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I have zero evidence of this, but having witnessed Uber and Lyft spending over $8 million dollars trying to pass pro-ridesharing legislation here in Austin (whi
by enraged_camel 11y ago
I have zero evidence of this, but having witnessed Uber and Lyft spending over $8 million dollars trying to pass pro-ridesharing legislation here in Austin (which failed, thankfully), I can't help but wonder if these types of "Transit is Failing" stories might be their astroturfers/PR agencies at work.
Think about it: as a ridesharing company, the more you convince people that public transit is in bad shape and getting worse everyday, the more they will clamor for your ridesharing service.
- dkopi 11y agoThe real winner with anti-ridesharing legislation isn't public transport. It's car ownership. Uber doesn't let you avoid taking the bus/train. It lets you rely on public transport 95% of the time, and use ride sharing the rest of the time. Fighting uber/lyft means forcing people to own a car, and if they already own a car - they aren't going to be riding the bus.
- enraged_camel 11y agoAs I mentioned in my other comment, I'm not against Uber, Lyft or ridesharing in general. I'm against letting them self-regulate with regards to running background checks on their drivers. They have zero incentive to do so, because it makes hiring drivers more expensive and (more importantly) brings them closer to employee status, which would sink both companies.
- mistermann 11y ago> which failed, thankfully Why are you opposed to Uber & Lyft?
- cantankerous 11y agoOP implied he was opposed to the ride-sharing legislation and related initiatives. Not Uber and Lyft.
- enraged_camel 11y agoI'm not opposed to Uber and Lyft. I'm opposed to letting them regulate themselves.