San Francisco Taxis Go Uber

If you've ever stood on a San Francisco street corner trying to hail a cab at night, you know it can be frustrating to say the least.  Add in some wind and rain, and you will find yourself mumbling about what you were thinking when you agreed to meet your friends for that dinner in Hayes Valley.  The good news is that the cab scene is getting some competition, and giving riders some options.  Uber is a car service that hit the SF scene over a year ago with great success.  Users hail a car via a smart phone app, the car can be tracked in real time on a map, and the fare is charged to the rider's credit card on file.   Now Uber is rolling out a new more affordable option called TAXI.  This service would allow riders to hail a standard yellow cab from the Uber app.  As with other Uber options, passengers get to rate the quality of the driver after the ride.  With dozens of cabs already signed up, this new service is likely to be a success. Fares for TAXI are the standard meter rate, plus a 20% gratuity and a $1 booking fee.  It will be interesting to see how this new taxi hailing process unfolds, but my guess is that it will be a hit in San Francisco.