3 ms·

My cousin is an Uber driver and comes from a more troubled past you could say. He drives a more basic type of car and tells me how it isn't so great to drive fo

My cousin is an Uber driver and comes from a more troubled past you could say. He drives a more basic type of car and tells me how it isn't so great to drive for Uber anymore and how he wants to quit but is having a hard time finding something better. I had similar drivers tell me the same in the more basic type of car rides I had. When I took the more luxury experiences, the drivers seemed much happier and satisfied with Uber, even saying things like "I love my job." which I never got from the base-model car drivers. So this would lead me to guess the lower model drivers are being marginalized in order to get passengers an easier ramp (cheaper) into the Uber lifestyle. It is addicting once you start doing it, not having to park or worry about your car is pretty awesome, freeing actually as you can abstract transportation like a commodity. The company I consult for bought into Uber pretty deeply and gives some employees accounts to use whenever they need to for perks so Uber has deeply rooted into Business as well as something you should just do. But I do think the reason for this popularity has a lot to do with taking advantage of drivers' economic situation at the base-level on a thin razor line of it being just enough to be worth it to them. That's business I guess and I'm sure the line will bump up and down in response to the quality of the base-line drivers' service to keep profits strong.

pm90 10y ago
This is a good point. Once Uber/Lyft are deployed in most cities/stop expanding, it will be interesting to see what they do to maintain their revenue. Right now, they can borrow like crazy since they are "expanding" (and keep prices fairly low); but once that stabilizes, it will be interesting to see if it can remain profitable without increasing prices. If Im being honest though: your cousin needs to plan to actively get out right now. Driving uber may be OK now, but they've made it pretty clear that they will rely on autonomous vehicles and are doing everything they can to get there first.
- sebringj 10y ago
  Yes, I've told him the same and he already realized before I told him. He happens to be an aspiring programmer in his early 20s but never seems to have the time to actually learn programming, chasing his tail to keep rent going and helping his partially employed mother. I imagine other Uber driver's having similar or other reasons of being locked into a cycle of just getting by. I was luckier as I had plenty of time to read and do homework working at a very unbusy gas station in my youth. Driving Uber takes up too much of your attention and time, definitely making you sleepier and unhealthier, sitting all day and eating fast food on the road in an often stressful environment.

pm90 10y ago

This is a good point. Once Uber/Lyft are deployed in most cities/stop expanding, it will be interesting to see what they do to maintain their revenue. Right now, they can borrow like crazy since they are "expanding" (and keep prices fairly low); but once that stabilizes, it will be interesting to see if it can remain profitable without increasing prices. If Im being honest though: your cousin needs to plan to actively get out right now. Driving uber may be OK now, but they've made it pretty clear that they will rely on autonomous vehicles and are doing everything they can to get there first.

sebringj 10y ago
Yes, I've told him the same and he already realized before I told him. He happens to be an aspiring programmer in his early 20s but never seems to have the time to actually learn programming, chasing his tail to keep rent going and helping his partially employed mother. I imagine other Uber driver's having similar or other reasons of being locked into a cycle of just getting by. I was luckier as I had plenty of time to read and do homework working at a very unbusy gas station in my youth. Driving Uber takes up too much of your attention and time, definitely making you sleepier and unhealthier, sitting all day and eating fast food on the road in an often stressful environment.