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Comment by didgeoridoo | Hacker News Reader

Ever tried to order a cab in Boston/Cambridge? I've missed two early-morning (i.e. before the subway starts running) flights because the cab I arranged 48 hours ahead of time never showed up, apparently because they didn't feel like it. Uber isn't "unfairly" replacing a functioning taxi service in Boston. They're simply the only game in town if you actually need to get somewhere.

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They also have crazy union rules where a cab is only allowed to pick up in the (tiny) area it's chartered in. So if you catch a cab from Cambridge to Boston (across the river) the now empty Cambridge cab is not allowed to pick up anyone in Boston but is supposed to drive back to Cambridge empty to find a new fare. Same goes for Somerville, etc. Rules like this further reduce the availability of cabs and make getting around unpredictable and super frustrating.

I am often at MIT and after being burned a few times I completely switched to Uber for all my travel there and it has been nothing short of awesome.

How does Uber compare, price-wise, with taxis?

I've personally used the black car option more than the taxi option so as you would expect, always more. Most rides I took were ~$15-20 Cambridge-Back Bay. For business travel there I'm considering reliability and consistency as worth the extra $.

Why are "black cars" more? What is the difference?

I just assumed a black car was just a taxi that was unlicensed with the city (so couldn't legally call its self a taxi).

Also $15-20 is insanely cheap. I took a black taxi in London, less than 30 minutes (20 of which was traffic), $55.

A black car in US usage usually means a Lincoln Town car or similar, basically a non-stretch limo. Uber has several classes, including Hybrid (cheaper) and SUV (more expensive).

If you're in Boston, arrange with Metro Taxi. They're quite reliable and on-time. If in Cambridge...yeah, good luck with that.

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