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In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

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

#221

Post by randyrand »

erdojo wrote: post #83
rockarage wrote: post #44

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 off their system. Probably why the driver is complaining about going bankrupt, you need a luxury car to drive Uber Black, but if you're stuck picking Uber X…

Are you sure they still do this? I haven't gotten a Black Car for an X fare in several years. Used to be fairly common, now never. Before the Susan Fowler allegations, I was a 2-3x per day rider (I'm now mostly using Lyft).

Not all Lyft employees are saints either. I'm worried when the next Lyft scandel happens, ill have no good taxi options.

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

#222

Post by computerex »

untog wrote: post #136
PeterisP wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the consumers are voting with their wallets that they want more Uber X rides and less Uber Black rides, well, that's what should happen. To bring supply back in line with demand, some drivers who used to drive Uber Black should either leave or downgrade, and if they won't do it willingly, then some drivers going bankrupt is a way how the market forces "driver supply" to go in the direction where it apparently need…

Sure, but the way Uber is set up means the costs from that adjustment are bourne entirely by the driver, who was probably advised by Uber to take our a lease on an expensive luxury car in order to pick up expensive fares. Bear in mind the start of this thread was discussing the driver being rude. You can call it "market forces" as much as you like, but if Uber is happy to sit back and let its drivers pay the price, i…

This is the free market. Uber Black is one thing, but you do know Uber is aggressively working towards autonomous vehicles, because Uber wants to provide transportation in the future, and not just now. A $69 billion dollar company must always be thinking of the long term if they want to stay relevant.

Uber isn't a charity. I don't condone Uber's culture or whatever the CEO may or may not have done to create such a workplace but you have to understand that Uber is a business, like any other, out to maximize profits. Everyone seeks to maximize profits, and if the market calls for changes, then you make those changes lest you give up market share to your competitors.

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

#223

Post by contravariant »

ProfessorLayton wrote: post #36

I hope that at the end of all this, we as a society realize that we need to actually enforce, as well as update the rules we set regarding employment. We're effectively subsidizing companies that find loopholes, or simply ignore laws. - Contractor-not-a-contractor employment merely pushes costs and risks on to the worker. We all end up paying for the worker's social safety net, and costs of doing business (Such as in…

The main problems seem to be that Uber is simultaneously in control of supply and demand and can pretty much single handedly decide the terms of the agreement between them and drivers. Basically they've created a market they are now in control of, which goes against the principles of both capitalism and socialism.

That said, it's hard to determine exactly how to prevent this from happening, and even harder to fix. My current best estimate is that either Uber needs to stop being a market and function as a full fledged company, or supply and demand should be made independent. This could be done by, for example, splitting Uber into a company advertising the services of drivers, and a separate company that buys these services for their customers. This should in theory allow for more competition.

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

#224

Post by arthur_pryor »

MegaButts wrote: post #48
harigov wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Turning that question around, what sort of a leader do you want to work for? Or folks usually like to work for? This whole idea of growing a company as the only (or most important) thing that matters is something that should die. We want people who we genuinely respect and imitate as our leaders. We want to build products that are genuinely useful and bring about a positive change in the society.

Yes, that's a personal decision in deciding where to work. But it's easy to come up with specific examples of CEOs that are assholes who grow gigantic companies. I was just using this specific example with Kalanick to raise the question. Perhaps a better example is Steve Jobs, someone who had something of a cult following but from what I've heard was an all around terrible person. If these people truly weren't tolera…

right. i think the point is, we should tolerate them less, so that they get to the top less.

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

#225

Post by orthecreedence »

1_2__3 wrote: post #173
frgtpsswrdlame wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where else should he grind it? Kalanick is the CEO. He made a decision which affects this mans livelihood. Kalanick certainly gets paid enough to face up to people like this. And if he wants to stop facing up to it, maybe he can do something about their pay.

> He made a decision which affects this mans livelihood. You don't get to challenge everyone in your life who makes decisions that directly or indirectly affect you.

> You don't get to challenge everyone in your life who makes decisions that directly or indirectly affect you.

I believe the first amendment disagrees. If you have a grievance with someone, it is absolutely within your right to tell them. In fact, I'd argue that a healthy, functional society relies entirely on people being completely honest with each other.

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

#226

Post by MegaButts »

arthur_pryor wrote: post #224
MegaButts wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, that's a personal decision in deciding where to work. But it's easy to come up with specific examples of CEOs that are assholes who grow gigantic companies. I was just using this specific example with Kalanick to raise the question. Perhaps a better example is Steve Jobs, someone who had something of a cult following but from what I've heard was an all around terrible person. If these people truly weren't tolera…

right. i think the point is, we should tolerate them less, so that they get to the top less.

I'm not asking what we should do from a moral perspective, which is highly subjective. I'm asking for data. Has anyone done an analysis on the traits of successful CEOs?

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

#227

Post by umeshunni »

rebelidealist wrote: post #210

1. Add more chars 2. Acquire medium or add their on blogging container. https://medium.com/@hungrycharles/3-things-twitter-can-do-to...

Wrong topic? Perhaps you meant to post it here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13746549 ?

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

#228

Post by calvinbhai »

frgtpsswrdlame wrote: post #121
erdojo wrote: post #31

I believe the driver was itching for a confrontation (he stopped Kalanick as he was getting out of the car to start the conversation). It was only after being berated for a minute or two and interrupted that Kalanick's composure started to crack. Before then, I don't think anything Kalanick could have said would have mollified this driver. He had an axe and he was going to grind it. Kalanick could have handled it bet…

Where else should he grind it? Kalanick is the CEO. He made a decision which affects this mans livelihood. Kalanick certainly gets paid enough to face up to people like this. And if he wants to stop facing up to it, maybe he can do something about their pay.

I'd have agreed with your reasoning, if Uber was a charity. But its not. If Uber didn't cut prices, Lyft would have steamrolled Uber in 2013. So, Travis is not lying when he says "they had to drop prices".

When someone tells you how to do your job better, and that someone is not even qualified to do that job, you'll also get angry.

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

#229

Post by dkonofalski »

mikeash wrote: post #140
PeterisP wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the consumers are voting with their wallets that they want more Uber X rides and less Uber Black rides, well, that's what should happen. To bring supply back in line with demand, some drivers who used to drive Uber Black should either leave or downgrade, and if they won't do it willingly, then some drivers going bankrupt is a way how the market forces "driver supply" to go in the direction where it apparently need…

In a properly functioning market, drivers would be going bankrupt due to not having enough fares, not by being forced to take unprofitable fares. If customers are voting with their wallets that they want more UberX and less Uber Black, then Uber Black drivers should be faced with a choice of chasing volume or margins, not forced to subsidize customers.

They're not being forced to take unprofitable fares, though. They're being offered UberX customers when there are no Uber Black customers available. Whether or not they have the ability to change that priority is the question here. It seems that taking a slightly lower fare is better than taking no far at all at a higher rate.

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

#230

Post by computerex »

frgtpsswrdlame wrote: post #16

To me this illustrates one of the biggest problems we have in america which is the crazy firewall between rich and poor. Kamel wanted to have a serious discussion with Kalanick about how his decisions as CEO were affecting Kamel's life and Kalanick gets upset about this. That's your job! At least it should be. If you can't even handle light criticism from the people you employ, you shouldn't be at the top.

He was clearly off duty. Being the CEO of a company like Uber is very difficult indeed. Surely the guy doesn't have to answer to literally every single person he meets 24/7 because he is the CEO. He deserves no personal free time?
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