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  #1  
Old 05-08-2016, 01:35 PM
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Default Momo Fukuber

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Austin's Proposition 1, a ride-hailing ordinance supported by Uber and Lyft was defeated Saturday. With all precincts reporting late Saturday night, 48,673 (about 56 percent) voted against the ordinance and 38,539 voted for it.

Lyft spokeswoman Chelsea Wilson said in an emailed statement that her company will "pause" operations in Austin beginning Monday. Uber said earlier Saturday that it would do the same if the ordinance was defeated.
This pleases me, but I've drifted a bit from the hive mind. Do we all still hate Uber?
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Old 05-08-2016, 05:49 PM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

I don't know much of anything about Uber but it's nice to see corporations try and fail to buy elections. Also the regulations seem fair.
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Old 05-08-2016, 09:00 PM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

Wait should I not like Uber? Because Uber is kind of fantastic.
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Old 05-08-2016, 10:12 PM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

I'm aware of a few reasons to hate them, but I think this was the story that did it for me:

Uber Executive Suggests Digging Up Dirt On Journalists - BuzzFeed News

Quote:
A senior executive at Uber suggested that the company should consider hiring a team of opposition researchers to dig up dirt on its critics in the media — and specifically to spread details of the personal life of a female journalist who has criticized the company.

The executive, Emil Michael, made the comments in a conversation he later said he believed was off the record. In a statement through Uber Monday evening, he said he regretted them and that they didn’t reflect his or the company’s views.

His remarks came as Uber seeks to improve its relationship with the media and the image of its management team, who have been cast as insensitive and hyper-aggressive even as the company’s business and cultural reach have boomed.
My favorite part of that is how they were already struggling to overcome the "insensitive and hyper-aggressive" image before this clown said this.
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  #5  
Old 05-08-2016, 10:57 PM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

That guy sounds like an asshole. But also Uber is cheaper, more efficient, and generally more pleasant than a taxi, and I don't have to deal with that guy, so I remain a huge Uber fan, because it is hugely convenient. (Would be nice to be able to toggle a "No unnecessary conversation" switch from time to time.) I haven't used Lyft though.
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Old 05-09-2016, 12:57 AM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

Goddamn wingnut.
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  #7  
Old 05-09-2016, 02:12 AM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

Uber is nice, as long as you don't mind the company tracking you, tacking on surge prices at events, or having little recourse against a company who treats their drivers poorly.

Of course taxi companies have little to stand on as well. Here in SF taxis often refuse to go to certain areas (calling for a taxi out in the sunset is a crap shoot, they often ignore their dispatcher and don't pick you up). So things like Uber and Lyft have popped up specifically because taxi's have sucked so much.
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  #8  
Old 05-09-2016, 02:38 AM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

Damn, y'all are gonna convince me to stop the crusade just when they've been chased outta town!
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  #9  
Old 05-09-2016, 02:40 AM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

Oh I still hate Uber and go with lyft the few times Ive used a car service.
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Old 05-09-2016, 02:45 AM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

Apparently Lyft is bailing too.
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  #11  
Old 05-09-2016, 03:02 AM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

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Originally Posted by Ari View Post
Uber is nice, as long as you don't mind the company tracking you, tacking on surge prices at events, or having little recourse against a company who treats their drivers poorly.
It's never really occurred to me to worry about Uber tracking my rides. It's hard reasonably to expect privacy about where you are and where you're going when you hire somebody to come pick you where you are and drive you to where you're going. They have to know where you are to pick up you, and where you are going to drop you off. I guess they could do something bad with that information about restaurants I like. Surge pricing is a pain in the ass, but I'm usually either too drunk to care or just grumble about it until my ride gets there. Still beats parking. I like the idea that it reduces demand to keep wait times reasonable, but it also irritates the fuck out of me when it's surge pricing and I have to wait more than 5-10 minutes for a pickup. I've never driven for Uber, so I don't know how it treats its drivers, but it seems like the most obvious recourse would be to stop driving for Uber. :shrug:

Lyft is technically here but the uptake seems to be less with the result that wait times are usually longer. Otherwise I'd go with whichever was quicker, though I did like the big mustaches.
Quote:
Of course taxi companies have little to stand on as well. Here in SF taxis often refuse to go to certain areas (calling for a taxi out in the sunset is a crap shoot, they often ignore their dispatcher and don't pick you up). So things like Uber and Lyft have popped up specifically because taxi's have sucked so much.
Holy shit yes. Even where there is a line of taxis waiting for pickups - like at the airport - the comfort difference between a taxi ride and an Uber ride is huge. I was in Boston last week. The last time I was in Boston my group took a taxi in because it was easier to get reimbursed; it reeked, the driver didn't know where the fuck he was going, and he squabbled over the cost that was shown on the meter. This time I took an Uber from the airport. The car was clean, the driver was pleasant, and the transaction was done as soon as I stepped out of the car. Also about $12 cheaper than a cab.
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  #12  
Old 05-09-2016, 03:22 AM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

The big issue about ride tracking is at one point (maybe they fixed it) your ride history was saved and accessible by the drivers who can happily stalk you if they wanted.

I hate surge pricing after hearing about how, after many were stranded in the middle of muddy nowhere after an event went to shit. Uber turned on surge pricing for anyone who didnt want to spend the night in the cold.

I would also be much happier with them if they didnt fight against worker rights.
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  #13  
Old 05-09-2016, 05:40 AM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

I see the benefits of Uber and the reasons why traditional taxi companies were ripe for competition.

But I don't give a shit about their whining about reasonable regulations either. And their drivers should be treated as employees.

It's not like they still won't have various advantages over regular taxis.
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  #14  
Old 05-09-2016, 02:45 PM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

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Originally Posted by viscousmemories View Post
Apparently Lyft is bailing too.
I'm missing something. When did these juggernauts go from profiting hand-over-fist to "if we can't buy laws specifically favoring our business model we *DIEEEEEEE*"? You can't really blame the depression when they've been growing throughout it.

Or is this one of these Amazon things where they never really made a profit and expanded anyway?
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  #15  
Old 05-09-2016, 06:17 PM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

Withdrawing from a market with an unfavorable regulatory environment is an entirely legitimate business decision. Businesses do that all the time. It's a cost-benefit decision just like thousands of other decisions. Indeed, it would seem to satisfy all parties - Austin's regulators benefit from the resolution of the perceived problem, and Uber/Lyft do not incur the costs of compliance.
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  #16  
Old 05-09-2016, 06:23 PM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ari View Post
The big issue about ride tracking is at one point (maybe they fixed it) your ride history was saved and accessible by the drivers who can happily stalk you if they wanted.
I've yet to use Uber at home. So far, I've only used it when traveling and it's been great for me.

That being said...

Quote:
I would also be much happier with them if they didnt fight against worker rights.
Have to agree here, as well. There's something about a company that places all the risk on the workers and the customers and assume little to no liability or responsibility. It just feels wrong.

I get it, from a business point of view, I guess. But, I'm really just a socialist, at heart.
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  #17  
Old 05-10-2016, 04:35 AM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

Uber and Lyft drivers in Austin are of course now free to set up their own independent ride sharing services, and hire employees and treat them as employees (and buy them cars, etc.), and assume liability and responsibility for them, and make all of the money that comes with that. You know, like a taxi company. They can even fingerprint them for Austin. Austin would be a great market for that kind of innovative entrepreneurship right now. Like Get Me, a ride-sharing start-up from Dallas still operating in Austin - it could just devour all of that Uber and Lyft marketshare now.

But uh-oh, it has 10,000 drivers, but only has six employees, wah wah.
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  #18  
Old 05-10-2016, 12:33 PM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

I hate the expression "go-getters". Fuck them too.
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Old 05-10-2016, 03:59 PM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

Speaking of which, where do we stand on fucking godaddy?
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  #20  
Old 05-18-2016, 02:30 AM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

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Originally Posted by ChuckF View Post
Uber and Lyft drivers in Austin are of course now free to set up their own independent ride sharing services, and hire employees and treat them as employees (and buy them cars, etc.), and assume liability and responsibility for them, and make all of the money that comes with that. You know, like a taxi company. They can even fingerprint them for Austin. Austin would be a great market for that kind of innovative entrepreneurship right now. Like Get Me, a ride-sharing start-up from Dallas still operating in Austin - it could just devour all of that Uber and Lyft marketshare now.
Well, maybe except for the fingerprinting part. But they did receive a heartwarming bit of corporate welfare through a public subsidy to help them sign up new drivers - wonder if they'll treat them as employees, or if the City of Austin is just using public funds and a community college campus to throw a big servitude fair? In the meantime, there are always randos on Craigslist, if anybody needs a ride.
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  #21  
Old 06-09-2016, 02:22 PM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

I'll take a wild guess that if the sharing economy widens, it'll take a big chunk out of Social Security contributions.
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  #22  
Old 06-10-2016, 01:49 AM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

How do you figure?
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Old 06-10-2016, 05:11 PM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

According to Yahoo Answers,

Quote:
As far as the ride-share company is concerned, you're the owner of a separate business that it uses to provide driving services. So when you receive a payment, understand that it's not a traditional "paycheck," and likely no taxes have been taken out.

It's up to you to take care of federal and state income taxes, as well as Social Security and Medicare. Combined, these taxes can easily reach 30% to 50% of your income, so make sure to set aside money to pay them.
Oh yeah, I will definitely be sure to set that aside. For sure, man. Like clockwork. It's like money in the bank. Bet on it.

My guess is there'll be lots of ducking and diving uber das steuer, because ermehgerd it be a bucket load of taxes. :faint:
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  #24  
Old 06-10-2016, 05:50 PM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

Yeah, it's exactly the same as any other 1099 income. It's reported to the IRS, and individuals are responsible for the relevant FICA contributions.
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  #25  
Old 06-12-2016, 02:51 PM
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Default Re: Momo Fukuber

I understand Lyft left Houston over fingerprinting, but Uber stayed. Go figure.

Meanwhile, there are about six new and/or newly popular ones in Austin.
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