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Anybody here an Uber or Lyft driver?

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So in case y'all didn't know, UberX cut rates again in some 20-40 cities - they're basically working for pennies now. I genuinely feel bad for the ones that need this shit to stay alive.

I called a Select last time I needed an Uber so I wouldn't feel so damn guilty.
 
Ns1 said:
So in case y'all didn't know, UberX cut rates again in some 20-40 cities - they're basically working for pennies now. I genuinely feel bad for the ones that need this shit to stay alive.

I called a Select last time I needed an Uber so I wouldn't feel so damn guilty.
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They sent an email in Orange County saying that they are taking a larger cut for new sign ups. Something like 30% now vs 20%.
 
AznAnarchy99 said:
They sent an email in Orange County saying that they are taking a larger cut for new sign ups. Something like 30% now vs 20%.
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they're doing that AND they dropped rates. Needless to say, UberX drivers on Uber forums are currently outraged. Conspiracy theorists state this is so that old drivers on the 20% commission leave the platform, uber raises rates, and then those drivers have to come back at the higher commission rate.

"Five and a half years in, we've learned that the single most effective way to boost demand during the winter slump is to cut prices for riders," Uber notes in a new press release.

Just like it did in 2014 and 2015, Uber is cutting prices in a slew of cities in the U.S. and Canada starting on Jan. 9. With this new promotion, Uber aims to convince more people to "head out of the house, ditch their keys, and avoid parking."

The price cuts will vary by region, with some areas getting bigger discounts on rides than others. Los Angeles and San Francisco, for instance, will see 10 percent price cuts, while other places such as Houston will see a more notable 20 percent cut.
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Ns1 said:
they're doing that AND they dropped rates. Needless to say, UberX drivers on Uber forums are currently outraged. Conspiracy theorists state this is so that old drivers on the 20% commission leave the platform, uber raises rates, and then those drivers have to come back at the higher commission rate.
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This is how you take a decent idea and piss it away. There are other ways to succeed in the business than just cost. If anything they need to ensure they have good drivers that treat people well, which happens less when you don't pay them well. The initial step is to get your foot in the door, which for these places were to be cheaper than cabs. Now that they have that foothold, they shouldn't need to continue to cut costs... they're still usually a cleaner/friendlier option compared to a standard taxi. Word of mouth is their friend, and I see more people using them than I thought I would. If they keep drivers happy they'll continue to expand.
 
HOLY SHIT. Uber is really scraping bottom of the barrel now.

Uber will begin to allow more people with nonviolent criminal convictions to become drivers in California. According to The Wall Street Journal, Uber will lift its ban on certain nonviolent and nonsexual offenses, including petty theft and check fraud, that were previously flagged during background checks and prevented people from becoming drivers. Uber essentially says this is a way for it to offer work to people who might otherwise have a hard time finding it, even as they're trying to turn their lives around. "We should all be in favor of giving everyone a fair chance," Joe Sullivan, Uber's chief security officer, tells the Journal.

UBER MAY EMAIL APPLICANTS WITH RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP THEM

It's not stated whether this new policy will extend outside of California. Another policy, however, will certainly be exclusive to the state: Uber will begin to email drivers who are being rejected because of a felony conviction that they may be able to reduce under California's Proposition 47, a 2014 initiative that reclassifies certain drug felonies and thefts as misdemeanors. Uber will maintain its blanket ban on felonies, but applicants who reduce their conviction could become eligible. The Journal reports that Uber will also refer applicants with felony convictions to nonprofits dedicated to helping former inmates with jobs and skill training.

The updated screening policy is not meant to dramatically increase Uber's potential drivers, Sullivan tells the Journal. Only a small number of people are said to be covered under the changes. Still, the relaxed policy will mean a wider pool of applicants for Uber to draw from, which is key to growing its fleet.
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http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/13/10759688/uber-relaxes-driver-screenings-california
 
What? Are they running out of drivers who quit after 3 months?

Possibly because they've finally realized that after operating and maintenance costs -- while completely ignoring insurance -- they probably make less than minimum wage?
 
Not a Uber driver, but have read uberpeople.net.

Uber is for those who can pick up people "along the way" home or those who have a durable vehicle they don't care about too much that can take the abuse that is called city driving. If one is going into Uber seriously, then 2006 or later Toyotas, Hondas, and Crown Vics are pretty much the best options to use, just like a cab. You must make sure your insurance is going to cover you when driving for Uber or else you are in trouble if you do get in an accident.

Thick skin is needed if your expected demographic are assholes.
 
Torn Mind said:
Uber is for those who can pick up people "along the way"
....
You must make sure your insurance is going to cover you when driving for Uber or else you are in trouble if you do get in an accident.
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I see all your profits going bye-bye for buying insurance and simply taking people along the way.
 
Fox5 said:
I'm for this, it's a shame that ex-criminals, who have already served their time, are basically turned into unemployable second class citizens. As long as it was non-violent crime, these people should be employable after they've served their time to society.
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i second both your notions
 
Fox5 said:
I'm for this, it's a shame that ex-criminals, who have already served their time, are basically turned into unemployable second class citizens. As long as it was non-violent crime, these people should be employable after they've served their time to society.
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while your sentiment is honorable, they probably should have thought about that before committing felonies.
 
Ex-criminals rarely go full change in their behavior. Even non-criminals, while of "pliable mind", tend to prefer to stay in their typical habits that they develop from early in life.

People feel sorry for their status alone and base their sympathy on their rundowness and aesthetic, not their actual behavior, which they of course have no way to evaluate because they bring out the "don't judge" mantra.

Given how easy it is to reduce punishments for crimes just with the public defender, getting tossed in jail for a major crime requires far more than just a brain fart.
 
I signed up to be an Uber driver. The process was simple enough, except for one thing: you have to have a mechanic fill out some stupid checklist. I just got an email from Uber saying "you can begin driving NOW" even though I havent submitted the inspection checklist. Is anyone an Uber driver who has not bothered to do the inspection and submit the form? I am wondering if the vehicle inspection thing is something that they only pay lip service to but do not actually enforce.
 
Imp said:
What? Are they running out of drivers who quit after 3 months?

Possibly because they've finally realized that after operating and maintenance costs -- while completely ignoring insurance -- they probably make less than minimum wage?
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when you pay nothing, you start running out of fools. Soon uber will cut rates again, then lobby that they have a shortage of workers, and need to import some.
 
Is this the typical Uber driver?

Guy drives from Calgary to Edmonton (Uber is illegal, I think, in Calgary) to drive Uber -- towns are 280 km apart.

"Only this way can I help me and my family. Sometime it's $100 a week sometimes it's $120, but it's better than nothing."

...

The money that Al-Minshdawi does make is offset by the cost of gas for his bi-weekly journey, rent for a room to stay in Edmonton, and insurance, but he says that he makes enough on these weekend jaunts to cover some of his family's bills.
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http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...zation-brings-calgary-drivers-north-1.3448421

And once again, a journalist tried out Uber for a while. He supposedly made $4.60 an hour -- Canadian pesos. Article's in French, but there are English summaries if you google. Or just Google Translate the first unbolded paragraph:

En une semaine comme chauffeur UberX à temps plein, notre journaliste n’a reçu que 4,60 $ de l’heure après avoir soustrait toutes ses dépenses, comme l’essence et l’usure du véhicule. Un tel revenu est bien en deçà du seuil de pauvreté.
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http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2016/02/05/la-face-cachee-duber
 
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Well when there was a big demand for drivers, they got paid more. Now there's Uber drivers everywhere so of course they are going to get paid less. Simple supply & demand.

Last August an acquaintance of mine of leased a brand new car through Uber. I haven't talked to this person since then. I wonder if he can even afford this car with how much they pay now.
 
All the cabbies were bitching about Uber in Vancouver BC. Its East Indian run. I think they allowed some Uber cars on a trial basis.
 
zerocool84 said:
Well when there was a big demand for drivers, they got paid more. Now there's Uber drivers everywhere so of course they are going to get paid less. Simple supply & demand.

Last August an acquaintance of mine of leased a brand new car through Uber. I haven't talked to this person since then. I wonder if he can even afford this car with how much they pay now.
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I believe that economics relies on all parties being well-informed. Luckily for Uber, they can probably rely on a consistent supply of people who don't appear to have bothered to price out all of their expenses -- and collect their portion of the fare regardless.
 
Imp said:
I believe that economics relies on all parties being well-informed. Luckily for Uber, they can probably rely on a consistent supply of people who don't appear to have bothered to price out all of their expenses -- and collect their portion of the fare regardless.
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A lot of older drivers stopped driving or moved to Lyft. My last couple Uber rides have been people who've only been driving for a few weeks. I know I stopped driving since it really wasn't worth my time anymore.
 
I have a buddy driving for Uber while he completes a graduate degree. He only drives late nights Thursday through Saturday. For him it's 95% drunks getting home from the bars. Sometimes it's a hassle, sometimes a big hassle, but it pays well. Drunks tend to tip big at 2AM.
 
Ns1 said:
while your sentiment is honorable, they probably should have thought about that before committing felonies.
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Depends on what percentage of felonies are normal people who are generally not dicks and just mind their own business but 51% of the voting public decided "hey you're not like me, you're bad!" or the jury voted wrong.

With enough lobbying and demonizing of something in popular media you can turn any action or class of people into a felony offense with the stroke of a pen.

You can make a normal guy sound like some hard core thug and a menace to society busted on illegal weapons charges and his only offense was driving to CA to pick up a new car and there was a empty normal capacity magazine lost under his seat that had been there for months.
 
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Another lawsuit...

Because if Uber’s drivers are really independent contractors like the company claims, it could be breaking a whole different set of laws:...

“Uber has a simple but illegal business plan: to fix prices among competitors and take a cut of the profits,”[/B].
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/legal-problem-could-crash-uber_us_5718d485e4b0479c59d714f6

This will be hilarious to watch. So, they're not an "employer" and also not a means for thousands of competitors to fix prices.
 
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