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In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

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211–220 of 348 posts

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#211
Just because someone happens to work for Walmart/Uber/whoever, I don't see why it means that employer suddenly becomes responsible for meeting any particular set of needs that person might have.

You would have been the "awful" kind of slaver back in the day.

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work for a gigantic corporation and you're right that the CEO wouldn't respond to me. In fact, if we were in a car together and I started talking to him about how my pay wasn't so hot this year I would expect him to be extremely uncomfortable. He should be! He makes huge decisions which affect thousands and thousands of lives. CEOs should be in constant contact with peons like me and Kamel. Maybe they would adjust…

Except the CEO works for the board whose goal is to keep the company profitable so it can continue to exist. If you are upset about pay, you go to your manager or in the case of Kamel, you go work for a competitor Lyft. You have every right to voice your complaints but don't be surprised when they fall on deaf ears.

I read something a while back (maybe here?) and I wish I could find the quote but my google-fu is failing me now, anyways it's something like this: "If the corporate structure is set up in such a way as to diffuse responsibility so thinly that no single person can actually be held responsible then the corporate structure is broken." This is a problem in many, many corporations but Uber is an extreme example. Kamel is just trying to hold someone responsible for the pay changes. Of course Kalanick is going to try to reject responsibility, it's what corporate America has taught him to do. That just seems a little messed up to me.

EDIT:

Furthermore, there is no good reason that a CEO should not work for the board as well as for their employees and their customers. Or maybe it's that the board should be looking out for their employees and customers. Either way, somebody should be listening to guys like Kamel so that outbursts like this don't have to happen.

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#213
post #127
post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like the driver should know these basic facts before he engages on the matter.

What does it matter if he knows the exact amounts? The point (one, of many) stands that the pay was lowered.

So, it matters that it was lowered but actual amounts are inconsequential? I reject that.

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Travis is right on a technicality they did not lower Uber Black prices much if any. What they did instead was coerced Uber Black drivers to take Uber X request. That seems like semantics to me. The pay was lowered.

Why are you both unaware that the rate itself was in fact lowered. Straight from the article: > In 2012, Uber Black cost riders $4.90 per mile or $1.25 per minute in San Francisco, according to an old version of Uber's website. Today, Uber charges $3.75 per mile and $0.65 per minute. Nip arguments in the bud, not at the leaf.

> Nip arguments in the bud, not at the leaf.

I like that attitude.

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#215
Seems like bad reporting: trying to make a mountain out of molehill. It's the opinion of one driver who happened to get his boss on tape, and had a pretty productive discussion wherein the driver pushed and became rude, more so than Travis. The article painted an inaccurate picture of what happened - it's entirely a non-issue imo.

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#216

This will probably be an unpopular opinion, but I actually thought the driver was exceedingly rude. He clearly took advantage of Kalanick being in the public eye, and thus a "target". Filming him without acknowledging it was totally immoral, it should reduce any fair person's bayesian priors as to the credibility of the driver. I'm no fan of Kalanick, but I thought he comported himself reasonably, taking the time to…

Kalanick's opinions and behaviour are obviously of interest to the public right now. There are quite a few anecdotes that, taken together, paint the picture of a thoroughly chauvinistic CEO with a bit of social darwinism thrown in for good measure. His comments here further that impression: he throws around jingoism in his awkward attempt to impress his companions ("every year is hard for Uber...") and is either unin…

I get it, context is everything. So yes, given the current climate, it seems initially acceptable to show the entire video.

The problem is, I can't help but wonder if the current context for Uber, puts such emphasis on Kalanick's behavior, that even a normal night out with 2 women is judged negatively. I mean let's face it, he really didn't do anything wrong in the video. He flirted a bit, and tried to have a reasonable discussion with the driver.

When the conversation got out of hand, he left.

It's sad how often people with pitch forks look to even the most normal of behavior, to crucify someone.

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#217
post #126
post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, the driver didn't even know what the current Uber Black fair was...falsely claiming it was $2.75. Anyone would get annoyed when someone was telling you that you were essentially doing your job wrong but didn't even know the basic facts. In this case, these facts have a direct impact on the driver, which makes it all the more inane that he doesn't know them.

You seem really intent on defending Kalanick here so I will only post this as a reply to one of the several similar comments you've made regarding this: > Travis is right on a technicality they did not lower Uber Black prices much if any. What they did instead was coerced Uber Black drivers to take Uber X request. Yes drivers can reject Uber X request, but if you reject a certain amount of Uber rides, they kick you o…

That's fair enough and I see that point. My intent is not to defend Kalanick, but I do instinctually defend free markets. I think Uber and its drivers found itself in a situation with falling demand amidst rising competition.

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#218
post #126
post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, the driver didn't even know what the current Uber Black fair was...falsely claiming it was $2.75. Anyone would get annoyed when someone was telling you that you were essentially doing your job wrong but didn't even know the basic facts. In this case, these facts have a direct impact on the driver, which makes it all the more inane that he doesn't know them.

You seem really intent on defending Kalanick here so I will only post this as a reply to one of the several similar comments you've made regarding this: > Travis is right on a technicality they did not lower Uber Black prices much if any. What they did instead was coerced Uber Black drivers to take Uber X request. Yes drivers can reject Uber X request, but if you reject a certain amount of Uber rides, they kick you o…

[deleted]

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#219
disclosure: I dont like Uber since 2010. I have always felt Uber has used the wrong means to achieve its success, and because of that I dislike Travis. (most of my HN comments about Uber are either neutral or negative). I feel bad for all those drivers who bit the Uber bait and bought expensive cars, with an expensive / sub prime loan. But it is the similar entitled attitude that lead people to hate the cab/taxi drivers/fleets.

With that said, I still think, in this video, the driver was on the wrong side and Travis was not. In fact, Travis starts replying in a fairly equanimous way, and loses it only after the driver starts blaming Travis for everything. If the driver has such a problem with Uber, he should not be driving for it!

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#220

This will probably be an unpopular opinion, but I actually thought the driver was exceedingly rude. He clearly took advantage of Kalanick being in the public eye, and thus a "target". Filming him without acknowledging it was totally immoral, it should reduce any fair person's bayesian priors as to the credibility of the driver. I'm no fan of Kalanick, but I thought he comported himself reasonably, taking the time to…

This will probably be unpopular as well. I think Travis overreacted and lacked empathy with the driver, but the driver didn't seem to understand that TK doesn't control market forces, and doesn't "have the business model in his hand". Uber was doing well with Black Cars, but the company did the right thing by undercutting its own market so that it could survive and grow. There's also nothing wrong with "giving every person a ride", rather than limiting Uber to just black cars for the riches. Uber adapted to market forces, the driver didn't, and then he blamed the company for his problems.

Maybe teaching economics in primary school could solve this problem.

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