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Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet

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Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet

#61

Post by roymurdock »

I'm glad that the author is working through his problems, or, at the very least, expressing them through some fantastic writing. He makes some very astute observations that I don't think many of us would have access to otherwise. He is also the vocal minority of vet Uber drivers. 99% of vet Uber drivers are simply shuttling people around with these sorts of thoughts stewing repeatedly in their brain; most likely with no creative outlet or release other than alcohol/drugs because the treatment options are far from adequate for PTSD-afflicted vets.

There's a shallow reason and a deep reason people like to read these stories about what it's like to be an Uber driver. The shallow reason is that these drivers usually have great stories about all of the strange, quirky people that come creeping out of the woodwork at night and put their real selves on display for the invisible taxi driver. The deep reason is that you like to see how bad these guys really have it, and then think to yourself "wow, I sure am glad that I don't have to do that for a living and work for that awful company that makes a lot of money employing/exploiting vets." A schadenfreude of sorts.

Anyways, I commend the author for sticking his neck out and writing about the problems he perceives. It has sparked a dialogue here, and seeded ideas in my mind, along with the many others that have read the article. You don't have to agree with his points, or even like the guy as a human being, but it's great that he's got us all thinking.

Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet

#62

Post by LanceH »

toolz wrote: post #60
s_kilk wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> ...don't understand/have experience of the military mindset. I think this describes where I am now. I just don't fully understand where they're coming from, because I have little experience of it. And so sometimes ex-military personnel can seem to me to be un-necessarily confrontational/combatitive in their approach to life and people. Can you (or anyone else reading this) recommend some good reading material to h…

I'm relatively confident I can, even as an outsider, give you some insight on their situation. All my closest friends were in the military in different branches even and they all shared a pretty similar story. They spend years of their life excluded to mostly just people in their team. They chant words of brotherhood and tell tales of hardships and emotional struggle. They daily reaffirm to each other that their only…

What a load of bull shit. The above post reads like someone who never served but has read about it.

Your confidence is misplaced.

Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet

#63

Post by toolz »

LanceH wrote: post #62
toolz wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm relatively confident I can, even as an outsider, give you some insight on their situation. All my closest friends were in the military in different branches even and they all shared a pretty similar story. They spend years of their life excluded to mostly just people in their team. They chant words of brotherhood and tell tales of hardships and emotional struggle. They daily reaffirm to each other that their only…

What a load of bull shit. The above post reads like someone who never served but has read about it. Your confidence is misplaced.

Exactly which part do you disagree with, or do you even have anything more than an emotional objection?

Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet

#64

Post by omouse »

dsr_ wrote: post #39

It'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…

I know someone who works a marketing/sales job, they're making enough and saving enough to afford a condo in the near future. They also do some uber driving. It isn't always poor people, it's people who want to make some extra cash and who want more flexible schedules.

Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet

#65

Post by omouse »

aaronem wrote: post #23

A robot could do my fucking job. In a few years, one will. God bless Silicon Valley.

And hopefully this talk of a basic income will be the most sensible solution instead of forcing veterans and people with low incomes to beg and wait for any sort of help. It's disturbing that this guy has to wait for months to get veterans benefits.

Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet

#66

Post by Dirlewanger »

toolz wrote: post #56
rasz_pl wrote: post #51

What is this I dont even :/ >Stuck on my dashboard where everyone can see is my Combat Infantry Badge... destroy enemy with direct fire ..a conversation starter...no one notices gee, maybe try some photos of a massacred village, or burned convoy full of children >Our unit slogan had been "Punish the Deserving." not psychotic at all >my thoughts drift, inevitably, to the voiceovers from Taxi Driver that have been ratt…

This is how I imagine most people who lead with, "I'm a veteran", think. It boggles my mind that someone feels deserving of respect because they found themselves in a low income situation and joined the military because of it. Relative to other low income, low skill, employment opportunities, joining the military is rather safe. Compare it to entry level construction workers for instance. So I'm supposed to pay tax d…

Unfortunately it's a byproduct of the US's quasi-deification of those who serve in the military. One really has to be a part of the club to really get it, I guess. For those whose past generations have made it a tradition of serving, yeah, it's a big deal. But those who know no one that's served, obviously not so much.

And then there's the angle that you bring up: those who enlist generally are those with fewer skills to offer the marketplace and thus choose the safe government-supported route. Which isn't a bad thing, that's just how it is.

Of course you're going to get downvotes from this crowd for not pussyfooting around the issue and saying how it really is. I too see it as absurd to worship the ground that veterans walk on, especially when it was their choice to be put in harm's way. It's not my fault you fell for all the war-is-glorious propaganda and then came home a fractured mess (the ineptitude of the VA is another issue).

Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet

#68

Post by a_shane »

pkorzeniewski wrote: post #25
methodover wrote: post #2

Wow, 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…

It's hard, spending the precious hours of your short life on things other than what you're really passionate about Isn't this true for the vast majority? Most people take jobs not because they're passionate about them, but because they need money to pay bills and buy stuff - simple as that. Some earn more, some earn less, but at the end of the day almost everyone would like to do something else. Even in IT, where wag…

I was actually going to reply to that point, as well. This guy, despite his somewhat unique circumstances (and superb writing) isn't really alone in that he has to do what he needs, however unfulfilling, to get by.

Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet

#69

Post by justinhj »

A nice piece of writing. Personally I hate feeling obliged to talk to bus drivers and taxi drivers but when a conversation happens it is often rewarding.

That said, whilst the tech industry is certainly booming, the average tech worker is not getting an uber to their house in Palo Alto. Even on $150k salaries they are living quite ordinary lives in small rented apartments in the city or maybe a townhouse an hour away on the commuter train.

Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet

#70

Post by snake_plissken »

Wow, that is a great read. It hits on a lot of points about our society these days.

Though I was surprised to read that very few people talk to him. I always chat up the taxi or uber or lyft drivers. You will meet the most fascinating of people.

The Nigerian Uber driver who also runs a West African Chamber of Commerce to facilitate trade and business among the local immigrant population. The motorhead Uber driver who explained to me how to drive a motorcycle from Atlantic City to Philadelphia in under 45 minutes. The Lyft driver who was in school getting a masters degree in physics. The taxi driver who is a fanatical Chelsea fan and almost comes to the bar with you on a Sunday morning to watch the games, but can't quite do it because the last time he did that they lost.

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