# An apology to MeanOldLady **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 2, 2015, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-to-meanoldlady/713982 "2015-03-02T04:17:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![fjs1fs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9e8a1a/32.png) [@fjs1fs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fjs1fs)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-to-meanoldlady/713982/41 "2015-03-03T20:04:27Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Each “city” has a range of coverage, though. I looked up Cleveland and the map [clearly shows about 50 named cities](https://www.uber.com/cities/cleveland) in its coverage area. And it doesn’t even name all the cities on the map - my town and the town to our west are not named but we’re clearly covered. Yes, and if you add up the total population covered by those 150 cities and their ranges of coverage, I’d be shocked if it was less than 90% of the US population. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-to-meanoldlady/713982/42 "2015-03-03T20:12:21Z")
> [@fjs1fs](#): > > Yes, and if you add up the total population covered by those 150 cities and their ranges of coverage, I’d be shocked if it was less than 90% of the US population. [Well, even Uber says it’s only 55%…](http://blog.uber.com/205-55) But still, it’s pretty wide-spread. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-to-meanoldlady/713982/43 "2015-03-03T20:37:45Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > This was obvious to literate people, but some folks insist on being offended at nothing. Oh, so basically you’re saying you don’t care at all about people living in the slums of Mumbai, who don’t even have CLEAN WATER let alone your FANCY SCHMANCY UBER CARS. “Fuck them!” you say as you tap on your fancy Internet phone and order up another car to take you to Pilates or yoga or whatever it is that people like you do all day. You’re disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-to-meanoldlady/713982/44 "2015-03-03T21:44:17Z")
My county has more than a quarter million people. It has neither Uber nor Lyft. Just a data point… ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-to-meanoldlady/713982/45 "2015-03-04T06:45:13Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > No, the OP was not addressing people who don’t use/know of ride apps at all. She was saying that Lyft sucks and _of the population of people who use ride apps_, most people use Uber anyway. > > It wasn’t about the normal population of the entire world. Just Uber being the more popular app. > > Yes she did go off on people being ass-backwards for not knowing what the apps were but that was in reaction to **Gato** ’s big stinking turd of a post. I’ll disagree with that as well. Apparently, according to **MeanOldLady** , I’m not literate as well. Oh well. I just read it differently. No big deal, but I’ll explain how I saw it differently. When she posted: > [@In case you were wondering, Lyft sucks](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-case-you-were-wondering-lyft-sucks/713802/1): > > You probably weren’t since you use Uber like a normal person in her OP, it gave me the impression that she was saying that normal people use Uber. That made Uber the topic of discussion. Yes, I realize that she was comparing Uber to Lyft, but it could be read in a couple ways, IMO. It was slightly ambiguous to me when I first read it, so I could see how it might be to others. Once other people posted and then got castigated for posting their experiences with Uber, I can see why they might have gotten a bit defensive. It probably went on a bit long in that thread. But I don’t think it was completely out of the question to interpret the post as it was in the beginning of the thread. There was no question posed in the OP, so that left the topic a little more open to interpretation than if there was a focus. It wasn’t entirely clear what she wanted other people to post about in the thread. She might have wanted other people to validate her experience with Lyft or to talk about their negative experiences with Uber or just their experiences with either. That left it open for people who had non-experiences with Uber, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-to-meanoldlady/713982/46 "2015-03-04T11:07:37Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > My county has more than a quarter million people. > > It has neither Uber nor Lyft. > Just a data point… I misread this as “my country” and then heard the whole post in my head as if Andy Kaufman were reading it. It works pretty well that way. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-to-meanoldlady/713982/47 "2015-03-04T11:28:43Z")
OK, since we’re being all mellow and shit, and totally non-BBQ-Pittish, can I ask a factual question? (I know, I know … whaddoi think this is, GQ?) What’s with the picture of the big black car in all the city sub-sites (eg, [my local one](https://www.uber.com/cities/melbourne) here)? I thought Uber drivers just used their own cars? What does UberX and UberBlack _mean_? Never used Uber myself, since it’s kind of [illegal](http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-14/uberx-outsmarts-taxi-inspectors-by-blocking-mobile-phones/6016940) here. I notice that doesn’t stop 'em listing Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth as “cities where they operate” though. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-to-meanoldlady/713982/48 "2015-03-04T12:10:03Z")
Fresh popcorn here. Have a seat. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-to-meanoldlady/713982/49 "2015-03-04T12:14:05Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > OK, since we’re being all mellow and shit, and totally non-BBQ-Pittish, can I ask a factual question? (I know, I know … whaddoi think this is, GQ?) > > What’s with the picture of the big black car in all the city sub-sites (eg, [my local one](https://www.uber.com/cities/melbourne) here)? I thought Uber drivers just used their own cars? What does UberX and UberBlack _mean_? > > Never used Uber myself, since it’s kind of [illegal](http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-14/uberx-outsmarts-taxi-inspectors-by-blocking-mobile-phones/6016940) here. I notice that doesn’t stop 'em listing Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth as “cities where they operate” though. > > :eek: > [@](#): > > •Black Car – This is Uber’s original service. Choosing Black Car will send a high-end sedan to your location, with seating for up to 4 people. > •Taxi – This calls a taxi that has an agreement with Uber. These taxis are much like any normal taxi, except that you can pay through the app. > •UberX – This sends an everyday car to your location with seating for up to four people. This is Uber’s budget option. > •SUV – This will send an SUV to your location with seating for up to 6 people. This is significantly more expensive than the Black Car service. > •LUX – This will send a high-end luxury car to your location with seating for up to four people. This is Uber’s most expensive service. > **[What is the difference between an UberX, Uber Black and Uber Taxi?](https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-an-UberX-Uber-Black-and-Uber-Taxi)** > > Answer (1 of 16): I some cities Uber has partnered with actual preexisting taxi cab drivers to provide service, Uber X is not technically a taxi cab in the sense that it has no special paint job nor is it registered with a local taxi commission but... People often mean Uberx when they use the term Uber. ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-to-meanoldlady/713982/50 "2015-03-04T13:41:56Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > I misread this as “my country” and then heard the whole post in my head as if Andy Kaufman were reading it. It works pretty well that way. I don’t even know you, but that is why I could love you so much. 🙂 Beside bitching about taxis’…I got nuthin’. ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-to-meanoldlady/713982/51 "2015-03-04T13:55:51Z")
> [@Cabin\_Fever](#): > > I don’t even know you, but that is why I could love you so much. 🙂 > > Beside bitching about taxis’…I got nuthin’. Apologies abound. Just loved your Andy Kaufman reference. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-to-meanoldlady/713982/52 "2015-03-04T18:35:18Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > I have to say that this caught my eye, but didn’t seem to catch a mod’s eye: > > After the mod directives I didn’t think it would to be wise to respond in the same thread, but for heaven’s sake, Uber is unavailable in far more cities than where it’s available. Not knowing anyone who uses Uber, or not knowing what Lyft is (it’s not exactly a household name) is not in any way “assbackwards technophobic”. The mod who responded to replies to that little bit of sweetness took into account that we were answering to something from the thread itself. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-to-meanoldlady/713982/53 "2015-03-05T04:59:50Z")
**Miller** , Please! ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-to-meanoldlady/713982/54 "2015-03-05T07:44:07Z")
I can’t believe the OP expects MOL to travel to bumfuckistan just so she can collect her beer. I’m gonna create my Pivo app so he can her beer with his phone. Hell, he can send beer to all of us. Then we’ll know he is sincere. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-to-meanoldlady/713982/55 "2015-03-05T11:56:03Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > I can’t believe the OP expects MOL to travel to bumfuckistan just so she can collect her beer. I’m gonna create my Pivo app so he can her beer with his phone. Hell, he can send beer to all of us. Then we’ll know he is sincere. You will incur the wrath of Big Beer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-to-meanoldlady/713982.md?page=2)