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    krobertJ.K. Trotter
    2/01/16 2:37pm

    it’s very hard for me to give a fuck about these guys.

    you think it’s rough being a Uber driver????

    go buy a NYC Taxi Medallion...

    http://nycitycab.com/business/taxim…

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      hntergrenkrobert
      2/01/16 2:40pm

      The medallion system is bad, but taxi drivers are making way more money than Uber drivers. From the anecdotal data I’ve collected, cab drivers are making between $60-70k a year, granted, they’re working a ton, but that’s really not bad.

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      kyngfishhntergren
      2/01/16 2:44pm

      In New York it’s still kinda terrible. But, you know, I hate Uber as much as the next guy. It’s in the running for most diabolical tech startup of all time.

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    DisMyBurnerBaeJ.K. Trotter
    2/01/16 3:00pm

    Working more for a lower rate IS the goal of every management system. The mythical

    “I believe we can innovate and increase efficiency! here is a plan that no one else thought of! PAY LABOR LESS!

    -Every RIGHT WING idiot ever

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      Max ContrarianDisMyBurnerBae
      2/01/16 3:13pm

      It’s not working more for a lower rate. It’s receiving better goods and services for a lower rate. The combination of technology and labor can allow for better experiences on both sides of the equation, hence the enormous number of yellow cab and livery drivers defecting to Uber, Lyft, and competitive services.

      More rides, fewer annoyances with dispatchers, less aimlessly driving around, better understanding of supply and demand.

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      DisMyBurnerBaeMax Contrarian
      2/01/16 3:15pm

      Cool, you can read shitty PR blurbs and regurgitate them back at the internet as if you are mansplaining “tech” to people.

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    SpringSprungJ.K. Trotter
    2/01/16 2:36pm

    Ah, the old, “we’re lowering your pay so you can make more money!” strategy. Of course by “you”, we mean “us”.

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      Garrett DavisSpringSprung
      2/01/16 3:09pm

      Forgive me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t Uber take the same percentage hit that the driver does?

      As for the theory of lowering prices to make more money, how do you think sales work? If advertising lowered prices for certain periods of time didn’t increase revenue, then why would anyone do it? I know at my company we see good sales spikes when we advertise lower prices for sure. It get’s people in the door when they were otherwise on the fence.

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      SpringSprungGarrett Davis
      2/01/16 3:16pm

      I see your point, but Uber is collecting their percentage from many drivers and they can afford to take the hit for a longer period of time. An Uber driver has only his income to count on and now he’s working twice as hard (or whatever the percentage their fares were reduced) for the same amount of money. And since they don’t know how long the reduction will last, they have to make sure they keep compensating for the difference by driving more often and longer.

      ETA: One of the reasons Uber says they reduced the fares was because of all the “down time” their drivers have; the assumption being that their drivers they are sitting around doing nothing when they could be out picking up more people. Cutting their pay isn’t going to magically make more people appear to use their service.

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    hntergrenJ.K. Trotter
    2/01/16 2:37pm

    Uber’s problem is that it simply takes way too big of a cut from the drivers. It’s a great service, but it’s not worth the up to 40% cut it takes on each fare, especially in a place like NYC where there are many other options. Yellow cab drivers are making a lot more money. I think I may stop taking Ubers until they allow their drivers to keep more of their fares.

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      Snapchatmethatpussyhntergren
      2/01/16 4:36pm

      And there it is. The beginning of Über’s worst nightmare.

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      hntergrenSnapchatmethatpussy
      2/01/16 4:39pm

      Unfortunately, I doubt most people care enough to make a conscious decision to refrain from using Uber. At this point, I only really ever use Uber when I’m in an area where it’s tough to hail a cab—so it’s not something I rely on that often anyway. Plus I take a cab maybe once or twice a week, so it’s really no skin off my back.

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    sour duckJ.K. Trotter
    2/01/16 2:50pm

    I’m on the fence with Uber. I usually try and ask drivers if they like driving for them, and every time I get an enthusiastic yes. But most of these people are full time employed and just do it for some extra cash.

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      Bradley's Ballssour duck
      2/01/16 3:00pm

      Every driver I have asked who drives Uber and Lyft has either indicated ambivalence between the two or a strong strong preference for Lyft. Usually they indicate Lyft treats them more like people than Uber and that lyft is always running promotions that help them (though they often get fewer fares with lyft).

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      sour duckBradley's Balls
      2/01/16 3:16pm

      Lyft also lets you tip the driver so I imagine it’s better for them up front.

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    MojiMojiJ.K. Trotter
    2/01/16 2:46pm

    What these drivers are fundamentally not understanding is #1) Uber is not profitable yet and #2) Uber has a lot of financial investors pushing for these cuts (this is strongly related to #1). I'm not unsympathetic to their complaints, but there's pretty much no way that Uber is going to stop cutting fares until #1) they become cash flow positive or #2) this sort effort has an actual negative impact on their bottom line (very unlikely in the near future given the nature of the employee pool).

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      CrowdSceneExtraMojiMoji
      2/01/16 3:17pm

      I think that Uber is fundamentally not understanding that #1) Drivers drive to make money and #2) Landlords and utility companies don’t care why you don’t have enough money.

      I’m not a driver, but if Uber is so convinced that lower fares will get enough new people riding to offset the lower price, why did they reduce the driver’s pay? If they’re that confident then take the difference off of the back-end and swim in the new money they’re convinced will start rolling in.

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      MojiMojiCrowdSceneExtra
      2/01/16 3:21pm

      Yeah, I'm not disagreeing with your #1 and #2 in principal, I'm just saying Uber has pretty much no reasons to give a fuck about the drivers and thus this strike is unlikely to have an effect.

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    dothedewJ.K. Trotter
    2/01/16 2:47pm

    I have to question the thought process of the Uber driver who made the sign advocating the banning of Uber, the company he (presumably) drives for.

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      Sally Ann Lunndothedew
      2/01/16 10:58pm

      Most drive for Lyft as well

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      dothedewSally Ann Lunn
      2/01/16 11:02pm

      Well then they are striking against Lyft too, because they sure ain’t out there driving for them!

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    Max Rivlin-NadlerJ.K. Trotter
    2/01/16 2:51pm

    “Existing labor laws allow Uber to classify all of its drivers as contractors”

    I believe it’s more like, Uber has decided to classify all its drivers as contractors and they’re just betting that they’re not in violation of labor law. And by betting I mean actively lobbying to change the laws and fighting every misclassification case tooth and nail.

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      YoureconfusedJ.K. Trotter
      2/01/16 2:42pm

      So by Uber’s math the drivers will be working more for less money so they end up making the same as before. Why not just leave prices where they are, the drivers work less, make more per ride and in the end their costs are down (less gas) so they come out ahead?

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        e30s2kJ.K. Trotter
        2/01/16 7:23pm

        So Uber’s position is basically that they 1) love their drivers sooo much and want to help them make more money, and that 2) they looove their customers so much so they want to reduce prices for them. So their solution is to reduce rates for drivers?

        Here’s a better way to achieve the same goal - reduce prices for customers AND increase the rate for drivers (or reduce Uber’s cut) - both those problems solved like a dream. AND maybe Uber’s revenues will increase as a result of greater activity as well, just like Uber claims it is trying to do.

        But of course, the reality here is that Uber doesn’t give a flying fuck about anyone else and just wants to squeeze everyone possible in every way they can in their blind and desperate search for profitability. Just come out and say it, douchebags.

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