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Comment by blfr | Hacker News Reader

The only advantage of going international is just to be bigger

This is not the only advantage. Another is being able to serve international travelers. You can step off a plane in another country and keep using Uber. These users may be relatively few in numbers but they have an outsized influence.

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Yeah. It’s note-worthy that as foreigner, I can’t use Lyft at all currently, even when I’m in the states, as none of their payment methods work: they don’t accept credit cards outside the US/canada, they don’t accept Google Wallet if your account is non-US and their PayPal payment option just said “Server error”.

That's exactly why I initially joined Uber: I was overseas, and if I'm travelling I don't have to learn how the local taxi system works, I just continue using Uber. It's a bit like McDonalds, it's similar enough in every country that you can rely on it and you know what you'll get. I use Uber a fair bit at home, but my heaviest use of Uber is when I'm travelling to other cities & countries.

Well should you find yourself in Birmingham UK you will be using the local taxi system - the Uber cars are also licenced private hire vehicles. You will see two stickers on the car. Best of luck.

When I travel, I like using the local system. The differences and element of surprise makes for fun adventure.

To each their own, I guess.

In several countries it is legal for Cabs to individually define their rates.

Then they prey on tourists who didnt get that the rate was bumped up by 10x.

Hard to watch out for in certain areas if you dont know the local currency that well (esp if the 10x shift looks like they show cents values) and often they group up to make places look like legit normal cab waiting spots.

Completely normal and legal in eg Rumania and Bulgaria. Stuff you know, learn, have to watch out for but is still highly annoying.

I can relate when someone doesnt want to hazzle with this adventure on eg business trips.

I can relate to that. Buuuut, it's also pretty easy to look up "about how much does it cost to go a mile/kilometer" beforehand, and map the distance to your hotel. Then, when you're hiring a cab, you just give them a price within 10-20% of that. If they try to overcharge you, onto the next one.

Americans don't like haggling, but it's actually pretty fun once you get into it.

Again, local flavor. But I also get that some people want to go eat at McDonald's whatever country they end up in, so to each their own. (I'd just personally regret it if I visited some foreign country and only had stories about US-based fast food chains...)

Constantly having to deal with being ripped off is never fun, and is the usual experience for tourists in many countries.

It's a big deterrent for independent tourists in places life Egypt and India.

It's actually pretty easy to avoid being ripped off. You just have to know about how much something ought to cost, and offer that as your price. You also have to be brave about offering $5 for something if someone tries to sell it to you for $100.

Now do that at 4am in Merrakesh, in the rain, at the bus station.

Possible, but certainly not fun, and not easy when other tourists are paying $75 thinking they've got a good deal.

Yeah, so? You're travelling in a foreign country. I get that some people want McDonald's wherever they go, and some people stay at Disney resorts, but again, show a little grit, I say.

Oh, don't get me wrong - when I'm in Germany I love using the U-Bahn everywhere, it is magical and it's great to experience a place more like the locals do. But sometimes when you need to be somewhere on time, and don't have time to familarise yourself with the local U-Bahn line changes & construction closures, that's where a familiar global system like Uber is ideal.

I'm having trouble imagining a scenario where you've just gotten off the plane, you have to be at a meeting right away, and an Uber driver will get you there faster than a local taxi. I mean, the people you're meeting would probably be understanding if you were a few minutes late, just because air travel/customs/immigration is so prone to delays outside anyone's control anyway.

Again, I get that some people just want a uniform experience. Just not for me.

When the local taxi stops to pick up other passengers.

When the driver stops to buy something from a shop.

When the driver wants to wait for more passengers.

When the driver takes the indirect route to avoid a toll.

When the driver causes a fuss about paying by card at the end.

When the driver changes the price at the end.

When the driver takes you via hotels he gets commission at.

When he doesn't know where you want to go, but pretends to.

Yup, I was also introduced to Uber overseas.

I love that you don't need to worry if the taxi takes credit cards, or if the driver will complain when you want to pay by credit card.

Not having to save a paper receipt is also a nice bonus when you need to expense the fare

Anecdotally, I installed Uber while visiting Mexico city from San Francisco. I have been using Uber in San Francisco since, and before the visit I was only using Lyft here.

Another advantage: Uber is robust to changes in country-specific conditions such as legislation and disruption by ordinary taxi drivers. If Uber is made illegal in one country, it can still exist a business in other countries.

> but they have an outsized influence.

some proof needed.

And serve international customers.

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