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I am an Uber survivor

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Re: I am an Uber survivor

#651

Post by Pils »

Scoundreller wrote: post #545
8fGTBjZxBcHq wrote: post #446

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah they need to fail. Lyft or another competitor would soak up the drivers immediately, a huge number of them already drive for both. Silicon valley alums of a top tech company are not going to be hurting for jobs in the near future. It sets the example that bullshit like this is not workable and will bring you down. There are no net downsides to uber falling.

> There's plenty of competitors that would love to fill that hole. Maybe in the US. Elsewhere (e.g. Toronto), it's Uber or taxi.

But that's because new companies can't compete with the incredible amount of VC funding Uber (and Lyft) have received. Down here in Austin, after Uber and Lyft left, about a half dozen different competitors popped up in about a month. My favorite, Ride Austin, is a non-profit that takes a significantly smaller cut than Uber or Lyft and donates a ton of money to charity.

Re: I am an Uber survivor

#652

Post by xd360 »

I think it's about time Uber was slapped with a class action lawsuit by all of it's former employees who have faced similar workplace abuse. Uber may smear the reputation of one of two women who try to sue them and bury their case, but if they all come together and file a class action lawsuit then their case cannot be just thrown out or buried and Uber certainly cannot manage to smear the reputation of all the plaintiffs in the group. The #ubersurvivors have a very strong chance of getting justice that way. And when the case is so strong, with all victims coming together as one, they will even receive legal support from top lawyers, who will also want to take their case since it's stronger and winnable now, and if not for justice, they'll do it with the incentive of a cut from the compensation or the glory of suing a billion dollar company. The good thing about class action lawsuits is that it leaves no room for the judge or jury to believe that a dozen people are lying and cannot just ignore the plaintiffs' allegation and proofs (chats, emails, alibis). So, I hope the #ubersurvivors seriously consider coming together, teaming up and getting the justice they rightfully deserve.

Re: I am an Uber survivor

#653

Post by [deleted] »

bigiain wrote: post #444
comments_db wrote: post #81

I'd like to thank these brave women for coming out and speaking against these evils. I rarely use Uber but more importantly, I'm not interviewing/working for Uber ever. p.s. I've had one opportunity in the past that I declined due to lower pay package. Current one seems good, but I'm not going forward. #nouber

Don't "rarely" use it. Delete it. Now. Close your account, explaining to Uber why you've done so. Tweet/Facebook/Blog about having done so. Encourage all your friends, family, and coworkers to do the same - explaining exactly_ why you came to the decision. There really is no other self respecting choice. Sitting on the fence is condoning and enabling their behaviour.

[deleted]

Re: I am an Uber survivor

#654

Post by ryhamz »

jhgaylor wrote: post #252
virtuexru wrote: post #213

> My paycheck is 18% less than my less qualified male colleagues. I stopped reading here.

Why? The pay gap is real and was nearly an aside in the article. This article is about a woman being mistreated by men in tech. This comment seems to be as well.

Why is this aside in the article?

It's a separate point that isn't going to get her much sympathy in many circles, because that pay gap could be less real than you think.

18% less could be a result of negotiating skills or any other confounding factor. How has she quantified her qualifications vs all other male employees?

No need to add this unsubstantiated drivel to an otherwise potentially useful insight.

Re: I am an Uber survivor

#655

Post by dpweb »

rodgerd wrote: post #352
Arizhel wrote: post #278

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is this being modded down? It's the truth. Big companies almost always come out on top in trials because they can afford the best lawyers, and they can afford to game the system to bankrupt their opponents by filing never-ending motions to delay and other tactics which increase the legal costs to the opponent. You're almost never going to get a positive result if you're a rank-and-file employee; your best course…

It's not just the best lawyers. Uber have already started contacting anyone who knows Susan Fowler, digging for dirt on her.

Not judging cause the facts aren't fully known yet, but..

Doesn't matter. Court of law !== Court of public opinion. In fact, courts sometimes suspiciously follow the public mood.

Seems there is some recent evidence, in sexual harassment matters:

--Single accuser, no-one believes you --20 accusers, no one believes the accused

The floodgates don't open until #1 goes public, and more follow.

Re: I am an Uber survivor

#656

Post by loopdoend »

asymmetric wrote: post #247

This is terrible, and one more reason to despise Uber, but I find the usage of the word "survivor" out of place in this context, at least in my understanding of its meaning. I know this is not the main point to take home from this situation, and I also know I'll be attacked from making it, but I felt it was important nonetheless.

Survivor i.e. being alive and not having killed herself - this type of abuse can drive people to kill themselves. Is that surprising? She may have also meant it in a less dramatic sense: been through it but got out. Many people who've been abused at Uber are probably still at Uber.

Re: I am an Uber survivor

#657

Post by CydeWeys »

panitaxx wrote: post #272

I think it's pretty obvious that Travis Kalanick should resign. He is the constant in all these stories supporting this nasty company culture. In the past year he has also been linked with Uber's shady business (attacks on press, fake income for drivers, etc) . He is the one pushing on borderline legal tactics. Even their business model is borderline legal (if anything). How he can deny knowing anything like the sexu…

I agree with you. I think he's more of a negative than a positive for Uber right now. They have a huge image problem.

Re: I am an Uber survivor

#658

Post by [deleted] »

xd360 wrote: post #652

I think it's about time Uber was slapped with a class action lawsuit by all of it's former employees who have faced similar workplace abuse. Uber may smear the reputation of one of two women who try to sue them and bury their case, but if they all come together and file a class action lawsuit then their case cannot be just thrown out or buried and Uber certainly cannot manage to smear the reputation of all the plaint…

[deleted]

Re: I am an Uber survivor

#659

Post by _xhok »

voodooranger wrote: post #624

I consider the HN community to be one of the most thoughtful I've found on the web, yet am stunned by how quickly a righteous mob is formed based on an anonymous, cartoonish, and IMO barely plausible account of what it's like to work for a large US tech company. Having spent years working at multiple SV tech companies, where even the slightest tinge of a racist or sexist affront would land you in an office in front o…

I think the idea of "victim-blaming" has morphed into its own beast. We're so scared of doing it that asking for evidence or asking critical questions is now in a weird way associated with victim blaming. Everyone in this thread who's said what you said has ipso facto gotten downvoted.

I find myself suspicious of this new culture of "standing together in solidarity," "letting vulnerable people tell their narratives," "being supportive," etc. These all sound like perfectly upstanding things to do, but nowadays they dominate discourse. Facts, reason, and inquiry are now considered oppressive.

I've met some people who have asked, why is this a problem? Who cares if a couple people make things up, when there are so many people hurting out there? Well, people who make things up make real stories less believable. And it incentivizes victimhood, which nowadays carries with it the reward of not having to engage in debate, because anyone who voices doubt is considered a monster. Someone earlier got flagged for saying what you said. Not just downvoted so his post would be light gray, but flagged so his post would disappear.

And really, at the end of the day, what can trigger-happy moral outrage accomplish that a quiet sense of justice backed by reason, fairness, and determination can't?

Re: I am an Uber survivor

#660

Post by murukesh_s »

ogezi wrote: post #428
RodericDay wrote: post #284

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hope they end up like Theranos.

I want them to change instead of ending up like Theranos. If Uber went down, a lot of good people would be out of a job (both employees and drivers) and it would burn a lot investors, thus negatively affecting the funding landscape for years to come. To reiterate, I wish Uber to change. I don't wish them to fail.

I don't think Uber should go down but the guilty must be punished even the CEO if found guilty shouldn't be spared.
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