Among the comments that address the passengers not engaging in small talk with the driver, I don't see one of the reasons I don't engage much with the driver: It's sometimes difficult and frustrating to have a conversation with someone who is facing away from you.
Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet
41–50 of 107 posts
Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet
#42A lot of this piece, which has some great bits of writing, is focused on the issues of the current generation of veterans. But a lot of the class and social mobility issues he describes are common to lots of people, not just veterans.
Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet
#43Wow, what an amazing read. That guy is a great writer. It almost sounded like the narration of film noir. Anyways, I had no idea that Uber drivers made so much money. $40-$50 an hour! That's incredible. I make the low end of that working as the tech lead of a ~15-person tech startup. I bet that car maintenance takes a big chunk out of his pay but still. My first reaction to this piece was "what the fuck are you whini…
"If it makes you feel any better", Google seems to be pretty close to making driving a taxi worth almost nothing.
How so? Do you mean driverless cars or something else they are working on?
Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet
#44Wow, what an amazing read. That guy is a great writer. It almost sounded like the narration of film noir. Anyways, I had no idea that Uber drivers made so much money. $40-$50 an hour! That's incredible. I make the low end of that working as the tech lead of a ~15-person tech startup. I bet that car maintenance takes a big chunk out of his pay but still. My first reaction to this piece was "what the fuck are you whini…
Its easy to make $45/hr 9pm-3am on the weekend. The problem is confusing 6 hours per week with 40 hours per week.
This has occasionally been an issue for me with contracting... hey I got a gig 8 hours/one day per week. Um, ok, great hourly pay, but how am I supposed to feed my family working only 8 hours/week, even if the hourly pay is 2x what I get now?
That's why writing is a good second gig for the article author. No way to make $45 between 10am and 11am Sunday, well, go write something, its not like you're losing fares...
Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet
#45Earlier quoted context omitted.
"If it makes you feel any better", Google seems to be pretty close to making driving a taxi worth almost nothing.
How so? Do you mean driverless cars or something else they are working on?
He might refer to self-driving cars.
Also relevant https://www.yahoo.com/autos/s/uber-ceo-tesla-sell-half-milli...
Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet
#46It's a good companion piece to the Fred Wilson blog post on the Gig Economy: if we took care of our veterans, if we treated poor people like we want to be treated, if we didn't make rules for the economy that let wealth grow at the expense of the poor: then Uber couldn't exist in their current business plan. Saying "at least Uber lets people make some money" is an excuse for exploitation. It may be true, it may be be…
Why do you think Uber couldn't function without signing up poor drivers (veterans or otherwise)?
Hard to judge anyone's economic circumstances from a 15 minute ride, but anecdotally most of my drivers have seemed to be folks with available hours and an available car looking to make some extra money. Never heard anyone describe Uber as something they were forced into by circumstance.
Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet
#47Wow, what an amazing read. That guy is a great writer. It almost sounded like the narration of film noir. Anyways, I had no idea that Uber drivers made so much money. $40-$50 an hour! That's incredible. I make the low end of that working as the tech lead of a ~15-person tech startup. I bet that car maintenance takes a big chunk out of his pay but still. My first reaction to this piece was "what the fuck are you whini…
But you cost your employer almost twice that. Benefits, health care, insurance, supplies, furniture, equipment etc.
Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet
#48I find this mildly frightening, though hopefully that is just my imagination getting the best of me. A combat soldier who takes strangers around town all day, while thinking how much he identifies with the main character of Taxi Driver, a recluse vigilante who also kept a written diary of his thoughts before attempting to assassinate a politician.
He identifies with the character, but the movie is an exaggeration or taking the mindset to an extreme.
Many people identify with the main character from Fight Club, and quote it often, but none of us are developing split personality disorders or fighting with ourselves in a bar parking lot or starting an underground fighting club.
What should frighten you is that being an Uber driver is the best employment option for a war veteran with PTSD. This guy has his writing, and I'd hire him on the spot just reading that article, but not all vets have that even.
Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
> he not expecting something from his passengers That the author is passing judgement on the non-talkers shows that he is expecting something from them. Like when he talks of his Combat Infantry Badge, and the only two options available are 'not notice' or 'notice and not care'. Plenty of people would notice and care a lot , but not want to get into a discussion that they think would lead to an argument. He's basical…
> most cab conversations are exactly the same I know you said "most" but I have had plenty of conversations with cab drivers that I remember years into the future. Two examples: - a very elderly man picked us up in London, he was cheerful and chatty in his 1940s-war-broadcast-style accent, turns out he spent a chunk of his life as an engineer in what you might call "frontier" countries. So many stories. He had plenty…
To be honest, when I have been forced to use a Taxi; I honestly don't want to talk to anyone. I don't want to driver. I don't talk on my cell phone. I don't talk to the person I'm usually with. I do talk to Taxi Drivers if they initiate the conversation, but don't mind driving in silence.
I figure this driver has lived enough, and the last thing he/she needs is listening to me yak on about my pathetic life. They are paid to drive--not entertain, nor provide free therapy, or expect to know anything other than how to get to my destination. (That goes double for Bartenders too!). I don't believe, since I paid for this taxi, I have the right to do, and say whatever I want in that back seat. Noise pollution is real. Uber drivers should have to listen to us yak?
This Uber driver actually sounds like he wants a little conversation? That's fine--doesn't the Uber app put a little bit of pressure on the driver with their rating system? I honestly couldn't imagine having to be nice, and chit/chatty to some snotty, ego centric, future Titan of the business world? Oh yea, what's up with expecting the driver to offer you a free beverage? "The Uber driver is there to move you--period." Get in the car, shut up, and don't look for things to criticize when you fill out that ridiculous rating system. (I understand the need for a rating system, but it should be "Did they get me there safety?" Personally, I see no reason to make the ratings public? Uber can fire the driver if they don't move people to their destinations safety? (Maybe it's just me, but I'm tired of this whole rating thing anyways. Everyone has become a critic, and has a platform that makes it easy to tell the world what you think, or feel. Wether Uber, EBay, Businesses on Yelp; do we need public rating systems? Why can't these companies have internal rating systems? Rating systems that just fire an employee if they don't meet company standards? Ebay could ban a Seller if they are a bad Appple? Yelp could refuse to list a business that had a bunch of negative reviews? Uber could fire the driver if they had bad reviews? Call me old fashioned, but I was taught to not expect people to kiss my ass in order to get a favorable review, especially with a lousey job like working for Uber. What I'm trying to say is I'm used to just rating a service with my wallet? Especially business/services that aren't that important. When it comes to rating a Doctor, lawyer, or business that requires a contract or any other vital service, I'm all for detailed detailed reviews. A bad doctor, or lawyer can ruin you life. These two professions seem to be reviewed to least? We love to rate the service industry--the bottom rung of the service industry?
Sorry, got off track. I feel this young veteran is just venting? He sounds like he's just disenchanted with life, and his circumstances? Does he have a right to be a bit disappointed; a resounding Yes! He had PTSD. He has a mental condition that makes functioning in this brutal world difficult. He signed up to serve his country, and maybe learn a trade? The reality is the military doesn't do much for the average grunt.
I always though if I had a kid who was thinking about joining the military in order to protect their country, or learn a trade; I would drive them Tiburon, CA on a bright sunny day. I would let him/her see just how care free the 1 percenter's live. I would make them sit on a bench, with a full view of the show. I would encourage them to listen to what these people talk about--what they complain about. I would point out the people whom drive $400,000 plus cars. I would keep them there all day. On the way home, my only question would be, "Would you risk your life for these people?"
If the guy driving for Uber reads this; I feel your pain. Try to make friends with people who care--they are out there. You are not alone with your with the horrid symptomology of PTSD. I have suffered in life with a similar affliction. I know it's difficult stomaching some people, but don't assume they are all narcisstic rich kids. Sometimes, it does seem like no one gives a dam, unless it directly benefits them, or their family/contacts in some way. Some people do care. Would you really want a woman who judged you for driving for Uber? Would you want to be around anyone who judges you on how much money you make? Sorry folks, but my generation(the 70's) didn't judge a person on how thick their wad was--we cared about how you made(ethically) your money, and just how compassionate, or caring you were. We didn't say it, but we despised the filthy lucre. The Lucre seems lionized these days? I don't get it?
As to the way we treat our veterans; well I find it appalling on all levels. America shouldn't have one homeless vet--period, unless it's by choice. We need to build low income, or free housing for these individuals on a massive scale. We did it after WW2? If the particular veteran doesn't need free room, it could go to a homeless civilian? Most veterans won't need a free room, but it should be made available?
If you respond to this post--fine. I never come back to a post. I don't think I said anything that controversial?
Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet
#50It's a good companion piece to the Fred Wilson blog post on the Gig Economy: if we took care of our veterans, if we treated poor people like we want to be treated, if we didn't make rules for the economy that let wealth grow at the expense of the poor: then Uber couldn't exist in their current business plan. Saying "at least Uber lets people make some money" is an excuse for exploitation. It may be true, it may be be…
It's only exploitation if you define it as such. Uber is a business (and if they weren't, then I at least wouldn't be interested in them) - they voluntarily give people money for voluntarily performing a task for them - what a concept. They like to hire vets because: 1) there are tax breaks, 2) it's a marketing point, 3) vets have already proven themselves to some degree. But point one is the most impactful - tax incentives are the self-abuse zits of our existence - you have to address them, but they only exist to balance out some other issue of complication.
Being a vet doesn't make him particularly special - there are 20 million of us for the VA to ignore, after all. Any solution that puts the $160 billion annual budget of the VA and $60 billion DOD health budget into non-political hands is a non starter - and giving up political control doesn't happen in civilized society, especially one where vets vote for one party 20 points more than the other - there's no particular pressure on either party to fix that - one party doesn't appeal to most vets for a myriad of reasons, and the other has already captured those votes in spite of their general indifference.
The "Gig Economy" exists because of the complications of doing it any other way, and is the only perturbation likely to get us off whatever local maxima our ever-increasing bureaucratic approach to life has captured us on.