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Behind the Wheel
From Uber/Lyft to Taxi: Driving for Hire in San Francisco
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My Rating Weighs a Ton
My Rating Weighs a Ton
As an Uber/Lyft driver, you live and die by the rating system, which is, at best, dysfunctional. We are constantly at the whim of…
Kelly Dessaint
Jun 7, 2015
Uber’s Popularity Explained in Two Lines
Newsflash: “Uber driver kills six-year-old girl on New Year’s Eve.” (*)
Kelly Dessaint
Mar 14, 2016
White Privilege and the Rise of Uber and Lyft
White Privilege and the Rise of Uber and Lyft
Crowned
Kelly Dessaint
Feb 1, 2016
Latest
There Will Be Traffic — The Lyft Guarantee
There Will Be Traffic — The Lyft Guarantee
Unless their heads are so far up their asses that they can’t tell the difference between what’s real and what’s bullshit, the good folks…
Kelly Dessaint
Oct 25, 2017
Bring on the Self-Driving Ubers
Bring on the Self-Driving Ubers
The news last week that Uber had unleashed a fleet of driverless vehicles in San Francisco, much like the SFMTA’s recent announcement that…
Kelly Dessaint
Feb 27, 2017
No, Taxis Are Not Doomed, and Here’s Why
No, Taxis Are Not Doomed, and Here’s Why
Last week, tech news sites were frothing at the mouth over some misconstrued details in a S.F. Examiner article about Yellow Cab filing for…
Kelly Dessaint
Jan 14, 2016
A Story with Legs: Stumbling into the San Francisco Transportation War
A Story with Legs: Stumbling into the San Francisco Transportation War
One of the last things she said to me before walking out the door was, “I’m so sick and tired of hearing you talk about taxis and Uber…
Kelly Dessaint
Nov 21, 2015
The Displacement Narrative in a Taxi
The Displacement Narrative in a Taxi
San Francisco is like a drug. When it gets inside you, each moment is a revelation. Until things get ugly.
Kelly Dessaint
Nov 9, 2015
The Cab in the Street
The Cab in the Street
After waiting an hour for an available cab, the window guy finally calls my name. He throws a medallion and key into the drawer. I exchange…
Kelly Dessaint
Nov 9, 2015
Guilty of Driving a Taxi
Guilty of Driving a Taxi
Driving a cab in San Francisco is like wearing a target around your neck. It’s always open season on taxis. On good days, the contempt most…
Kelly Dessaint
Nov 9, 2015
The Road to Legitimacy Begins in Taxi School
The Road to Legitimacy Begins in Taxi School
I talked about driving a cab long before I went to taxi school. In zines, blogposts and Facebook comments detailing my experiences as an…
Kelly Dessaint
Nov 9, 2015
The View from a Taxi
The View from a Taxi
Coming back to The City on the 280 after an airport run, I take the Sixth Street exit, which offers one of the best money shots of San…
Kelly Dessaint
Nov 9, 2015
The Ebb and Flow of Taxi Driving in San Francisco
The Ebb and Flow of Taxi Driving in San Francisco
In my rickety National taxicab, I own the streets of San Francisco. I take my turns with a vengeance. I converge on Union Square at full…
Kelly Dessaint
Nov 9, 2015
When Will We Finally Hit Peak Uber/Lyft
When Will We Finally Hit Peak Uber/Lyft
The hardest part of driving a cab in San Francisco is dealing with all the Uber/Lyft cars clogging the streets. I’m willing to venture at…
Kelly Dessaint
Jun 17, 2015
The Taxi vs. Uber/Lyft Money Post
The Taxi vs. Uber/Lyft Money Post
Ok, let’s talk about the money…
Kelly Dessaint
Jun 14, 2015
Is This a Lyft or Do I Need to Pay You?
Is This a Lyft or Do I Need to Pay You?
It’s Saturday night. I’m cruising through Hayes Valley, keeping a watchful eye for street hails outside the Jazz Center. On Franklin, a…
Kelly Dessaint
Jun 10, 2015
Why I Uber On: The Reality of a Rideshare Driver
Why I Uber On: The Reality of a Rideshare Driver
Ridesharing is a racket.
Kelly Dessaint
Jun 7, 2015
The Rideshare Paradox
The Rideshare Paradox
Friends with Benefits
Kelly Dessaint
Jun 5, 2015
From Uber/Lyft to Taxi: It’s the Cabbie’s Life for Me!
From Uber/Lyft to Taxi: It’s the Cabbie’s Life for Me!
From Uber/Lyft to Taxi
Kelly Dessaint
Jun 2, 2015
My Uber Breaking Point
My Uber Breaking Point
Hello Lyft, My Old Friend
Kelly Dessaint
Jun 1, 2015
Gouge Away: Uber’s Surge Pricing from a Driver’s Perspective
Gouge Away: Uber’s Surge Pricing from a Driver’s Perspective
During the recent hostage crisis in Sydney, due to increased demand, Uber’s surge pricing took effect. Understandably, people wanted to get…
Kelly Dessaint
Dec 31, 2014
For Whom The Uber Tolls
For Whom The Uber Tolls
It’s Saturday night… not even late. A few minutes after nine. I’m at Mission and 7th. Get a request for an address on Market, a block and a…
Kelly Dessaint
Dec 29, 2014
Being Uber Ain’t Easy: Why All Rideshare Drivers Should Support Regulation
Being Uber Ain’t Easy: Why All Rideshare Drivers Should Support Regulation
The global pushback against Uber domination continues to gain momentum. Over the past few weeks, the ride-hailing app was banned in India…
Kelly Dessaint
Dec 26, 2014
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