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Uber has defeated Bill de Blasio’s plan to rein them in

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Re: Uber has defeated Bill de Blasio’s plan to rein them in

#51

Post by waterlesscloud »

ethanbond wrote: post #34
marssaxman wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When their business model is only illegal due to a corrupt, inefficient, entrenched monopoly which is just as hostile to its customers as its employees, yes, it is indeed a pleasure to watch someone take on the machine and win.

This seems like a non-sequitur. The business model was made illegal by people who were voted into office to make business models like these illegal. Uber isn't wrong to push the letter of the law, but no one should be surprised that it will take a little bit of time for the law to adapt to this. Uber's vicious and cavalier attitude towards law in general is really disgraceful. This seems like a classic "ends justify…

It's just a hunch at this point, but I suspect the end game for personal transportation a few decades down the road will be government-provided rides.

Cities, counties, whatever municipal entities providing autonomous vehicles at subsidized rates, or maybe even "free". These are the entities paying for the infrastructure, after all, and once voters don't own vehicles, the argument will start to be made that governments should operate what what runs on the infrastructure.

But that's decades away, and there's money to be made now, in the current system. And Uber/Lyft/Google whoever else is in the business may provide the tech to the governments.

Anyway, like I said, it's just a hunch at this point, but it won't surprise me if things slowly move that way.

Re: Uber has defeated Bill de Blasio’s plan to rein them in

#52

Post by ethanbond »

antihero wrote: post #44
ethanbond wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This seems like a non-sequitur. The business model was made illegal by people who were voted into office to make business models like these illegal. Uber isn't wrong to push the letter of the law, but no one should be surprised that it will take a little bit of time for the law to adapt to this. Uber's vicious and cavalier attitude towards law in general is really disgraceful. This seems like a classic "ends justify…

But people didn't vote people in because of their stance on taxis, apart from small vested interest groups. For most people this wasn't even an agenda they thought about, but because Uber exists, and they see an alternative to the rubbish taxi companies, it's coming to the spotlight.

Yes, right now that seems to be the case. Taxi systems were notoriously bad before regulation, so it's not true to say that Uber is illegal only because of a deeply entrenched monopoly.

Things were seriously rough in NYC (and elsewhere) before the government stepped in. I expect it to take some time to adapt to a things like Uber/Lyft, and Uber's attitude towards that reality is disappointing.

Then again, it is basically the word of Silicon Valley gods to be as blatantly disrespectful of reality as possible.

Re: Uber has defeated Bill de Blasio’s plan to rein them in

#53

Post by sampo »

seizethecheese wrote: post #38
littletimmy wrote: post #20

Pity. This modern day exploitation should end. Uber's huge profits are because they exploit people for labor. Ban it already.

As far as I know every Uber driver chooses to be one. Also, to be an Uber driver you have to own a relatively new car... I couldn't even drive for Uber because my car is too cheap. These people are not helpless.

Some people might take a loan to buy a car to drive Uber?

Re: Uber has defeated Bill de Blasio’s plan to rein them in

#54

Post by ethanbond »

waterlesscloud wrote: post #51
ethanbond wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This seems like a non-sequitur. The business model was made illegal by people who were voted into office to make business models like these illegal. Uber isn't wrong to push the letter of the law, but no one should be surprised that it will take a little bit of time for the law to adapt to this. Uber's vicious and cavalier attitude towards law in general is really disgraceful. This seems like a classic "ends justify…

It's just a hunch at this point, but I suspect the end game for personal transportation a few decades down the road will be government-provided rides. Cities, counties, whatever municipal entities providing autonomous vehicles at subsidized rates, or maybe even "free". These are the entities paying for the infrastructure, after all, and once voters don't own vehicles, the argument will start to be made that governmen…

That's an interesting perspective. Honestly seems like a future I could get excited about, despite bureaucratic inefficiencies and edge cases of govt screwups.

A world where transit is dominated by things like Uber is a world where those who can't (or don't want to) afford $600 phones + $50/month service charges can't navigate a city.

Re: Uber has defeated Bill de Blasio’s plan to rein them in

#55

Post by ethanbond »

onewaystreet wrote: post #46
ethanbond wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This seems like a non-sequitur. The business model was made illegal by people who were voted into office to make business models like these illegal. Uber isn't wrong to push the letter of the law, but no one should be surprised that it will take a little bit of time for the law to adapt to this. Uber's vicious and cavalier attitude towards law in general is really disgraceful. This seems like a classic "ends justify…

> Uber's vicious and cavalier attitude towards law in general is really disgraceful. If a law is wrong and stupid why is it disgraceful for someone to fight to remove it (sometimes that means breaking it)?

Well, for one, Travis et al. will never have the possibility of personal responsibility for anything that Uber does.

Don't mistake a scorched-earth profit march for some type of civil disobedience.

Re: Uber has defeated Bill de Blasio’s plan to rein them in

#56

Post by [deleted] »

onewaystreet wrote: post #43
greenyoda wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They haven't defeated the cap yet. According to the article, there will be no cap while a four-month study proceeds, and a cap may still be imposed, depending on the conclusions of the study: The city will conduct a four-month study on the effect of Uber and other for-hire vehicle operators on the city’s traffic and environment. While the study is being conducted, de Blasio won't seek to cap the number of new vehicle…

That's just political face-saving.

[deleted]

Re: Uber has defeated Bill de Blasio’s plan to rein them in

#57

Post by mgraczyk »

littletimmy wrote: post #22
mgraczyk wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use UberPOOL more often than UberX these days. I think it's fair to call that "ridesharing".

In other news, McDonalds is not a burger shop anymore because I just order the icecream.

That's silly. A more accurate analogy would be: We should stop saying there is no ice cream (no ridesharing) being sold at McDonalds (Uber). I think that's a reasonable assertion.

Re: Uber has defeated Bill de Blasio’s plan to rein them in

#58

Post by pd1 »

snitko wrote: post #16
fx85ms wrote: post #5

The title would be better if it were "Uber has defeated Bill de Blasio's plan to block them from doing business". I think we really need to fight the notion that Uber promotes "ride sharing", whatever that even means now. Uber has shown that its service is anything but sharing - it is plain old taxi with a spiffy app and no labour protection, and where their "employees" are merely treated as another replaceable contr…

And yet people choose to use them and pay them money. But no, we must protect those willing customers from the dangers of doing business freely and having an actuall choice, instead of paying extra to a violent monopoly of taxi drivers who'd rather crash other's cars than compete honestly.

People would pay for taxis too if they were priced competitively and as reliable/convenient as Uber. I don't think treatment of drivers/employees is high on anyone's priority list.

Re: Uber has defeated Bill de Blasio’s plan to rein them in

#59

Post by zschallz »

jrockway wrote: post #48

I don't really like Uber's business practices but they do fill an essential niche in New York City. A couple years ago, the city allowed independent car services to paint their cars green and take street hails. They previously did this, of course, but it wasn't legal. And of course, not every "black car" became a green cab, so this still happens. It's the standard way to get around the outer boroughs of New York. I w…

Even the yellow cabs within Manhattan would not take me places within Manhattan when hailed. They would stop and ask where to-- when I told them where (touristy areas) they'd just drive off.

Re: Uber has defeated Bill de Blasio’s plan to rein them in

#60

Post by TeMPOraL »

marssaxman wrote: post #24
beatpanda wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where "winning" is the normalization of precarious labor where the employee assumes all risk and somehow makes even less money than they did in "the machine". Oh, but you got to the club a little faster. Baller, bro.

I make a point of asking Uber and Lyft drivers how they like it. Lyft drivers universally love it. Uber drivers are less enthusiastic on the whole, but they have generally said it's better than working as a cab driver. I've since stopped using Uber since it's hard to feel comfortable about their business practices, but they're still better than the taxi monopolies and I'm happy to see them pursuing the fight and clea…

To be honest, consider that it may take just one negative review to get fired ("independent contractors", hehe) from Uber (don't know how strict Lyft ratings are). I doubt the drivers that are not satisfied will risk answering you honestly, as you're a person in power to kick them out of their job by a single tap on your smartphone.
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