15 minimum Uber fare is a big deal.

Anecdote: I live on the far eastern side of downtown, near Penn Quarter, and am able to get from my apartment to damned near anywhere in town for Uber's minimum charge (the major exception being the far reaches of NW, in the Friendship Heights/Van Ness area). Looking back at my history, only 4 of my 23 fares have been more than $15—three to the airport (in Virginia) and one to Tenleytown.

You can certainly blow this argument up if you want to leave the District, but let's be real...who would want to go to Virginia? ;)

I would gladly use an UberX service at slightly higher than cab prices to supplant all of my taxi cab use. $15 cab ride can be pricey. Their town car service will likely remain untouched but why would you want anyone to legislate against an efficient service providing high quality customer service where drivers still benefit? I can't think of an argument for it that does not involve oligopoly / racketeering arguments.

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