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Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

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Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

#581

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a strong suspicion that the Works Progress Administration may come about if Biden wins the election. There's a lot of bridges going into disrepair, new transit projects we _should_ pursue- not to say that everyone employed by this program is necessarily qualified to build a bridge, but if the opportunity is there I wouldn't be shocked if it drew unemployed folks. But again, "if".

The world has changed, homie. The construction unions will slay you if you try to substitute their labour with lots of other people. You will lose the game. If you have a WPA, it'll look like this: * Funding for existing construction companies * Higher pay for construction workers * Roughly the same employment You've got to remember that high employment is not a union goal. If they can get five $250k construction wor…

> You will lose the game.

Until you don't. Just ask the air traffic controllers' union.

I don't mean this to say I'm anti-union, but just there are net-good and net-bad employers, there are net-good and net-bad unions. For things to get better at the national level everyone is going to have to sacrifice.

Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

#582

Earlier quoted context omitted.

'Ridesharing' (Which is a hilarious term for the simple fact that the ride is not being shared, the driver is not intending to go to your favorite bar. ) isn't a 21st century situation or solution. It's not a profitable or a good force in an economy, it does not pay a reasonable wage for anyone to live on, it is not environmentally friendly unless done in large quantities of people,(which is called a bus). Ridesharin…

Why do you get to decide what a fair wage is, or what a positive force in the economy is? Taxis are an obsolete service, Lyft and Uber are overwhelmingly favored by customers and businesses.

Lyft and Uber are favored due to convenience and price. Nothing stops a regulated Uber that pays fair wages from convenience...but the price paid will have to become higher to support people.

This is like McDonald's paying workers $3 an hour, charging $2 for a value menu meal, and then people saying 'wow, McDonald's has made Burger King obsolete!'. Of course customers will prefer the cheaper service that screws workers and does not pay fairly, but (some) workers will work it because it's their only choice.

Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

#583

If you can't operate your business without independent contractors, then they aren't independent contractors. If Lyft and Uber want to back up their claims that they aren't livery services but simply a technology platform, then there should be no problem with eliminating the independent contractor drivers. The fact that they have to "shut down" only proves they were misrepresenting drivers for as long as they have ex…

They are providing a platform for independent contractors. If the state makes it so that there are no users of the platform, they can't do business as their is nobody to use their platform. It seems pretty reasonable that when a state attacks your platforms users, you remove the platform from said state

Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

#584
post #231

I dislike Uber and Lyft's practices as much as the next guy. But I also believe AB5 is a terrible bill and will be voting in November to exempt Uber and Lyft from AB5. AB5 was written to impose a 20th century employment model to a 21st century situation. As such, the bill is distorted that it carve out hundreds of exemptions to musicians, freelancers, journalists, doctors, hair stylists and so on and so forth. A bill…

'Ridesharing' (Which is a hilarious term for the simple fact that the ride is not being shared, the driver is not intending to go to your favorite bar. ) isn't a 21st century situation or solution. It's not a profitable or a good force in an economy, it does not pay a reasonable wage for anyone to live on, it is not environmentally friendly unless done in large quantities of people,(which is called a bus). Ridesharin…

Exactly. Uber and Lyft are a 19th century labor situation which masks itself by using 21st century technology

Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

#586
post #516

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A while ago — and I have no citations for this — I read it was easier to just pay for private rides for every accessible person than to make NYC and SF's public transportation accessible. Yes, in perpetuity. Considerably cheaper, too. Why then, go through the effort? Because they should be integrated into society like all others. I firmly believe public transportation has benefits beyond efficiency. Something about a…

yes let’s make all public policy based on your sense of poetic justice. and not numbers. i know cost is just a number to you but that’s other people’s money you’re spending

Well, not based on one person, but sometimes making uneconomic decisions based on human decency? That’s the society I’d rather live in.

I mean, if numbers are all that matter, I’m fairly sure someone could come up with a model to deprioritise and disenfranchise almost anyone - the disabled, the elderly, the retired...

Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

#588

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With employees, you can't rely on variable supply and demand pricing to ensure the most drivers are there at peak times -- instead, you have to do it through scheduling instead. And it's not so much anti-moonlighting as not being able to work for multiple companies at the same time (hour) . Right now, a driver often is waiting for both Lyft and Uber riders. If they're an hourly employee, they obviously can't do that…

I guess you've never heard of being on-call? Tech and healthcare have very well established demand supply systems. Some mechanical service sectors as well - tow trucks, infrastructure repair.

I don't know anyone who is paid to be on call at two different employers simultaneously.

Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

#589
post #344

Another group caught in the collateral damage is people in wheelchairs. Paratransit sucks in most places and where wheelchair accessible Uber/Lyft is available they provide a much better service. This is an especially vulnerable population because it's not like a wheelchair user can just find a friend with an accessible vehicle to take them to appointments, etc.

A while ago — and I have no citations for this — I read it was easier to just pay for private rides for every accessible person than to make NYC and SF's public transportation accessible. Yes, in perpetuity. Considerably cheaper, too. Why then, go through the effort? Because they should be integrated into society like all others. I firmly believe public transportation has benefits beyond efficiency. Something about a…

What about the wheelchair users? What do they prefer?

If it were both cheaper and best for the users (as I believe it would be) to pay for private rides, I would support that wholeheartedly. If one option were cheaper, and the other is preferred, it would seem that you'd have to engage in some type of cost-benefit analysis.

I don't see why able-bodied people should impose their view of 'social integration' on minorities at great cost, without additional justification.

Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

#590
post #380

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Nobody is being forced into anything. They're choosing this because it's the best opportunity. That is such a lazy take. Of course people are forced to take whatever job is available: humans need food, shelter and healthcare. If society doesn't collectively agree about a minimum standard of what a job entails, you inevitably ends up with the "bottom of the barrel" living in inhumane conditions. As a society, it is…

Why don't these people accept the existing full-time driving jobs then? Is it because flexibility is paramount and they might already have other commitments? Why convert many existing opportunities into fewer worse jobs? What's that solve exactly? Do you think there should be no independent contractors? Do you also object to freelancer writers or artists?

> Why don't these people accept the existing full-time driving jobs then?

I expect that the number of full-time driving opportunities available would cover maybe a single-digit percentage of (pre-covid) Lyft/Uber drivers.

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