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WE’VE ALL BEEN there before. You order a taxi, and you’re on the journey home and the music chosen by the driver is, well, questionable at best.
Well if you’re with Uber, a taxi company that also allows you to ride-share, you won’t have to worry about that as earlier today, it announced a new partnership with Spotify allowing passengers to choose play their own music through the car speakers (provided it’s not Taylor Swift).
The partnership will begin on 21 November in ten cities – London, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Mexico City, Nashville, Singapore, Stockholm, Toronto and Sydney – with the promise that it will be rolled out to more cities (including Dublin) over the coming weeks.
While it may come across as a fun distraction, there are some caveats. For one, you will need a Premium account to use it (although you will get a free week of Premium which starts once you take your first music ride), and if you’re an Android user, you will have to take one or two extra steps before it starts playing through the car.
But the biggest issues are with the taxi drivers themselves. Since not all cars will be equipped to play music remotely, they fear that expectations among customers will be higher and will give one-star reviews if it doesn’t live up to their expectations.
Some are already dreading the partnership with some worrying that it could result in potential lawsuits (such as trying to get drunk people home and being distracted by both them and loud music), while others are annoyed that Uber is ignoring concerns about wear and tear, low pay and falling demand.
Another concern is that you have really bad taste in music and you’ll subject your driver to your undying love of Rebecca Black’s Friday. Or worse, you’re one of those people who regularly skips music and can’t seem to settle on a track.
In that case, maybe it’s better to stick to headphones (and turn on private session while you’re at it).
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Well this sounds like the Debenhams situation all over again told by email your job is gone with little else. Still dealing with the fall out from that 4 years later in the courts. I hope the staff are treated better than we the former Debenhams staff have been.
It’s too expensive to do business in this country anymore. This is only the beginning.
@Max Cooper: while I totally agree with you, unfortunately this has nothing to do with it, the UK went into administration last week, closed 7 stores with no notice yesterday with a further 100 to go, mass redundancies in head office with no notice either yesterday. It’s deeply fishy
@Gregory C Donoghue:
Your next account should be called “Walter Mitty”
lol
@Max Cooper: Or….maybe people have had enough of bolloxology nature sourced facial oatmeal crapology?
@Max Cooper: And we did it to ourselves.It will be some miracle if we get that EU Anti Money Laundering HQ today, but I suspect we won’t, based on our rapacious rates and charges, lack of accommodation compounded by widespread , unchecked anti social behaviour.
SF seem to be oblivious to the enormity of the task they face as a party that has never held power and the usual FFG suspects can only worsen the situation.
It’s a pity we can’t base an economy on Rugby and Rowing. We seem to be useless at everything else
The government are setting up a committee to look into it.
@noel donohue: something Smells here
@noel donohue: They’re not nor is there a need.
Debenhams, Argos, the Body Shop. Who’s next.
@Alex Marquis: Probably Halfords.
@Alex Marquis: Next
@Gerard Carey: Halfords are ok they have a lot of MOT centres in the UK plus service centres, tyre shops, parts stores and bicycles and all the extra stuff that goes with them.
@David McGrath: thats good
@Alex Marquis: Iceland also
Go Woke, Go Broke.
When the majority of your customers are women it probably helps if you can define what one is.
@Ollie McGlinchey: grow up.
Get your bargain price closing down sale new body now.
About 10 years, the Body Shop had a fabulous ginger body lotion/handcream for the Christmas period. It was the best one I ever used and the scent was beautiful. They never continued it . That was the problem. They didn’t move with the times re new scents, and the plastics didn’t disappear and compete with Lush on the environment issues.
What’s going on? First Argos, then M&S announce store closures and now The Body Shop.
Ah, the smell in front of their stores…
Bring back Anita Roddick – oh wait …
Can they not build the bloody thing to Stephen’s Green and talk about Charlemont as it is being progressed
have your say