Thoughts on Uber?

[s0me0nesmind1]

Trucking is the largest employer in most states, so driverless trucks are going to make things very interesting indeed. The industry has already been clawing back pay and pushing drivers log more hours. Turnaround rates are very high as a result. I'm sure the logistics companies are eager to cut out the middle men. Robot trucks can drive around the clock, only needing brief stops for fuel. Speeds up deliveries while significantly cutting operating expenses.

Plus if I recall, truck drivers are HEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAVILY unionized. For such a worthless, talentless profession I can't wait to kiss them good-bye.

At least in the process it would create some engineering-esque jobs for managing the driverless cars, repairing them, routing/programming them, etc...

 

[3chordcharlie]

Just about every taxi I have ever been in has attempted to rip me off in some way or form.

Again, I ask of you - Simply get out of the taxi after your fare (to collect bags from the back/trunk), and ask the driver "What is the total?". See if it matches the fare price in the cab. You will be surprised.

Where are YOU taking taxis? Seriously, mechanical inspections and professional standards aren't that hard to enforce. It sounds like your complaint might be better directed at your city or state, or whoever handles taxis where you live.

Aren't all drivers on public roads required to be insured? What protections does taxi insurance provide?

It provides insurance for transporting passengers commercially. Your ordinary insurance (and mine) would not cover you if you are providing rides for money.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

It provides insurance for transporting passengers commercially. Your ordinary insurance (and mine) would not cover you if you are providing rides for money.

So what kind of protection does that provide the passenger?

 

[unokitty]

I'm sympathetic to the people that are being displaced by new services like Uber.

Then again, I was also sympathetic to the people that used to build Sony Walkmans that found themselves displaced by MP3 players...

Likewise, I was also sympathetic to all of those old vacuum tube engineers that were displaced by those new integrated circuit thingees....

Uno

 

[WaTaGuMp]

The world advances, keep up or deal with it.

 

[Jeff7]

Plus if I recall, truck drivers are HEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAVILY unionized. For such a worthless, talentless profession I can't wait to kiss them good-bye.

At least in the process it would create some engineering-esque jobs for managing the driverless cars, repairing them, routing/programming them, etc...

Until computers are adequately powerful that that job also becomes largely automated.

Yep. I read last week that Uber's ultimate goal is to have driverless taxis in the next 5 years. The driverless car thing is going to be really interesting. When this becomes reality we can probably expect huge riots within the trucking industry. It's going to upend the delivery system. It's going to be a serious threat to cab drivers, delivery guys, etc.. Maybe even UPS, USPS and Fedex.

How much? Who knows.

Trucks....I'm sure that most of the long-haul driving can be handled by the computer, but there'll still be some need for knowledgeable people at the endpoints: Making sure that the load is properly secured, and dealing with unexpected problems (customer doesn't have a forklift, inadequate space to back into a loading bay, customer's forklift can't handle the weight of the load, customer's forklift partially drives through the side of the truck, 3'-deep water at the base of the loading bay, etc).

 

[3chordcharlie]

So what kind of protection does that provide the passenger?

Actually, that's the point. Broadly speaking, if your use doesn't match your insurance, you may not have any. This would leave your passenger in limbo WRT medical costs, etc.

Appropriate liability insurance is a huge cost of almost every business.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Trucks....I'm sure that most of the long-haul driving can be handled by the computer, but there'll still be some need for knowledgeable people at the endpoints: Making sure that the load is properly secured, and dealing with unexpected problems (customer doesn't have a forklift, inadequate space to back into a loading bay, customer's forklift can't handle the weight of the load, customer's forklift partially drives through the side of the truck, 3'-deep water at the base of the loading bay, etc).

Thats not the problem.

The problem is paying someone for 10 hours of driving (use of foot + hand) with no actual skill or thought process required. Literally, truck drivers have been known for doing things like jerking off while driving.

Do you want to pay someone to jerk off on the job?

 

[Mai72]

Plus if I recall, truck drivers are HEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAVILY unionized. For such a worthless, talentless profession I can't wait to kiss them good-bye.

At least in the process it would create some engineering-esque jobs for managing the driverless cars, repairing them, routing/programming them, etc...

The auto plants in Detroit were also heavily unionized. When automation stepped in during the 70s how did the unions fare? Not well. Many jobs were lost during this period.

Before Automation in Detroit:

After Automation:

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Actually, that's the point. Broadly speaking, if your use doesn't match your insurance, you may not have any. This would leave your passenger in limbo WRT medical costs, etc.

Appropriate liability insurance is a huge cost of almost every business.

How is this any different from getting into a wreck when your buddy drives you some place?

 

[Belegost]

How is this any different from getting into a wreck when your buddy drives you some place?

If you're in a friend's car (and this friend is not driving people to destinations as a business) then you as a passenger are covered under your friend's insurance for medical and property damage incurred as part of an accident, up to the limits of the friend's policy.

If, however, you are in a car with a driver that picked you up in response to a ride-sharing style service (Uber, Lyft, etc.) where you pay to get a ride, then standard personal car insurance provides no coverage for you as a passenger in the event of an accident.

The difference is that in the first case the friend is driving his car in a personal manner transporting his personal friend. In the second case the driver is transporting a customer in a business transaction. Those are very different conditions, and insurance companies charge differently for coverage of vehicles being used for commercial passenger service.

That all said, Uber and Lyft do provide their drivers with commercial insurance coverage, so the whole point is effectively moot.

 

[BUTCH1]

How is this any different from getting into a wreck when your buddy drives you some place?

Because insurance Co's base their rates on the type of driving you do, if you are earning income from your driving you will be on the road MANY more hours than if you simply drove back and fro to work and occasional shopping ect. so the rates will be vastly different depending on how the vehicle is used. If you lie and get into an accident while using uber they will NOT cover any damages or liabilities because you did not state your intended usage when you bought the policy.

 

[3chordcharlie]

If you're in a friend's car (and this friend is not driving people to destinations as a business) then you as a passenger are covered under your friend's insurance for medical and property damage incurred as part of an accident, up to the limits of the friend's policy.

If, however, you are in a car with a driver that picked you up in response to a ride-sharing style service (Uber, Lyft, etc.) where you pay to get a ride, then standard personal car insurance provides no coverage for you as a passenger in the event of an accident.

The difference is that in the first case the friend is driving his car in a personal manner transporting his personal friend. In the second case the driver is transporting a customer in a business transaction. Those are very different conditions, and insurance companies charge differently for coverage of vehicles being used for commercial passenger service.

That all said, Uber and Lyft do provide their drivers with commercial insurance coverage, so the whole point is effectively moot.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...to-uberx-driver-confused-about-insurance.html

There doesn't seem to be much evidence that this policy is effective.

Uber, AirBnB and other programs like this are basically in a Wild West state of development. It's not impossible that they will figure things out, but right now as a customer or service provider, you are taking a great deal of unknown risk.

 

[sandorski]

Thats not the problem.

The problem is paying someone for 10 hours of driving (use of foot + hand) with no actual skill or thought process required. Literally, truck drivers have been known for doing things like jerking off while driving.

Do you want to pay someone to jerk off on the job?

When you go to a Store, do you prefer there be things to buy on the shelves? When you order something Online, do you like it that it reaches your door?

 

[Stopsignhank]

Too funny, I was going to post an Uber thread. I hate the idea of Uber, something sleazy about it. BUT I am on a trip to another town and do not have my driver's license so I could not rent a car. Uber has been TERRIFIC for me. I have been able to get around town with ease. I even set up my ride to the airport tomorrow at 5:30 in the morning with one of the guys.

(For those of you asking how I got in a plane without a license, I used my passport)

 

[Ophir]

Too funny, I was going to post an Uber thread. I hate the idea of Uber, something sleazy about it. BUT I am on a trip to another town and do not have my driver's license so I could not rent a car. Uber has been TERRIFIC for me. I have been able to get around town with ease. I even set up my ride to the airport tomorrow at 5:30 in the morning with one of the guys.

(For those of you asking how I got in a plane without a license, I used my passport)

Sooooo, you hate the idea of it, but love the function of it?

Your post, it makes no sense.

 

[zerocool84]

On one hand I can sympathize with the taxi drivers - they have fixed costs they need to recoup that uber drivers don't.

On the other hand, it cost me $90 to get home from the airport via taxi and uber would have been less than half of that, so fuck taxi's.


Also: so many uber drivers have left that quality has gone down a lot. My neighbor drives for uberx with his old beat up 2002 car.

Well they aren't supposed to be driving a car that old. All Uber cars have to be newer than 10yrs old.

 

[Eug]

Yes, Uber just seems much sleazier than the taxi companies to me, and that's saying a lot because the taxi companies already seem sleazy.

I won't touch Uber with a 10 foot pole.

 

[Ns1]

Well they aren't supposed to be driving a car that old. All Uber cars have to be newer than 10yrs old.

And yet there they are uber'ing people everyday.

 

[Jeff7]

Thats not the problem.

The problem is paying someone for 10 hours of driving (use of foot + hand) with no actual skill or thought process required. Literally, truck drivers have been known for doing things like jerking off while driving.

We have various other jobs that require little skill or effort, yet which pay very well, sometimes far more than a truck driver makes.

Do you want to pay someone to jerk off on the job?

I would hope that those are in the minority. Along the same lines, I'm sure there are other instances where I'm paying for a product or service wherein part of the price has been used to pay for a worker to have a little more fun on the job than I'd otherwise expect; not that that makes it good, but it's not a unique problem.

 

[pcgeek11]

How do the "Uber" drivers get past the auto insurance laws when most policies have an exclusion on vehicle for hire. What happens when they get into an accident with a paying passenger?

 

[pcgeek11]

That all said, Uber and Lyft do provide their drivers with commercial insurance coverage, so the whole point is effectively moot.

So Uber and Lyft provide commercial insurance free to their drivers?

After reading the link provided, Just say I am still a doubter... I would not trust their plan just on that. Too much wiggle room for my comfort.

 

[Bock]

Driverless wont happen because the loads will just get stolen. In the middle of bumfuck west or east texas, the cops won't come.

 

[MaxPower83]

Uber has been banned here in Italy just recently.

Edit : http://rt.com/news/262217-italy-bans-uber-competition/

 

[Murloc]

Driverless wont happen because the loads will just get stolen. In the middle of bumfuck west or east texas, the cops won't come.

Truck drivers aren't supposed to defend the load with their life.

So there is no difference really.

Also that's a non-issue in many areas of the world where there is strong freight traffic, like the blue banana in Europe.

Also even if you have to put a security guard on the truck (also for refueling purposes, unless the truck drivers get rehired at fueling stations), the truck doesn't need to stop for compulsory rest periods, the guard can just sleep while it's driving.
That's cheaper.