Monday Buzz: Ride-Sharing Isn’t Always Better

Ride-sharing is the way of the road for an increasing number of city dwellers and business travelers alike, but is it better than a cab?

Don’t be so sure. According to a recent multicity test by Wall Street Journal staff  (opens in a new tab), the price and travel time of ride-sharing services varied significantly by city, and in some cases, old-school cabs turned out to be cheaper than their high-tech competition—and they tended to get passengers to destinations sooner.

“Some rides were three or even four times as expensive as a cab, because some services raise prices during rush hour,” WSJ‘s Geoffrey Fowler wrote. “On average, our rides on UberX cost about 20 percent more than taxi fare. Lyft came in second according to price, costing just a bit more than a taxi, not including tips.”

One clear winner in the WSJ‘s study: Sidecar, which uses a name-your-own-price model.

“Not only did it cost, on average, about 10 percent less than the taxi, but it gave us more of a feeling of control,” he wrote.

What’s your take on ride-sharing?

Tweet of the Day

https://twitter.com/AssnMediaPub/status/445571405854560256

A good boss can define your career. In case you needed a reminder of that, check out Carla Kalogeridis’ latest for the Association Media & Publishing blog  (opens in a new tab). She offers up a tale of a great boss in her own life—albeit one with a bittersweet ending.

“I had an unforgettable first boss at McGraw-Hill, Inc., in Atlanta,” she wrote. “His name was Walter. Unfortunately, by the time I realized just how great a teacher he was, it was too late to tell him. That’s not something I’ve gotten past easily.”

Her recommendation for you? “If there is a Walter in your life, make sure to reconnect sooner than later.”

Other Good READS

Who needs a focus group when you have social media? The Financial Times ponders  (opens in a new tab).

Pinterest as a B2B marketing tool? Don’t laugh, says SocialFish contributor Scott Huntington  (opens in a new tab).

If you need a quick overview of what’s being shared on social media, Lifehacker  (opens in a new tab) recommends Buzzsumo  (opens in a new tab), a search engine for shares.

David M. Patt comes out in defense of moderators  (opens in a new tab).

You can always recognize a Lyft car by its pink mustache. (photo by Raido Kaldma/Flickr)