User Interviews

User 1, Shannon Dwyer: Regularly uses cabs, including Seattle Yellow Cab. Prefers Lyft for it’s easy to use app and perceived lower cost, but having a low debit card balance, almost always takes a taxi and pays cash. Lives in West Seattle, not always nearby lyfts. She works customer service at Nordstrom.

User 2, Deisi Fernandez: Used to take taxis very regularly. She always called, and still does sometimes, finding it to be the simplest and easiest. Now she uses Lyft because it’s easier. She knows it’s more expensive, but the easiness is worth it to her. She likes being able to see when people are close, and that it is really easy to communicate with the driver. However, she doesn’t like that the app has extra options, since she never does Lyft line, or a larger car. She takes cars places a couple times a month. Deisi wishes Lyft were more like taxis in some ways. She actually prefers the meter fare, with clear pricing, and flat fares for things like airport trips.

User 3, Matt Harris: Has never used a taxi in seattle, but used to use them in DC. Took cabs when Uber or Lyft were not readily available. He prefers uber/lyft because information is saved, there are rewards, rides are cheap, you can rideshare and it is basically the same price as public transit but actually picks you up and drops you off where you want. Fares are easy to split. The flexibility of cars (regular, more than 6 seats) is appreciated. Matt prefers Lyft for their business practices, but always checks uber’s price too and books whichever is cheaper. Between taxis and lyft/uber, he feels like it’s same driver experience, same employee screening, same types of people, drivers who talk too much. He feels that rating drivers on the apps right after the ride gives him more power in terms of giving feedback, which taxis don’t have. It is very painful watching the meter, watching money tick away. In his experience, taxi drivers know the areas better, know shorter routes, don’t get lost as much, and have had more training.

User 4, Craig Cainkar: Craig has used taxis a few time. One experience stands out especially. It was 2am in Ballard and Ubers and Lyfts were up to a crazy price ($60) but there was a taxi cab sitting there and no one was taking it, because “demographically no one wanted to touch that.” There were three people and the driver didn’t use the meter and made up his own fee. It was still $20 cheaper but it felt like he had no say in the price, and couldn’t argue because they were in their car and were paying cash. Everyone was uncomfortable. He doesn’t think there should be a way for a driver to make up their own cash price. The other times he’s used a taxi, he called the number and spoke to the dispatcher. These days, he takes Uber or Lyft a couple times a month. He doesn’t see much difference between the two of them. Same drivers, same experience. He uses whichever app is offering him a reward or discount. He likes how easy it is, that the app knows where you are, shows price up front, and asks simple questions. He likes having payment info saved and was comfortable giving payment info because has been doing it for years. He especially likes that the app determines the price and tells it upfront. The driver has no say, and that makes it feel accurate/honest, with no worry about whether it’s a fair price or not.

User 5, Kyle Larsen: Uses Uber, Yellow Cab, Orange Cab, Crown Black Cars.

He stopped taking taxis because Reach Now and Car2Go seemed more cost efficient and he don’t like being “driven around by amateurs.”He has used the Yellow Cab app. One time it looked like his driver drove in the wrong direction and realized he was a half mile past the pick up location before turning around. He prefers to call cars via an app because you can “call a car without breaking conversation and look like a boss when it shows up so quickly.” He dislikes surge pricing, drivers that rely on gps to drive in their own city, and that there is a ranking system for drivers and riders. He now uses a car service once a week or so, usually Reach Now. The park/return to vehicle is a little clunky sometimes.