11–20 of 120 posts
I wonder what happens when his Tesla gets t-boned by a pickup truck, they guy speeds off and he has to claim it on his insurance. His insurance finds out he's driving for Uber and then...
I'd hardly call Uber immoral for this. It's up to each person to square up with their insurance company.
I'm curious about the no-remorse, humans-are-replacable ethos which is evident through the author's description of the recruitment process. I see this time and time again in stories about software startups, and it really gives me a queasy feeling. It does not make life at a startup company seem very inviting.
I'm curious about the no-remorse, humans-are-replacable ethos which is evident through the author's description of the recruitment process. I see this time and time again in stories about software startups, and it really gives me a queasy feeling. It does not make life at a startup company seem very inviting.
I have no problem with that at all given the fact that Uber's image and product both rely on having good customer experiences.
If Uber were more concerned with providing a living to its employees, then they likely wouldn't last very long as a profitable business. $21/hour is a fair wage (a living wage in most locations, in fact), and that's all they really need to provide to be good corporate citizens.
Not to mention the "people are interchangeable" concept actually dates back to at least the Industrial Revolution, and is not only not limited to startups, but is probably less prevalent in startups than in manufacturing or corporate jobs in general. So I'm not sure what you're complaining about.
I'm curious about the no-remorse, humans-are-replacable ethos which is evident through the author's description of the recruitment process. I see this time and time again in stories about software startups, and it really gives me a queasy feeling. It does not make life at a startup company seem very inviting.
Naturally this is predicated on your ability to earn enough to take some time off, and it sounds as though he could (for a certain lifestyle).
Interesting. He drives his Jeep, falls to a 4.3 rating and is about to get released from the service. He starts driving his Tesla, finds that passengers start treating him as an equal and give him a perfect 5.0 every time. Somehow that's not at all surprising and disappointing at the same time.
I'd personally be annoyed if my UberX driver came in a Wrangler; one of the most uncomfortable-as-passenger cars on the market. A Camry or something is totally fine; doesn't have to be a Tesla, but should be something relatively quiet and comfortable.
Interesting. He drives his Jeep, falls to a 4.3 rating and is about to get released from the service. He starts driving his Tesla, finds that passengers start treating him as an equal and give him a perfect 5.0 every time. Somehow that's not at all surprising and disappointing at the same time.
I wonder what happens when his Tesla gets t-boned by a pickup truck, they guy speeds off and he has to claim it on his insurance. His insurance finds out he's driving for Uber and then...
I'd imagine the same thing that happens to people who work for the average delivery food place (i.e. most don't mark it a work vehicle for insurance purposes either) and get into an accident. I'd hardly call Uber immoral for this. It's up to each person to square up with their insurance company.
When an Uber driver has an accident, the next thing that will happen is that their insurance denies the claim, and you have to claim against your uninsured motorist policy. Good luck to anyone who doesn't have such a policy because they don't own a car!
Hey, uninsured motorist rates just went up! I wish they didn't do that, and instead Uber fares and pizza prices went up because I don't use them. They have no business imposing externalities on me.
Interesting. He drives his Jeep, falls to a 4.3 rating and is about to get released from the service. He starts driving his Tesla, finds that passengers start treating him as an equal and give him a perfect 5.0 every time. Somehow that's not at all surprising and disappointing at the same time.
I'd personally be annoyed if my UberX driver came in a Wrangler; one of the most uncomfortable-as-passenger cars on the market. A Camry or something is totally fine; doesn't have to be a Tesla, but should be something relatively quiet and comfortable.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
He also says he's pulling $21/hour but I don't see any maintenance or depreciation factored in...
Well hey...if you can bait civilian drivers with no real contract into taking these costs for you, more power to you, right? After all, you're creating shareholder value. If the drivers ever pick up on it, just raise the payout. They'll have made money in the meantime.
"it feels really productive to take my kids to school and get paid to drive home" Drivers using Uber to fill free time or excess capacity is a radical shift away from how Uber started, with professional drivers using it to make a living. A friend of mine does this with Lyft. Imagine how many cars are on the road right now with only one driver and the rest of the seats empty. Lots of potential new drivers...
UberX is actually about 20% cheaper than Lyft, although I think TaskRabbit rides still are often the cheapest (although by far the least convenient).
I use both Uber and Lyft frequently and, for me, Lyft has been always cheaper for the same trips.