That's it? That's all the comsideration we drivers get? Guess the Times rather write full articles about the ones who will profit from our slave labor. We need to regulate this industry. Grant the drivers negotiating power in order to obtain decent pay and working conditions. How many millions for the suits running this scam? How many rides did they give? As for their supposive incentives, you only get them if you use the uber debit card (for gas rewards), so it's the company store making a comeback. More millions for the parasites, nothing for those who actually labor. Isn't capitalism beautiful?
2
It pains me to see those who hold pre-IPO shares will earn millions. Their treatment of women is on the record appalling, treatment of drivers not much better, nor is the customer service. Sadly, I get it, they can IPO because of consumers who are ill-informed or just don't care about the company's business practices. Yet again, we as a society, reward those to represent some of our worst behavior. They will walk away with their billions leaving the employees holding the bag.
1
Welcome back Azi! You were missed!
Starting a rumor - Gaga will use that dress in the Embassy ball scene, if she tries the woke "My Fair Lady" on Bway, or maybe the movie?
Tune of Lady Gaga's "Telephone"
Hello hello Henry, just you wait, just you wait
You’ll be really sorry but your tears’ll be late
You’ll be broke but I’ll be right here feeling real great.
Will I help you, I’ll be dancing, laughing at your fate
Laughing at your fate
Will I help you I’ll be dancing laughing at your fate.
If you’re hurt and text me I will tell you where to go
But texting’s not invented yet, I’m sure that you know
I’ll be off a second later going to a show
But first I’ll take a breath and take a moment to crow
Stop screaming, stop screaming
Just you wait til we’re in the sea
And you suddenly start feeling crampy
Stop calling, stop calling
Don’t look for help coming from me
I won’t save you I’ll be off being campy!
Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh
Stop calling for ME
Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh
I’m biz-ZY
Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh
Don‘t be fun-NY
Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh
I’ll be off and on my way
Getting’ ready for Liza Doolittle Day
On the 20th of each May
It’s the day for Liza Doolittle Day
Stop calling, stop calling
Or else they’ll bring you to the wall
(etc)
1
Why is no one talking about the elephants in the room?
The drivers supply most of the capital to Uber. We are in
the capital extraction economy (from the drivers). Supplying rides at below cost is not sustainable.
Not only has uber lowered the percentage compensation outright and thru app manipulations but in my market have lowered the cost to the Rider twice in the last 4 years and shifted costs to drivers.
Replacing drivers with driverless cars is a red herring. Instead of extracting capital from drivers Uber will have to supply their own capital (driverless cars.)
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"Other newly freed inmates head straight inside to devour a sandwich, grab cigarettes and change into street clothes in the store’s bathroom. "
Somehow, I found it so surprising and even a bit inhumane (given this is AFTER they've paid their debt for their crime) that there's no place in the gate for them to change their clothes, but even at that point, they have to change in a bathroom. It almost feels like one last slap.
There must be a practical reason, other than saving a few tax bucks; at least, I hope so.
3
A company that loses billions annually is "valued" at potentially $91 billion? This is nothing more than pump and dump exacerbated by cheap money from the Fed when artificially low interest rates provoke speculative and irrational investments for any return. Less than a month the stock will return to more rational value and expect the lawsuits to fly. Lyft and Weight Watchers are already facing class actions.
On another note: 2 years ago I found myself sitting 3 tables away from one of my coworkers at a rooftop bar in Savannah suffice it to say I had to be on my best behavior.
Another of my coworkers encountered our former division director at a bar in Tampa. Talk about a small world...
7
As usual, the drivers always lose out whenever there's real money to be made. But on the other hand, there are just too many vehicles on the streets these days -- That's the real problem that needs to fixed....after our subways.
11
Our first time visiting NYC with our daughter, just checking out schools and sightseeing. We were walking along Central Park West when we spotted a friend of our daughters, 1200 miles from home. So it turns out that the "Big City" can actually be a homey place.
5
All power the Uber drivers!
3
Yet the city has its thumb on the scale for Uber. Why are city cabs with medallions also paying congestion pricing?
And at LGA you now have to take a bus to get to the taxi stand, but they built a big complex for Uber and Lyft pickups. It’s shocking.
17
I once met someone I knew from Mallorca and hadn't seen for years on the 5th Avenue bus.
I also met someone I knew from London on 8th Street.
None of us were living in NY at the time.
9
So how does a company that breaks the law, underpays and mistreats its workers while losing $3 billion a year have a value of $90 billion? Hello, is anybody home? Think, investors, think!
Apparently the investors believe that autonomous vehicles will enable Uber and Lyft to be profitable. However I would argue that self driving vehicles will all but eliminate barriers to entry for new competitors. When autonomous cars become ubiquitous, any intellectual property that Uber and Lyft are currently developing will be worthless.
9
Many do not realize that Uber fares are artificially low - subsidized by venture capital.
Uber is losing money.
But a low fare approach would help Uber take over the “market” and destroy its competitors.
8
As it turns out, spouse and I were strolling near the Met yesterday around 2PM. Lots of hubbub, dead-stopped traffic too; and so, curious, we crossed over to 82nd and Fifth where one or two people had already climbed a street light, and on the sidewalk scores more were getting to three deep. Some had brought chairs.
All had their eyes trained on the giant awning covering the Met's long steps. The Gala!
I don't know what time celebrities were set to arrive, nor of course what was to happen at the party, but the atmosphere outside was festive. From the look of it, tourists and New Yorkers were gathering there to enjoy the outrageously campy outfits worn by famous names who, in turn, wanted their costumes to catch people's attention.
(Later, I looked through the 75 photographs provided by The New York Times. The chandelier costume was wild. Would've been fun to see that one sweep up the stairs.)
A happy, symbiotic time was had by all, with proceeds going to the Met. Fun.
7
@B. - that somehow reminds me of when men or women are dressed stunningly and eye-catchingly for an event they're going to, but then when people can't help but look at their special outfits on the street on their way there, their reaction is along the lines of "What are you looking at?" (Likewise, with men or women with something eye-catching or provocative on their T shirts wondering why people are trying to read their torsos.)
There was the day in the lobby when a great actress was dressed stunningly, totally breathtaking, on the way to the Tonys. It almost looked like a drop-dead gorgeous Oscar red carpet dress, I was thinking. She (at least outwardly) seemed surprised that her dress and she were getting approving great wishes from so many neighbors who saw her every day at the mailboxes or walking the dog, almost like she didn't realize just how great her choices were (or maybe her family had helped). And then she won and there she was, looking stunning on the front page of the Times the next morning!
4
Yes, I was reminded of the days (admittedly before my time, but the old footage is great) of 1930s stars of the Silver Screen sweeping into their movie premiers while well-dressed fans waited for their favorites to appear, and applauded.
2