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Also, gentrification and the rights of workers in a sharing economy are still hot-button political issues in the Bay-area. Who's going to picket Amazon Flex in

by herge 11y ago

Also, gentrification and the rights of workers in a sharing economy are still hot-button political issues in the Bay-area. Who's going to picket Amazon Flex in Indianapolis?

jlgaddis 11y ago
I don't know about the Bay Area, but there's a huge Amazon distribution facility just outside of Indianapolis so I'm guessing there are similar facilities in/near each of the cities they're launching in.
- tlrobinson 11y ago
  Considering the variety of items I can get delivered same day there must be a large distribution facility nearby. But maybe not near enough to support this (most same day deliveries come around 8pm for me)
thoman23 11y ago
Can we please stop calling it the "sharing" economy? There is no sharing going on.
- jegutman 11y ago
  We're all part of the sharing economy. You share your labor with your employer. /s
  - TeMPOraL 11y ago
    And your employer (sometimes) shares with you (some of) the spoils. :).
umanwizard 11y ago
I don't think that's the reason - Amazon is incredibly unpopular in Seattle and anything they do there is certain to generate massive amounts of vitriol, so they wouldn't lose anything on that front by going to SF instead.
- LandoCalrissian 11y ago
  Why are they so unpopular there?
  - umanwizard 11y ago
    Several reasons, but I think the main one is filling Seattle with lots of people (programmers) that don't really culturally fit in with the rest of the population. There's also a lot of resentment about rent prices etc., but unlike the Bay Area there is one company (Amazon) for all the anger to be directed at, because Microsoft is far away in the suburbs and everyone else participating in the tech boom is tiny by comparison.
    - cesarbs 11y ago
      What would be a cultural fit for Seattle? Seems like such a diverse place.
      - umanwizard 11y ago
        Well, I'm not defending it. I agree it doesn't make sense. I'm just trying to explain. Edit: also, seattle's not that diverse. Most of the centrally located neighborhoods are filled with just three cultural groups: yuppies/programmers, students, and hipsters/artists. You have to get as far away at least as Walligford before you even find something as exotic as families.
      - caskance 11y ago
        It's what racists say to pretend they're not racist.
        cdcarter 11y ago
        Well, in this case, one of the big concerns is new Amazon hires pushing families of color out of the central neighborhoods they've historically resided in. The CD is a very traditionally PoC neighborhood (there was recently a GREAT docu about Yesler Terrace housing projects), but it's also very conveniently located for a lot of new tech workers. Rents are skyrocketing.

by herge 11y ago

Also, gentrification and the rights of workers in a sharing economy are still hot-button political issues in the Bay-area. Who's going to picket Amazon Flex in Indianapolis?

jlgaddis 11y ago

I don't know about the Bay Area, but there's a huge Amazon distribution facility just outside of Indianapolis so I'm guessing there are similar facilities in/near each of the cities they're launching in.

tlrobinson 11y ago
Considering the variety of items I can get delivered same day there must be a large distribution facility nearby. But maybe not near enough to support this (most same day deliveries come around 8pm for me)

thoman23 11y ago

Can we please stop calling it the "sharing" economy? There is no sharing going on.

jegutman 11y ago
We're all part of the sharing economy. You share your labor with your employer. /s
- TeMPOraL 11y ago
  And your employer (sometimes) shares with you (some of) the spoils. :).

umanwizard 11y ago

I don't think that's the reason - Amazon is incredibly unpopular in Seattle and anything they do there is certain to generate massive amounts of vitriol, so they wouldn't lose anything on that front by going to SF instead.

LandoCalrissian 11y ago
Why are they so unpopular there?
- umanwizard 11y ago
  Several reasons, but I think the main one is filling Seattle with lots of people (programmers) that don't really culturally fit in with the rest of the population. There's also a lot of resentment about rent prices etc., but unlike the Bay Area there is one company (Amazon) for all the anger to be directed at, because Microsoft is far away in the suburbs and everyone else participating in the tech boom is tiny by comparison.
  - cesarbs 11y ago
    What would be a cultural fit for Seattle? Seems like such a diverse place.
    - umanwizard 11y ago
      Well, I'm not defending it. I agree it doesn't make sense. I'm just trying to explain. Edit: also, seattle's not that diverse. Most of the centrally located neighborhoods are filled with just three cultural groups: yuppies/programmers, students, and hipsters/artists. You have to get as far away at least as Walligford before you even find something as exotic as families.
    - caskance 11y ago
      It's what racists say to pretend they're not racist.
      - cdcarter 11y ago
        Well, in this case, one of the big concerns is new Amazon hires pushing families of color out of the central neighborhoods they've historically resided in. The CD is a very traditionally PoC neighborhood (there was recently a GREAT docu about Yesler Terrace housing projects), but it's also very conveniently located for a lot of new tech workers. Rents are skyrocketing.