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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

#81

Post by Bahamut »

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #74

Sorry, but as an Iraq veteran myself I am getting tired of Veteran whining. Yes, we have significant issues and yes the VA and all the parties need to do a better job taking care of us. It took me 9 months alone to get my disability rating and VA benefits card - and many wait much longer - which is time that they aren't getting treatment. The broader population only know about these issues through Jon Stewart or from…

I think one of the unfortunate things is that most people don't understand what the military experience is, and how it might help their companies. Veterans should do a better job selling it to help bring awareness too.

Veterans often deserve some fault as well - many don't make good decisions with their life due to some desire, and end up regretting their choices. I've seen many not make every effort to set themselves up for long term success, and often shoot for & encourage short term success, even if it ends up in a long term dead end. Perhaps they are not much different than a lot of the US population in that regard, but wishing for things to be different based on past experience is not going to do anyone any good.

Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet

#82

Post by AndrewKemendo »

Bahamut wrote: post #81
AndrewKemendo wrote: post #74

Sorry, but as an Iraq veteran myself I am getting tired of Veteran whining. Yes, we have significant issues and yes the VA and all the parties need to do a better job taking care of us. It took me 9 months alone to get my disability rating and VA benefits card - and many wait much longer - which is time that they aren't getting treatment. The broader population only know about these issues through Jon Stewart or from…

I think one of the unfortunate things is that most people don't understand what the military experience is, and how it might help their companies. Veterans should do a better job selling it to help bring awareness too. Veterans often deserve some fault as well - many don't make good decisions with their life due to some desire, and end up regretting their choices. I've seen many not make every effort to set themselve…

>Veterans should do a better job selling it to help bring awareness too.

The problem is, there is no good way to do this. A lot of large companies and banks have veteran specific programs to get us in the door, which are great. Aside from those however it's an education game, and educating your potential employer who has no idea that you just got done running a program larger than their organization won't really help.

I think a lot of combat veterans don't understand that going into the private sector after 5 or more years in the military is akin to a software developer trying to get a job on an oil-field. Outside of specific military jobs that translate perfectly - like IT and for people with more time in service to management - it's a wholesale change. From a skills perspective you are at a disadvantage from someone who has been in the industry for those 5 years. It's hard to sell the veteran specific "soft skills" that are hard to impossible to quantify.

A big struggle for me was trying to break into the investor side of the tech world coming straight out of the military. So even though I had been working for years on my startup, had a co-founder, customers and an MVP - I had absolutely no network to raise seed money. I got lucky and hooked up with an Angel group that specifically targets guys like me (Hivers & Strivers Angel fund) and it ended up working out, but even though we passed that first hurdle, since I don't have that deeper network it's still an uphill battle because I am unproven in the tech startup world and my rolodex is very limited.

Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet

#83

Post by ethbro »

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 think about the people who work in fast food chains. Their entire working lives circumscribed by a binder written by people so many levels above them that thinking about it risks vertigo.

Decrease labor costs. Increase productivity per worker. Decrease food prices / increase profit with savings. *Footnote: Make working just attractive enough so that people will apply in sufficient numbers

I think about what kind of life that would be every time I see someone post-teen working in a BurgChickeBoxMcKingBell. Try going through one sometime out in the country, when you're far enough away from a city that there aren't any other jobs. See who's being employed there.

.... What a disgusting system we've created. Writer is right about the tech haves and the have-nots.

PS: BasicIncome

Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet

#84

Post by lanaius »

ethbro wrote: post #83
pkorzeniewski wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 think about the people who work in fast food chains. Their entire working lives circumscribed by a binder written by people so many levels above them that thinking about it risks vertigo. Decrease labor costs. Increase productivity per worker. Decrease food prices / increase profit with savings. *Footnote: Make working just attractive enough so that people will apply in sufficient numbers I think about what kind of…

When I was a kid, I bought a box of thumb tacks at the dollar store. When I got home and was using them, I suddenly got very sad: I started thinking about the people who assembled the tacks and put them in the boxes. Being naïve at that age I assumed everything was done manually, and I just felt awful about people who spent all day doing this just to sell them at the dollar store - they must be paid pennies!

Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet

#85

Post by Bahamut »

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…

I'm not sure where you heard this, but the military experience is not your exaggerated guestimate. Plenty understand what their chosen jobs entail, and the possibilities are. Plenty also understand that nobody owes them everything, and it is all about what value can be provided now.

I am in the process of getting admin separated from the Marine Corps as a result of a bureaucracy circle I was put in when changing units, but I have no reason to slam the military, especially since it is highly unlikely to affect my career. It was a great experience, even if I never got to deploy (I am a reserve infantryman). I only had an issue with one employer holding something against me despite me being completely transparent about having reserve duties. Otherwise, they were perfectly accommodating.

If anything, the military service should instill in people to not take anything for granted - at least, that was my experience in the Marine Corps. Hard work never changes, inside the Corps or outside, and the mentality is to work harder to impress, since no one can fault you for showing tremendous work ethic.

Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet

#86

Post by scott_usa »

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…

Based on your comment below, tool, it appears you have a real axe to grind.

"So I'm supposed to pay tax dollars for your salary and then give up my seat on a plane because you're working just like the rest of us?"

Your 'closest friends in the military' are giving you a skewed view of reality, and I am sorry for it.

1)It sounds like your friends were not in combat so their experiences are not comparable to the author's experiences. BTW, the author plays into the narrative of 'veterans are victims' perfectly.

2) If your friends are fabricating their relationships with servicemen who were killed, it sounds like they will fabricate anything they tell you.

3) The military is like any other organization, with good employees and less than good employees. Your friends appear to fall into the latter category.

4) In my experience, there is a population of service members who got to do what they signed up to do (pull triggers, of course) and who have reintegrated into society such that you would not know that they served, nor would they advertise that fact. I believe that these 'good employees' comprise the majority of veterans but they aren't a vocal group (unlike the author) so you will probably not hear their opinions.

Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet

#87

Post by matkam »

Speaking with Lyft/Uber drivers myself, I hear there is a difference in culture between riders who choose between the two companies. Uber riders treat their drivers like taxis or "robots," while Lyft riders often converse with a fellow human being, who happens to be driving them around. It just sounds like this guy needs to switch companies.

Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet

#88

Post by scott_usa »

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #74

Sorry, but as an Iraq veteran myself I am getting tired of Veteran whining. Yes, we have significant issues and yes the VA and all the parties need to do a better job taking care of us. It took me 9 months alone to get my disability rating and VA benefits card - and many wait much longer - which is time that they aren't getting treatment. The broader population only know about these issues through Jon Stewart or from…

Well said, Andrew.

This article propagates the 'veterans as victims' narrative.

And no, I don't want to talk to you either, Uber driver.

Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet

#89

Post by pavel_lishin »

snake_plissken wrote: post #70

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…

> 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.

I'm an introvert. I don't particularly want to talk to people. There are times when I'll specifically take the subway, even when a cab would make more sense, just so I can be alone and read a book or listen to a podcast or something.

On my last trip, I took about six rides, and talked to all but one. One conversation was fantastic, one was kinda fun, and the rest were just boring conversations I've already forgotten. And I consider that particular trip, with its ~20% "success" rate an outlier.

There are days where I don't want to meet a fascinating person, but just want to get from point A to point B.

Re: Driving for Uber as an Iraq War Vet

#90

Post by yazaddaruvala »

methodover wrote: post #77
hackuser wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I had no idea that Uber drivers made so much money. $40-$50 an hour He said he didn't make that much.

The article said... > According to my weekly reports from Uber emails, I average anywhere from $40 to $50 an hour doing this shit—by my count, it's less. You know, when I read that I thought he meant "it's less" in the sense of "It's not worth that much to me" rather than literally, "Uber's average wage statistics are incorrect." But I'm probably totally wrong. If I'm wrong, it's weird that Uber's calculations are wr…

From what I understand its revenue, not profit.

Uber just adds up the transactions that you've been a part of.

Then they take their 25% fee, then the driver has to subtract whatever they paid in insurance + gas + tolls + maintenance + amenities (food or water). For most (who can't buy a car outright) they have to pay their car loan/lease payments.

Then to really calculate "take home pay", like the rest of us, you have to subtract taxes. Another 25%-35% depending on state+federal tax brackets.

P.S. Hopefully they do their taxes correctly. I imagine if you did it as a "small business" you could subtract all of your expenses first and even subtract depreciation of your capital (depreciation of your car), then do your taxes on the far smaller amount rather than on $50 per hour gross income. Honestly, if they weren't curious enough to educate themselves about their taxes, I don't even know how it would be profitable.

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