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Uber Is Locking Out NYC Drivers Mid-Shift to Lower Minimum Pay

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Re: Uber Is Locking Out NYC Drivers Mid-Shift to Lower Minimum Pay

#31
post #3

"...making it difficult for drivers to plan work shifts and treat Uber as a full-time job." So which is it they want flexible gig work that they can do at their own schedule in their own pace, or do they want planned work shifts in a full-time job. It seems what drivers are really asking for his money without any work. Because taking flexible gig work means you have the flexibility to work when you want without plann…

"If you want a steady job get a steady job if you want day labor work you show up and sometimes you get picked for the day labor and sometimes you go home broke."

If it was that easy right?

Nobody wants to be 'day labor', that is only done in countries with a large surplus of labor (desperate to live labor) that allows companies to treat humans more like cattle.

Re: Uber Is Locking Out NYC Drivers Mid-Shift to Lower Minimum Pay

#32

Uber owns the thing that the taxi companies don't have, a complex, real time transactional application that pairs drivers with riders. They can pick and choose who they want using it(sans discriminatory, see - illegal checks). And they are well within their means to say when a driver can and can't work on their own platform. If drivers want to be rid of this menace - Uber, then they are free to become cab drivers if…

Is this the case?

I was under the impression that Uber has to act as a pure play buyer-seller matching system. Otherwise the drivers aren’t independent contractors, they’re being controlled like employees.

Re: Uber Is Locking Out NYC Drivers Mid-Shift to Lower Minimum Pay

#33
post #9

I learned within the past year that Uber sucks for drivers around NYC. The T&LC rules mean that someone who's not registered can't take pickups in NYC. They can still drop you off though, so Uber considers it valid to assign a non-T&LC vehicle to drive into NYC. Of course when that happens, the driver has an empty car going back the other way. It's awful for their pay and a big waste of energy and road space. Some dr…

It also sucks for the riders and I really can't imagine Uber likes the situation either.

It's a really annoying situation because you end up arguing with some driver over text or worse in person about it.

They don't want to cancel because cancelling a lot impacts their rating with uber and they will get less rides.

I don't want to cancel because after a few minutes I'll be charged a cancellation fee and now I have to start all over with another driver and a dice-roll if i'll get another driver who refuses to go to NYC again. If I want my $5 back I also have to argue with some AI customer service rep for an hour.

Terrible user experience.

Lyft seems to do better with assigning only TLC cars to NYC rides, but, not 100% -- Uber also biases towards TLC cars for NYC routes but there isn't always one available of course so sometimes you get assigned another one, just anecdotally Lyft seems to get you a TLC car more often.

TLC are the only ones winning here.

Re: Uber Is Locking Out NYC Drivers Mid-Shift to Lower Minimum Pay

#34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, which is why it's confusing that my mom had two drivers reject her the last time she needed to get to the airport when I wasn't able to give her a ride to JFK.

Wow, we've gone full circle. I remember when being able to reliably get an Uber to JFK was a selling point over taxis.

Isn't there a subway connection or something? I mean, it is an international airport and a big city...

Re: Uber Is Locking Out NYC Drivers Mid-Shift to Lower Minimum Pay

#35

> At the heart of the move, say the two companies, is a six-year-old pay rule in New York that, among other things, requires firms like Uber and Lyft to pay drivers for the idle time they rack up between rides. Remember, Uber and Lyft were created to get around labor laws, and here we see the companies continuing to try to skirt labor laws. It is a standard move of capitalists to fight regulations tooth and nail to t…

If this were true, how would you explain that both drivers and riders enter into the relationship voluntarily. Most of my uber drivers have been intelligent and knowledgeable about their options - quite the opposite of exploited and vulnerable.

How do you explain a College Student with no disposable income signing up for a Credit Card?

I drove for Uber/Lyft for a while. I fully understood I was converting the equity in my car into meals and rent. Most people don't get that at all.

Re: Uber Is Locking Out NYC Drivers Mid-Shift to Lower Minimum Pay

#36
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uber drivers have been able to see the approximate destination before accepting the ride for over a year now in all markets.

Yeah, which is why it's confusing that my mom had two drivers reject her the last time she needed to get to the airport when I wasn't able to give her a ride to JFK.

Some drivers just don't like going to airports. It's not that confusing. It's possible that the fact they could see the destination is precisely why the rejected it.

Re: Uber Is Locking Out NYC Drivers Mid-Shift to Lower Minimum Pay

#38
post #7
post #3

"...making it difficult for drivers to plan work shifts and treat Uber as a full-time job." So which is it they want flexible gig work that they can do at their own schedule in their own pace, or do they want planned work shifts in a full-time job. It seems what drivers are really asking for his money without any work. Because taking flexible gig work means you have the flexibility to work when you want without plann…

Obviously, what people want is full time jobs. That's what the whole political battle over these platforms is about.

Not everyone though - freelancers and contractors in particular want to work on their terms.

Re: Uber Is Locking Out NYC Drivers Mid-Shift to Lower Minimum Pay

#39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow, we've gone full circle. I remember when being able to reliably get an Uber to JFK was a selling point over taxis.

Isn't there a subway connection or something? I mean, it is an international airport and a big city...

Taking the subway with potentially heavy check-in bags isn’t always possible. I wouldn’t say it’s the most convenient trip and I can understand why someone would prefer an Uber or taxi option.

Re: Uber Is Locking Out NYC Drivers Mid-Shift to Lower Minimum Pay

#40

It's a stupid rule to require drivers to be paid simply for logging in.

The economics here are pretty pure. It seems intentional. I wouldn't call it stupid even if wrongheaded. But, to me, this cannot be an unintended side-effect. It's a feature, not a bug, of the regulatory model.
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