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Uber releases a guide on how to not get raped by their drivers

Rubin Farr

By Rubin Farr
in General Banter

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modey Grand Master

modey

Posted
Posted

Uber is not a cab company: they provide technology for any person to use their vehicle as a means of public transportation.

 

The rape thing is neither here nor there in comparison to other cab companies. Obviously rape isn't great, but yeah now that taxi drivers are essentially independent contractors, there's no real liability for cab companies either.

 

However Uber is something we should all try and avoid. There is a large economic debate going on about this, but I believe this also goes beyond simple economics and relates viewing individuals as more than units within an economy. Rather it relates to striving to have a better place in society for everyone, including those in the service industry. I will present some simple thoughts here as to why this matters beyond economics. If you want to read about the economics of it: this gawker article does a great job of summing things up.

http://valleywag.gawker.com/beautiful-illusions-the-economics-of-uberx-1589509520

 

 

So going beyond the economics, why is Uber bad for society and those working in the service industry already? Well, Uber relies on a large pool of under-employed workers to make their business model at least look superficially viable (its valuation is quite over-inflated, as shown by analysis here). By using these under-employed workers to offer "ride-sharing" at cheaper rates than taxis, Uber is not only chipping away at a regulated industry, it is betting that the workers will remain under-employed, meaning they won't have the ability to regain sustainable full-time employment. So essentially, the company is hoping that the economy doesn't recover. Being a full-time Uber driver doesn't really make economic sense, and because uber is driving down fares, being a cab driver doesn't make sense either (who's going to take a cab when they can use a cheaper service). So cab drivers are now screwed, probably working as an Uber driver and some other low paying job. Cab companies are going out of business.

Now what happens when they economy recovers? Not enough workers for Uber so they have to fold, but no cab companies either. So those former cab drivers are down to their other shitty job. Maybe they have enough to get training for another career, maybe they don't, either way, they are certainly not better off than they were before Uber entered the market.

 

Additionally, because Uber is not a transportation company, but a technology company, they don't pay licensing fees to the city. This means a loss of revenue to the city, so less money toward services in the city. Furthermore, assuming that taxi companies are local, profits that accrue in the city are now also being diverted to Uber rather than to local companies, reducing money both spent in the city, and taxes paid to the home government. Again reducing services and potential income to the service industry.

 

Sorry, got distracted by dinner while I was writing this and lost my train of thought, but anyways, you can see that Uber is generally not good for society, and this whole sort of industry is one aimed purely at diminishing the middle class to establish a perpetual underclass.

I dunno about the economy but considering a 25min taxi ride to the airport has cost me up to $90 in the past, of course I'm going to look into cheaper options. Taxis in Melbourne are fucking ridiculous, there's no benefit to them over Uber because most of the time the drivers don't know where they're going, even with GPS, and will try to take the most expensive route possible.

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juiceciuj Grand Master

juiceciuj

Posted
Posted

God forbid people take steps to keep themselves safe rather than insist that the world should be a good happy safe place where nothing bad happens, and attack anyone who tells them "it isn't, get real"

 

not sure who you're attacking in that statement. it's fine for uber to update their app to give people advice (that they should know to take in the first place). it's ridiculous to phrase said update the way the op and his article did.

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Audioblysk Grand Master

Audioblysk

Posted
Posted

 

Uber is not a cab company: they provide technology for any person to use their vehicle as a means of public transportation.

 

The rape thing is neither here nor there in comparison to other cab companies. Obviously rape isn't great, but yeah now that taxi drivers are essentially independent contractors, there's no real liability for cab companies either.

 

However Uber is something we should all try and avoid. There is a large economic debate going on about this, but I believe this also goes beyond simple economics and relates viewing individuals as more than units within an economy. Rather it relates to striving to have a better place in society for everyone, including those in the service industry. I will present some simple thoughts here as to why this matters beyond economics. If you want to read about the economics of it: this gawker article does a great job of summing things up.

http://valleywag.gawker.com/beautiful-illusions-the-economics-of-uberx-1589509520

 

 

So going beyond the economics, why is Uber bad for society and those working in the service industry already? Well, Uber relies on a large pool of under-employed workers to make their business model at least look superficially viable (its valuation is quite over-inflated, as shown by analysis here). By using these under-employed workers to offer "ride-sharing" at cheaper rates than taxis, Uber is not only chipping away at a regulated industry, it is betting that the workers will remain under-employed, meaning they won't have the ability to regain sustainable full-time employment. So essentially, the company is hoping that the economy doesn't recover. Being a full-time Uber driver doesn't really make economic sense, and because uber is driving down fares, being a cab driver doesn't make sense either (who's going to take a cab when they can use a cheaper service). So cab drivers are now screwed, probably working as an Uber driver and some other low paying job. Cab companies are going out of business.

Now what happens when they economy recovers? Not enough workers for Uber so they have to fold, but no cab companies either. So those former cab drivers are down to their other shitty job. Maybe they have enough to get training for another career, maybe they don't, either way, they are certainly not better off than they were before Uber entered the market.

 

Additionally, because Uber is not a transportation company, but a technology company, they don't pay licensing fees to the city. This means a loss of revenue to the city, so less money toward services in the city. Furthermore, assuming that taxi companies are local, profits that accrue in the city are now also being diverted to Uber rather than to local companies, reducing money both spent in the city, and taxes paid to the home government. Again reducing services and potential income to the service industry.

 

Sorry, got distracted by dinner while I was writing this and lost my train of thought, but anyways, you can see that Uber is generally not good for society, and this whole sort of industry is one aimed purely at diminishing the middle class to establish a perpetual underclass.

I dunno about the economy but considering a 25min taxi ride to the airport has cost me up to $90 in the past, of course I'm going to look into cheaper options. Taxis in Melbourne are fucking ridiculous, there's no benefit to them over Uber because most of the time the drivers don't know where they're going, even with GPS, and will try to take the most expensive route possible.

 

I'm a little confused as to how it's so shitty even after reading that.

 

Simple facts about uber

1. Cleaner cars than taxis

2. Cheaper than taxis

3. from most of the uber drivers I've spoken to who used to work for cab companies in my area, they make more money this way

 

ergo, if taxi companies want to stay competitive in a capitalist society, they need to clean up their act and lower their prices, if not, they disappear and from the experiences I've had in them, I couldn't give a fuck less.

 

and counting on our economy to improve is a fools game, to stay afloat in the US of A, you go for whats cheapest, especially if it's just a fuckin' cab service.

2014-11-18-rashidajonestheofficeshruggif

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luke viia Grand Master

luke viia

Posted
Posted

Interesting post, chen, thanks. I've used Lyft a number of times, something similar to UberX, and from what I understand (could be wrong), both companies run on the same model: the driver has no set schedule, they can work as little or as much as they like (up to full-time) -- all they have to do is sign on remotely and they can begin driving at any time they're available. I know that's all true for Lyft employees, anyway. The Lyft drivers I've asked all seem to love their job, they can use the flexible schedule to their advantage if they have a second job, and generally seem to be doing fine for themselves. I guess I haven't experienced any drivers expressing problems being under-employed, so that argument seems a bit detached from reality to me... could be the truth though.

 

:shrug:

 

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  • 3 years later...
Rubin Farr Grand Master

Rubin Farr

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Beware of this scam, "vomit fraud" has apparently taken off in the US @ Uber, I got hit with it last night, to the tune of $158. Not only did the driver never pick me up, he had the balls to send fake vomit pics to Uber to back up his bullshit. After denying my claim at first, they realized he was lying and refunded my $$

 

https://www.google.com/amp/www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-uber-vomit-fraud-20180724-story,amp.html

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