Ok so Uber laid off 8% of the workforce. Apparently they haven't PIPed many people in recent years so this was supposed to be long overdue. But the larger point I want to make and ask all you angry negative folks is - why tf are you against ride hailing? I personally want both Uber and Lyft to succeed. The taxi industry was doing a terrible job of meeting customer demand. Uber and Lyft have both made my life so much easier. It is not some social media app where I go to get likes. Many of us rely on these services regularly. I own a car and I still use Uber for many things. I would probably use it even if the prices went up by 10-15%. And guess what, so will all of you especially when you're travelling. Drivers are NOT regular full-time employees. This AB5 is an absurd socialist populist move by politicians. They should get adequate coverage but they certainly don't deserve full time benefits. I feel like all of this is just hate being spread against ride hailing by traditionalist and protectionist forces that want to keep the racket of taxis alive. If you think taxi drivers weren't being exploited earlier, please go read about the corrupt NYC taxi medallion system which is a real disaster. Is being a slave to taxi companies and their labor unions a better alternative? Do you really think these taxi companies were in it for the drivers? Despite being contractors they now probably have better conditions, which doesn't mean Uber/Lyft can't do more for them. Wake the f up folks, we're all consumers here . And ride hailing is real innovation using software. Constructive comments appreciated. Trolls GTFO. TC 210k
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Because, though I use it regularly and would be personally hurt by it failing, I also see it as a flawed, exploitative model that should change or fail. At the end of the day, I really don't think healthcare should be provided by employers at all. It should be completely free for everyone (subsidized by taxes, obviously) and provided by the government. Since we don't have that, we should compel employers to ensure it is provided.
It's hard to be sympathetic to corporations that label legal loopholes(getting contractor classification) as "disruption" and using shady tactics to grow. Southwest is in an extremely regulated industry(far more than Uber's) yet somehow we managed to grow and be extremely profitable while being the most unionized US airline and also treating our employees and customers very very well. Having to be a scumbag corporation is not some de facto requirement to be massively successful. Oh and btw, last I checked even with all the scumminess, neither Uber nor Lyft are profitable 🤣
Airline industry has a 100 yr history. Many airlines have gone bankrupt, but I wouldn't wish a world without them. Hell I hate frontier and spirit, but I'm overall glad they exist. Uber Lyft - Sure they're not profitable now, but I sure hope that they get their shit together and if that means trimming workforce then so be it
It's not the industry that is defining Uber and Lyft's tactics. It's their leadership and the culture they have instilled. That's my point. The attitude "win at all costs" eventually comes back to hurt you. So while I have sympathy for the common employee, I'm not going to lament the downfall of these companies if it were to happen. And yes, they are very convenient but they can still choose to win by focusing on the customer and driver experience and increasing the cost at the expense of growth. This will cut into executive bonuses and insane SV salaries but remember, transportation as a whole is a cutthroat industry. Treating Uber like a tech company where margins are high and costs are low is stupid. And if consumers are still willing to pay for Uber over perhaps an equally priced taxi, then you have a successful model!
I understand the hate towards Uber (or Lyft). I don't agree with all of them necessarily, but I understand. I don't understand the hate towards Uber employees here on blind. Why?
I know a year ago when I was here, there were a lot of Uber employees that were absolutely crapping on non "Tier 1" employees, mocking their worth and skillset. They were even questioning if Apple was worthy of being called a tech company anymore. So honestly, I guess what goes around comes around!
Well that's no reason for us to shit on all of them at this point. Plus u wouldn't even know if they r the same Uber employees. Also it could be a very few of them with the arrogant attitude. Could also be some newbies or young people without wisdom. Surely we can exercise better judgement than petty revenge. Is that too much to expect/hope/ask for?
There definitely were some jerks who worked at Uber that were flexing on blind. That's bad on the idiotic few on blind. F them. We're talking about Uber as a company. I'm sure every tech company has it fair share of assholes. Maybe a few more ended up in Uber. We're discussing ride hailing here. I still think they're doing solid work.
A few of the jerks i know worked at uber. I thank uber for taking them off the market
California is beating even Europe in socialism lol. Nobody even in Europe introduced such law AFAIK. OP you are using logic, do you think left uses logic? So many people will be jobless if Uber/Lyft announces no business in California for even a month. And no, a competitor will not emerge, it's costly business & compliance is costly & consumers will be stuck with expensive taxis or crappy BART or no Public transport.
Uber employees have a reputation as arrogant, drunk fratboys, like the west coast equivalent of NYC midtown finance douchebags.
I suspect that was until 2016 when TK was in charge. Under Dara things have shifted culturally.
Thank you, the company is nothing like that nowadays. It’s super tiresome to hear this constantly from people stuck in 2016. It’s indistinguishable from any other big tech nowadays.
Cause the founder/former CEO is a misogynist frat boy douche who created a toxic culture? And they take advantage of lower class workers?
Uber/Lyft have facilitated a frivolous lifestyle that *seems* to be a need. No one really needs Uber/Lyft. We will all be fine without it, or paying more for the service when we really need it, which will enable paying drivers an actual, career-meaningful, small business wage instead of a "joke wage". Uber should be thinking along these lines - enabling people to create sustainable, profitable businesses (how could that not go over well internationally?) - instead of luring them along into a swirling vortex of wage despair, surrounded by eddies of false hope. A lot drivers have moved to the US to drive for Uber and are effectively trapped into doing it - just wait for the documentaries and PBS investigations. The amount of drive time needed to support a family precludes any meaningful career pursuits, education, or other training, simply due to the relentless exhaustion from horribly stressful driving/traffic for 14 hours/day, sitting in a chair without time to even go to the restroom. If you ask a doctor, sitting in a chair all day is *terrible* for your health. This is tech hell: even if the banal everyday reality is "fine", it's an insidious, society-shaping force. Maybe purgatory is a better term for it. But it's definitely not a force of good in the world. There are other points as well: - The actual experience of requesting, waiting for, riding in an Uber, and instructing the driver how not to drive erratically/speed/miss directions or street signs is extremely unpleasant. No one actually likes the process. Ask people if they actually like it. Everyone likes being driven, but Uber requires quite a bit of effort, attention, and inconvenience just to make it happen (constant cancelled rides, frictional pickups, etc. not to mention you need battery, connectivity). It caters to a tech-savvy market: it must be super hard to use for non-tech people. I've seen many people start crying at the airport after not being able to get their Uber app to work or find their driver. - As a "tech habit" Uber and Lyft are addicting and incredibly costly: SF residents often take Uber/Lyft to commute every day, adding up to $6k or so a year that are often regretted expenses. - There are at least 8 other ways of getting to a destination. If you're drunk you can call a cab. Or maybe don't get drunk so often that you need to pay for a special service to take care of you. - Uber/Lyft also cause horrendous traffic in urban areas and this is well-documented. Really, your service lets cars turn on their hazard lights and bring traffic to a standstill in the middle of a busy street just to pick someone up? - I can't imagine how stressful it is to be a driver and deal with real aggression all day long from other drivers, and impatient passengers who can't find the pickup point. I'm not talking about people doing this to save up for their first house, I mean people who do this full-time to support their families while also doing night school. It seems like complete hell.
Are you kidding? There are so many trips in the city that are like 2-5 miles which neither public transport nor traditional taxis can cover. The cost of owning a non-luxury car is easily 8-9k per year and you have to waste colossal amounts of time finding parking. App based requests are still far better than standing on the road hitchhiking or calling a freaking dispatch. Infact they're not even comparable in terms of UX. You point about drivers having to face aggression is well taken. But even taxi drivers have to face that. There is a real need that ride hailing is solving. It does facilitate more local mobility. And that is not created out of thin air. People who do this full-time because they desperately need more cash - what other avenue do they have in this economy? If the labor market had good jobs then this wouldn't be a thing. Ride hailing may infact be the last decent thing for many such folks.
8-9k/year? Maybe 2k? Are you including financing at 5% APR? I think taxi drivers are actually professional drivers and know not to stop in the middle of traffic. Uber has unleashed a bizarre sociopathic disregard for other cars, which I kind of understand given how hellish it must be to be a driver. I'm not saying it's not sometimes a real need, but most people don't need to take Ubers most of the time at a low price. It's extremely leveraged for a reason. Just look at food delivery and valet parking apps circa 2016 to and how they ended up.
Seriously, you’re talking like uber is brainwashing riders to use the app and drivers to drive people. It’s a marketplace that connects people who have needs: either paying for their life or to go to places to meet people.
Whom is this comment directed towards?
Lol yeah @google. If you don't like Uber pay, don't drive Uber. Get a REAL job. People leave their FT time, drive Uber and complain about pay, hypocrisy. It's called gig for a reason
What's this for anything to do with your TC?
Are you new to Blind?
U r just flexing now!