App Profile: Radio Cab Portland

AntiPlaqueDentalRinse

Rating: 5/5

App is a huge improvement over phone-only dispatch and the debacle known as Curb. Highly recommended. Anywhere you go in the world (except London, as far as I know) cabbies are independent contractors, which means they work for themselves and lease the cab from the company. That means they’re under no formal obligations to service your order, although they may want to. Now, there was a time when Radio drivers were career pros, and they loved their town and their job. I was one of them. I think you still find more of these types at Radio than you do anywhere else. Still, ridesharing took its toll,and a lot of good people had to bail. I was one of those, too. Radio’s been through a lot in over 75 years, but it’s still cooperatively owned by the drivers themselves and is still probably the most legit company in town. Keep in mind that chances are, your driver got your order and drove to you immediately. They do not control how busy the orders are or how many cabs are on the road.

pdxoxoxoxo

Rating: 1/5

I used this app the way I use other drive-hailing apps, to schedule a pickup hours in advance of my departure time. I didn’t want to risk looking for a ride at the last minute so thought a several-hour advance booking would ensure a timely pickup. After twenty minutes passed (could’ve called sooner of course but wanted to be gracious and had built in a buffer anyway) I finally contacted the help line. Dispatch said yes, they saw my ride had been booked and confirmed but they were still waiting on a driver to accept the ride. I didn’t know what this meant, as when a ride is confirmed on other apps it means someone is coming (and if not, they let you know). I asked how long I might need to keep waiting, he said he had no idea. He asked if I wanted to cancel the ride, and I had to so I could toggle over to Lyft or Uber to see if I could make my appointment in time. The fact that a “confirmation” means only that they’ve received your request but does not guarantee a pickup should be make abundantly clear. It’s absolutely useless otherwise. Sat out on the sidewalk waiting naively for twenty minutes and might’ve been there all day had I not called. Developers, please make the person aware of this fact so they can have a backup plan. I missed my appointment, it turns out, because of this flaw. Not a great day for me.

retromike3

Rating: 5/5

WOW !! This driver was the fastest ride from across town I have ever ridden on. Not only that but he did not seem to brake the speed limit. He instinctively knew the right way to get in the best flow of the traffic. I was in the back seat and I can get easily car sick. I never even felt a bit queasy. His driving was rock solid. This gentleman is one of the best rides I ever had. Well done!