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Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

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Re: Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

#491

Post by doomrobo »

bgorman wrote: post #466
SrslyJosh wrote: post #427

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> A lot of drivers were sure forced to drive for Uber for lack of other alternatives but that is not Uber's problem. They did not add to the problem. Uber ignored local laws to force their way into the taxi market without having to compete on the same terms as existing businesses. Uber also classified their drivers as contractors to avoid having to pay fair wages and provide benefits. They've been criticized for this…

Drivers aren't forced to drive for Uber. Anyone driving for Uber is doing it because they want to do so. What makes something a fair wage?

This is too general an argument. Why did people work in factories where they'd lock the door during the day? Or where there were machines that sometimes ripped people's arms off? Why did this spur regulations on workplace conditions?

Re: Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

#492

Post by [deleted] »

SrslyJosh wrote: post #427
rrrazdan wrote: post #375

Well this just sucks. As a frequent SF visitor, Uber/Lyft used to be my primary way of moving around. I don't drive. I also don't see who benefits from this. You had a well functioning service for the users that will be disrupted. You had a flexible way to earn for drivers that will be disrupted. I chat with drivers a lot (to practise my English) and lots of drivers really like chatting too ( A lot of them were recen…

> A lot of drivers were sure forced to drive for Uber for lack of other alternatives but that is not Uber's problem. They did not add to the problem. Uber ignored local laws to force their way into the taxi market without having to compete on the same terms as existing businesses. Uber also classified their drivers as contractors to avoid having to pay fair wages and provide benefits. They've been criticized for this…

[deleted]

Re: Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

#493

Post by Slartie »

kingnothing wrote: post #367
kirykl wrote: post #237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ridiculous that it takes a legal battle for Uber to offer these customer and driver friendly features

I used to work at Uber. I'll focus on one particular point: allowing drivers to see where riders are going before they accept the trip. Uber, at least when I worked there, was heavily against this functionality as it allows drivers to discriminate against riders who are going to poor neighborhoods or from cities to suburbs where they may have difficulty in getting another rider. That feature is bad for the overall ec…

I don't know whether it's the same in the US, but here in Germany, the good old taxis have a special obligation that disallows them to decline a rider based on where he wants to go, as long as that target is within the geographic area for which a particular taxi is licensed. The idea is that taxis are part of public transport and thus should have a certain reliability for customers, regardless of how lucrative a particular ride happens to be.

I find it laughable to hear that Uber, the arch-enemy of the taxi business, attempts to (secretly, because obviously the customer isn't informed about drivers not seeing the target locations beforehand) rebuild this particular property of the system it aims to replace. And it's doubly laughable that they now stumble over that exact attempt, which they now can't actually continue, because in order to have the necessary authority over drivers they would need to make them official employees.

Re: Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

#494

Post by slipheen »

Them shutting down is a perfectly acceptable outcome.

California has essentially told them "You're doing an illegal thing". They're response is essentially "Oh yeah? Well then, we'll stop doing the illegal thing!"

Thank you? That's what you were asked to do in the first place?

If they aren't interested in operating legally, then pivot or disband the company.

Re: Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

#495

Post by manfredo »

gamblor956 wrote: post #414
manfredo wrote: post #324

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it's not. Is Apple in the business of producing records because it runs iTunes? No, it's in the business of software (and hardware), and some of that software is used to sell music. Trying to claim that a software service to run a marketplace to sell X is the same thing as actually running a business of building or doing X takes some mental gymnastics.

It takes some seriously bizarre mental gymnastics to call Uber/Lyft "marketplaces" when they don't provide any of the hallmarks of a marketplace, such as the option to select between multiple "stores" (aka drivers) or let drivers compete by offering their own prices. Even more importantly, with an actual marketplace, you don't transact with the marketplace--you transact with the stores. And with respect to your Apple…

No, the Apple analogy is entirely accurate. Apple is in the music business. But it's not in the business of making music, it's in the business of selling music. Apple is in the music business in the same vein that a record shop is in the music business.

Uber is in the personal transportation business, at a broader high level. It's in the business of operating a market for rides. Just like how a record store doesn't actually compose and record the music it sells, Uber isn't in the business of actually driving people around. That task is fulfilled by independent workers, who use the platform Uber and Lyft operate to find customers.

Can you point out in said SEC filings where Uber says, "our company's primary business is operating motor vehicles to transport customers"? As in, actually driving their own cars? Because from what I've read they're very careful about describing their business as operating a marketplace for drivers to conduct their own businesses.

Re: Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

#496

Post by qeternity »

SrslyJosh wrote: post #427
rrrazdan wrote: post #375

Well this just sucks. As a frequent SF visitor, Uber/Lyft used to be my primary way of moving around. I don't drive. I also don't see who benefits from this. You had a well functioning service for the users that will be disrupted. You had a flexible way to earn for drivers that will be disrupted. I chat with drivers a lot (to practise my English) and lots of drivers really like chatting too ( A lot of them were recen…

> A lot of drivers were sure forced to drive for Uber for lack of other alternatives but that is not Uber's problem. They did not add to the problem. Uber ignored local laws to force their way into the taxi market without having to compete on the same terms as existing businesses. Uber also classified their drivers as contractors to avoid having to pay fair wages and provide benefits. They've been criticized for this…

So Uber driver’s are too dumb to realize they’re being paid unfair wages? Why would anyone work for such a company if they have better alternatives?

Re: Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

#497

Post by aslfksdfl »

rubatuga wrote: post #446
pininja wrote: post #166

I work at Uber outside of the rides/eats business and observed many feature releases to adjust the business after AB5. What I saw released: - Enabling drivers to see where a rider is going before accepting the trip [0] [2] - Removed a main penalty for declining rides, “No More 85% Acceptance Rate Requirement For Uber Pro” [2] - Drivers get set their own fare with a multiplier [1] (the article details screenshots and…

This is horrible for customers, the worst part is when drivers don't want to pick you up.

I've had Uber drivers pick me up and refuse to go to the part of the city I wanted to go to... complete pain in the ass (and also racist in this specific case). Uber offered me $5 for my trouble each time, which is... very Uber.

Re: Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

#498

Post by raducu »

kingnothing wrote: post #452
mrfusion wrote: post #418

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why can’t uber just position itself as a lead generation service for drivers?

Uber positions itself that way all over the place: Uber is a tech company that connects riders and drivers. It is not a taxi service.

To some extent, they are right. To their customers, they pretty much are a (more convenient) taxi company.

To their drivers? They are a shittier taxi company that doesn't provide cars, yet still charges drivers 25% of fares in exchange for legal protection against taxi laws and customers/brand.

Re: Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

#499

Post by valuearb »

novok wrote: post #465
adrianN wrote: post #454

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here in Germany proper Taxis have to pick you up (as far as I know, I almost never need one). That's apparently the main reason they offer why they should be protected against services like Uber.

Or you could just extend the law to the ride sharing services...

That’s a horrible law. What if it’s a female driver and a sketchy rider? Or worse, her abusive ex?

Re: Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

#500

Post by CountSessine »

adrianN wrote: post #454
rubatuga wrote: post #446

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is horrible for customers, the worst part is when drivers don't want to pick you up.

Here in Germany proper Taxis have to pick you up (as far as I know, I almost never need one). That's apparently the main reason they offer why they should be protected against services like Uber.

Yes, here in Canada too. It just wasn't enforceable and taxi drivers regularly refused fares and kicked out passengers if they weren't lucrative enough.

https://globalnews.ca/news/3907475/taxi-driver-refuses-to-dr...

Medallion-taxis are comprehensively awful, and California seems determined to regress to where they're the only choice for riders again.

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