A lot of people have condemned Uber and Lyft for violating the new law, but I’m wondering whether there is any correct way to apply the law. Does anyone know how AB5 has affected taxi drivers (who typically cannot set their rates), particularly those who use hailing apps (flywheel.com)? Are taxi drivers guaranteed minimum wage, and if so is it on waiting time or only driving time (like in the proposed Proposition 22)? Do taxi drivers get health insurance coverage? If Uber and Lyft instituted a driver cap (medallion), would this bring them into compliance with AB5, or is AB5 compliance impossible even with a driver cap?
Rideshare operations are being suspended in California
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Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California
#742Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because if they are driving someone for Uber, they can't be on the clock for Lyft.
But it is (physically) possible to be idle for both employers at the same time.
This would require the employers to collude as to where to have you idling. (Employees don't get to pick exactly where they work.)
Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California
#743We don’t want to suspend operations. So don't. Either give the drivers what the California politicians are saying all Californians should have as a minimum benefit, and then go to court to argue why Lyft drivers should get something else, or let Lyft drivers set their own prices as they should be able to as independent contractors.
> Either give the drivers what the California politicians are saying all Californians should have as a minimum benefit, and then go to court to argue why Lyft drivers should get something else, or let Lyft drivers set their own prices as they should be able to as independent contractors.
Both companies did go to court (which is why the shutdown is happening now and not eight months ago) and Uber does allow drivers to set their own rates.[1]
The people involved in these economic transactions know what they're getting into and consent. The negative externalities created (pollution, congestion, increased accidents, road wear & tear) are paid for by gas taxes, liability insurance, and road/bridge tolls. There are positive externalities such as lives saved due to fewer drunk drivers. It seems crazy to stop consenting adults from doing an activity that, as far as I can tell, mutually benefits everyone involved.
Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California
#744Earlier quoted context omitted.
Lyft and Uber are favored due to convenience and price. Nothing stops a regulated Uber that pays fair wages from convenience...but the price paid will have to become higher to support people. This is like McDonald's paying workers $3 an hour, charging $2 for a value menu meal, and then people saying 'wow, McDonald's has made Burger King obsolete!'. Of course customers will prefer the cheaper service that screws worke…
Before Uber/Lyft existed, the taxi experience sucked. Uber/Lyft provided: - A way to pre-pay - A way to communicate current location and destination clearly to driver - All from an intuitive app on your phone I'm guessing you never went to NYC, tried in vain to find a taxi when you needed one, then got a taxi driver who barely spoke English, tried to communicate where to go, ended up paying way more than you intended…
Anyone remember calling a taxi dispatch over and over? I used to have to call both taxi dispatches in my area (there were only two!) just to guarantee I'd have a cab get me to the airport in time. And you had to pay cash.
I think we can all agree that taxis sucked before Uber/Lyft forced them to update. But that doesn't mean we can't have a better taxi experience using the tech stack Uber/Lyft created.
Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California
#745Earlier quoted context omitted.
The road to hell... ...is paved with (IMHO) an irrational support for billionaires getting richer at the expense of the exploitation of the commoner.
But isn't the better position here to create a bill that decouples health benefits from the employer and allow contractors to have better lives?
Yet another example of how Medicare for All would be a benefit to all citizens and businesses except those profiting off artificially limiting the supply of healthcare.
Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California
#746Earlier quoted context omitted.
'Ridesharing' (Which is a hilarious term for the simple fact that the ride is not being shared, the driver is not intending to go to your favorite bar. ) isn't a 21st century situation or solution. It's not a profitable or a good force in an economy, it does not pay a reasonable wage for anyone to live on, it is not environmentally friendly unless done in large quantities of people,(which is called a bus). Ridesharin…
> it does not pay a reasonable wage for anyone to live on, Why is the purpose of a wage to live on? Many uber drivers drive part time for fun or extra pocket change. The existence of thousands of uber drivers -- who in my experience, have all been quite reasonable, nice people -- seem to directly contradict your claim that it does not pay a 'reasonable wage'. Clearly, it does for those invested parties.
The argument X "does not pay a reasonable wage for anyone to live on true" may be true for many definitions of "live on", how is no job better? Does Uber pay more than an alternate world with no job? Surely that is the question.
Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California
#747Kudos on that moral victory California. You robbed my mobility-impaired younger sister of her legs without providing any alternative. Fuck your sorry excuse of public transit filled with gawkers and requiring her to wonder whether there will be connected sidewalks for her to solve her last-two-mile trip on her chair. "Oh, but Uber and Lyft were brought down by their own greed" Well, where is the non-greedy alternativ…
It's called a Taxi. They will drive to your location, pick you up, and take you anywhere you want to go.
Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California
#748What people are not talking about is how much congestion these services bring to city streets. For San Francisco traffic congestion increased by 60% between 2010-2016[1] and Lyft/Uber contributed to half of that. That is very bad as more traffic leads to more traffic accidents, more fatalities and pedestrians getting hit. In addition lets not forget the heavy toll on the environment with air pollution and its myriad…
If Muni was any good, people wouldn't have used ridesharing. Ridesharing costs a bit more. This just shows that public transit in SF is so bad that people would rather pay more money for a taxi.
I agree about muni being bad, having took it for a while ago its really horrible. But in general people complain about SF and all of its public services, but do nothing about the clowns running the city/transit systems. Public transportation can work and work well, look to Europe for a blueprint. If you don't like the way the city and its services are run, vote!
Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California
#749Kudos on that moral victory California. You robbed my mobility-impaired younger sister of her legs without providing any alternative. Fuck your sorry excuse of public transit filled with gawkers and requiring her to wonder whether there will be connected sidewalks for her to solve her last-two-mile trip on her chair. "Oh, but Uber and Lyft were brought down by their own greed" Well, where is the non-greedy alternativ…
Where in California does your sister live that doesn't offer Paratransit services?
Where in California does that service even come close to what Uber/Lyft offer?
Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California
#750Am I nuts, or is the heart of this issue really the fact that our healthcare system is built on tying benefits to full time jobs?
Yes this is a shitty patch job at best. It’s going to restrict individuals and not even solve the root issue.