In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares • Hacker News Board

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#111

Post by xapata » Tue, Feb 28, 2017, 10:00 PM UTC

rockarage wrote: post #44

Travis is right on a technicality they did not lower Uber Black prices much if any. What they did instead was coerced Uber Black drivers to take Uber X request. Yes drivers can reject Uber X request, but if you reject a certain amount of Uber rides, they kick you off their system. Probably why the driver is complaining about going bankrupt, you need a luxury car to drive Uber Black, but if you're stuck picking Uber X…

> reject Uber rides ... kick off the system

I believe it simply sets you to inactive temporarily, because you're obviously not picking up rides and you're slowing down the rider matching process.

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#112

Post by minimuffins » Tue, Feb 28, 2017, 10:00 PM UTC

idiot_stick wrote: post #43

stagbeetle wrote: post #26

This seems like a slam piece following the #DeleteUber bandwagon. 1). The title doesn't match the contents. Instead of reporting on the specifics of the fare changes, Newcomer rehashes the more prominent Uber scandals and some short commentary on TK's "short temper." 2). A very short paragraph (around 1/20th the article) breifly elaborates on the fares: > And the gig has gotten harder for longtime drivers. In 2012, U…

> I have an immigrant in my family who's just like the driver. He's not interested in "fighting over a good idea You may want to rephrase that, because it sounds an awful lot like you're attributing "stubbornness" to the fact that this guy's an immigrant. > Additionally, it's plain rude to engage in this sort of thing with a stranger. He's not a stranger. He's the boss.

> He's not a stranger. He's the boss.

Yeah, I get the feeling that people who have a big problem with Fawzi's tone here are really saying "you don't talk to the boss that way!" But you know, maybe you SHOULD talk to the boss that way.

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#113

Post by erdojo » Tue, Feb 28, 2017, 10:01 PM UTC

lambdasquirrel wrote: post #98

erdojo wrote: post #31

I believe the driver was itching for a confrontation (he stopped Kalanick as he was getting out of the car to start the conversation). It was only after being berated for a minute or two and interrupted that Kalanick's composure started to crack. Before then, I don't think anything Kalanick could have said would have mollified this driver. He had an axe and he was going to grind it. Kalanick could have handled it bet…

You have to admit there's a bit of karma in it. If you want happier drivers, head over to Lyft where we tip better. :P

I used to use Lyft and Uber interchangebly depending on where I was, but since the Susan Fowler allegations I've defaulted to Lyft. And I love the in-app tipping :), so much less awkward and more convenient.

However, I've had more borderline experiences with Lyft than Uber, mostly related to basic cleanliness of the car. Drivers have always been great though.

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#114

Post by wybiral » Tue, Feb 28, 2017, 10:01 PM UTC

hsod wrote: post #101

chickenfries wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This will probably be an unpopular opinion Well what do you know, at the time of writing this, it's the top comment! > The fact that the footage of him with two women wasn't cut out is frankly disgusting and a total invasion of his privacy. He didn't do anything wrong except flirt a bit. How tawdry of Bloomberg to show that material. It's relevant because he said things like this: “That’s kind of how I roll. I make…

> I think I would be okay with being filmed as long as it wasn't secret. Would you be OK with the video being published on a major news site?

News and paparazzi are kind of an unfortunate consequence of being a public figure. You're not in a private place in someone else's car...

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#115

Post by pjwal » Tue, Feb 28, 2017, 10:01 PM UTC

chickenfries wrote: post #94

pjwal wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Obviously, he did not know he was being filmed...so it was a secret.

What makes you say that? The camera looks like it's in a place where you should be able to see it. Either way, I don't think a conversation I have in the back of someone else's car is private.

Because I find it incredibly hard to believe that he would engage like this if he believed there was a possibility of the conversation being made public. Sure, I could be wrong, but I am of the camp that the driver will find legal repercussions to this.

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#116

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Feb 28, 2017, 10:01 PM UTC

hsod wrote: post #101

chickenfries wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This will probably be an unpopular opinion Well what do you know, at the time of writing this, it's the top comment! > The fact that the footage of him with two women wasn't cut out is frankly disgusting and a total invasion of his privacy. He didn't do anything wrong except flirt a bit. How tawdry of Bloomberg to show that material. It's relevant because he said things like this: “That’s kind of how I roll. I make…

> I think I would be okay with being filmed as long as it wasn't secret. Would you be OK with the video being published on a major news site?

[deleted]

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#117

Post by unityByFreedom » Tue, Feb 28, 2017, 10:03 PM UTC

chickenfries wrote: post #104

hsod wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I think I would be okay with being filmed as long as it wasn't secret. Would you be OK with the video being published on a major news site?

I have to say, that would be interesting, as my conversations are not usually relevant to the readers of bloomberg. I might not be happy about it, but I'm not sure that a law was broken or that I would have any recourse...

Nobody is saying a law was broken.

That doesn't make it right. Clearly you would not be happy about it either.

I think the interesting part of this story is not Kalanick's character based on the video, but rather the business decisions Uber made and how that has impacted their drivers.

It appears Uber has benefited from people investing in fancy cars. If it was their business plan to mislead people into doing that and then force them to take Uber X rides, then that is wrong, though not illegal.

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#118

Post by erdojo » Tue, Feb 28, 2017, 10:03 PM UTC

rockarage wrote: post #107

erdojo wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you sure they still do this? I haven't gotten a Black Car for an X fare in several years. Used to be fairly common, now never. Before the Susan Fowler allegations, I was a 2-3x per day rider (I'm now mostly using Lyft).

Yes they do, however in some cities there are so many Uber X drivers so Uber does not have to send Uber X request to Uber Black drivers.

Got it. I'm usually in San Francisco, LA or Reno, so that makes sense.

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#119

Post by frgtpsswrdlame » Tue, Feb 28, 2017, 10:03 PM UTC

simplehuman wrote: post #76

frgtpsswrdlame wrote: post #16

To me this illustrates one of the biggest problems we have in america which is the crazy firewall between rich and poor. Kamel wanted to have a serious discussion with Kalanick about how his decisions as CEO were affecting Kamel's life and Kalanick gets upset about this. That's your job! At least it should be. If you can't even handle light criticism from the people you employ, you shouldn't be at the top.

Have you worked at a big company? In none of the fortune 500 companies have I met the CEO who has taken a minute to explain like Travis tried. In fact in some of the companies I worked for the CEO won't even respond to email.

I work for a gigantic corporation and you're right that the CEO wouldn't respond to me. In fact, if we were in a car together and I started talking to him about how my pay wasn't so hot this year I would expect him to be extremely uncomfortable. He should be! He makes huge decisions which affect thousands and thousands of lives. CEOs should be in constant contact with peons like me and Kamel. Maybe they would adjust their decisions so they wouldn't have to be confronted in this sort of way.

Re: In Video, Uber CEO Argues with Driver Over Falling Fares

#120

Post by PeterisP » Tue, Feb 28, 2017, 10:05 PM UTC

unityByFreedom wrote: post #96

seertaak wrote: post #46

This will probably be an unpopular opinion, but I actually thought the driver was exceedingly rude. He clearly took advantage of Kalanick being in the public eye, and thus a "target". Filming him without acknowledging it was totally immoral, it should reduce any fair person's bayesian priors as to the credibility of the driver. I'm no fan of Kalanick, but I thought he comported himself reasonably, taking the time to…

I don't think releasing the video was right. Regarding Uber black, another HN user points out, > Travis is right on a technicality they did not lower Uber Black prices much if any. What they did instead was coerced Uber Black drivers to take Uber X request. Yes drivers can reject Uber X request, but if you reject a certain amount of Uber rides, they kick you off their system. Probably why the driver is complaining ab…

If the consumers are voting with their wallets that they want more Uber X rides and less Uber Black rides, well, that's what should happen. To bring supply back in line with demand, some drivers who used to drive Uber Black should either leave or downgrade, and if they won't do it willingly, then some drivers going bankrupt is a way how the market forces "driver supply" to go in the direction where it apparently needs to go.