Let's talk about Uber

The area here is a public transportation dead zone. We are between Worcester and Springfield; neither transportation system comes out this way. Several of my clients have used Uber, but even that is sparse as not many people in the area seem to want to drive for it. It has, however, added to the options.
 
In Chicago, many of the Uber folks also drive Lyft--often simultaneously. Many of the dudes are former/would be cabbies. English-language skills are so-so at least 50% of the times. And some of the drivers are terrifyingly bad.

Chicago requires their cabbies to take credit cards, so...

It's pretty much like riding in a cab with less legal recourse. However, if you like to get shitfaced, the Uber/Lyft "if you puke in the car" charge is lower than the legally imposed "I puked in the cab" fine.
 
The wife is trying to sign up to drive. First problem: she doesn't have a real registration for the car since we just bought it. Uber doesn't like the temp registration you get from the BMV. OK, she got the real registration in the mail yesterday. Submitted it. Moved on to second problem.

She just got a new driver's license a few months ago. Uber doesn't like that - they want one that shows you've been driving for three years. They want a picture of her old one, which of course, the BMV demands that you destroy once it expires.

Sheesh. I guess it is great that they vet their drivers thoroughly, but come on.
 
GomezAddams said:
The wife is trying to sign up to drive. First problem: she doesn't have a real registration for the car since we just bought it. Uber doesn't like the temp registration you get from the BMV. OK, she got the real registration in the mail yesterday. Submitted it. Moved on to second problem.

She just got a new driver's license a few months ago. Uber doesn't like that - they want one that shows you've been driving for three years. They want a picture of her old one, which of course, the BMV demands that you destroy once it expires.

Sheesh. I guess it is great that they vet their drivers thoroughly, but come on.
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Yeah. Lyft is the same. I had moved across state lines and Lyft gave me all sorts of crap, so I just waited it out. Their process dumps all the work on the employee (sorry, contractor) and the "vetting" is mostly a legal fig leaf--when I was driving for Lyft I was still within a 5 year window of having been in a serious accident (which I caused but didn't get dinged for because of a concurrent Saturday night crime spree that made my shit small potatoes).

They clearly aren't going any deeper than "owns vehicle" and "has license." And all these gig economy jobs are just trying to keep the labor pool saturated so that the workers can never get uppity. Basically middle class tourists (like me) driving for fun and play money are helping to fuck over people who would benefit from steady work and higher wages. That said, everyone can make tons of cash in a major city on booze holidays (St Paddy's, Halloween, team wins the big game, etc.) when the bars let out. I made more the one Halloween weekend I drove than all the other nights (about 10) combined.
 
Uber does have one socially redeeming case. I live in a small town that doesn't have taxi service or public transportation. Pre Uber, there was no option for getting a ride anywhere. I'd expect that to be a common thread across America.
 
Uh, "racist, tax evading black cab drivers?" Totally not OK. At all. Really sad that I'm the first one (?) to flag this.

As for "this is how things change," that's silly. Things change in lots of ways, not always for the better. Uber violates labor laws, and has a consistent history of mistreating people in many ways.

That's not good change, that's bad change.

Public transportation that gets you where you need to go in a reasonable fashion, that's good change.
Taxi commissions that take the public interest to heart, that would be good change.
A society where "side hustle" is not a requirement for working individuals would be good change.

Uber is convenient, but there's a lot of strings attached.
 
Danhedonia said:
Uh, "racist, tax evading black cab drivers?" Totally not OK. At all. Really sad that I'm the first one (?) to flag this.

As for "this is how things change," that's silly. Things change in lots of ways, not always for the better. Uber violates labor laws, and has a consistent history of mistreating people in many ways.

That's not good change, that's bad change.

Public transportation that gets you where you need to go in a reasonable fashion, that's good change.
Taxi commissions that take the public interest to heart, that would be good change.
A society where "side hustle" is not a requirement for working individuals would be good change.

Uber is convenient, but there's a lot of strings attached.
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My first reaction to the "black cab drivers" thing was like yours. Then I remembered...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackney_carriage

Uber started as a "black car" service.
 
Danhedonia said:
Uh, "racist, tax evading black cab drivers?" Totally not OK. At all. Really sad that I'm the first one (?) to flag this.
Click to expand...

london-black-cab-628.jpg
 
Guys who currently drive for uber/lyft:

How often does the service inspect your vehicle for safety compliance?
If you get into a serious accident and your passengers are injured & require medical attention, who's insurance is covering this care? If the accident is due to your gross negligence, who's insurance covers it?
 
Geez, I messed that up - the black cab thing. My bad.

I get that people enjoy being customers of Uber, but if by being a customer you are financially supporting a system that mistreats others, that's no good.
 
Lerxst said:
Guys who currently drive for uber/lyft:

How often does the service inspect your vehicle for safety compliance?
If you get into a serious accident and your passengers are injured & require medical attention, who's insurance is covering this care? If the accident is due to your gross negligence, who's insurance covers it?
Click to expand...

Drivers assume pretty much all the risk.
 
Drivers also don't have benefits as they would as employees of other companies.

Because you're not an employee, right? You're "side hustling." Only, the few Uber drivers I knew sure as hell were working full time. This is why we have laws and courts (where Uber has a spotty record at best).

Just because people who are desperate for money permit themselves to be treated poorly and don't complain doesn't mean it's OK.
 
I love Uber. Especially when travelling. Like the no cash needed. The emailed receipt for work expenses and love it even more when I am in a foreign country.

The weird thing is that when I was little I was always told to not get into a strangers car. When the internet came out we were told to not talk to strangers on the internet or at least be cautious. Now we use the internet to call up strangers to get into their strange car.
 
12Pack said:
I love Uber. Especially when travelling. Like the no cash needed. The emailed receipt for work expenses and love it even more when I am in a foreign country.

The weird thing is that when I was little I was always told to not get into a strangers car. When the internet came out we were told to not talk to strangers on the internet or at least be cautious. Now we use the internet to call up strangers to get into their strange car.
Click to expand...

And sometimes people get murdered!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...r-killed-teen-charged-met-20170531-story.html
 
Peen Simmons said:
Drivers assume pretty much all the risk.
Click to expand...

That's pretty risky as a driver then. I'm sure a lot of people don't even think about that. You might be makeing some spare CRAFT BEER money but then you get in a fender bender and two months later yer insurance rates go up up...
If it were a traditional cab company it would probably fall under the works insurance.
 
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