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> It would be very easy to regulate the hell out of Uber and turn the unicorn into a donkey. However, that wouldn't improve the conditions that those in the eco

> It would be very easy to regulate the hell out of Uber and turn the unicorn into a donkey. However, that wouldn't improve the conditions that those in the economic class of drivers are subject to It's a bit of a strawman to use the hyperbole; plenty of industries are regulated, not regulated "the hell out of", and very profitable too. Also, I disagree with the second statement; labor regulations have a long history of helping workers and still do. They enjoy a 40 hour workweek, overtime, safe working conditions, protection for collective bargaining and much more. It's the places where these things are absent, such as Uber and their non-employees, where people suffer more. Of course, anything can be taken too far, but unless workers have real power and leverage, they will be taken advantage of. It may sound like economics, but it's not coincidence that everything the right wing promote strengthens business and/or weakens labor. The economic rationalizations are post-hoc talking points.

strken 10y ago
I don't think it's hyperbole. If the reason Uber gets regulated is because it makes the rich feel uncomfortable sitting near poor people, rather than because drivers themselves demand change and back their demands up with industrial action or public outcry, then the created regulations will align with the needs of the rich and not the poor. In particular, you might see artificially strict selection criteria for drivers, preventing the poorest from even having the option of driving for Uber and raising the price of the service such that only the rich can afford it, or you might see the return of the awful medallion systems. Notably, the profiled drivers themselves weren't demanding changes: that was being done by a paid lobbyist from a group that doesn't seem to be affiliated with them. Equally notably, while Uber may be a little exploitative, it's nothing compared to 25 hours a week rostered at random times throughout the week for a hair short of the absolute minimum wage. Taking down Uber while leaving far worse alternatives intact removes an escape hatch for the most exploited workers of all.
- hackuser 10y ago
  > regulate the hell out of Uber and turn the unicorn into a donkey These are the words used to describe a hypothetical situation of your own creation. It seems hard to escape the term "hyperbole".
  - strken 10y ago
    Turning Uber into a glorified taxi company, compliant with all existing taxi legislation in every jurisdiction worldwide and employing full-time employees with fixed schedules, would either kill it or strip its value so severely as to make it a laughing stock. I have no doubt that heavy-handed regulation could bring such a change. Commenters here and on other submissions seem to complain that such regulation doesn't exist, in particular that Uber doesn't employ full time workers. Maybe I'm missing something. Help me understand what the hyperbolic part is.
    - hackuser 10y ago
      But you just made up that scenario, and its consequences. Also, each post seems to contain more hyperbolic phrases. I think they are obvious enough that I'm not getting into the business of listing them.

strken 10y ago

I don't think it's hyperbole. If the reason Uber gets regulated is because it makes the rich feel uncomfortable sitting near poor people, rather than because drivers themselves demand change and back their demands up with industrial action or public outcry, then the created regulations will align with the needs of the rich and not the poor. In particular, you might see artificially strict selection criteria for drivers, preventing the poorest from even having the option of driving for Uber and raising the price of the service such that only the rich can afford it, or you might see the return of the awful medallion systems. Notably, the profiled drivers themselves weren't demanding changes: that was being done by a paid lobbyist from a group that doesn't seem to be affiliated with them. Equally notably, while Uber may be a little exploitative, it's nothing compared to 25 hours a week rostered at random times throughout the week for a hair short of the absolute minimum wage. Taking down Uber while leaving far worse alternatives intact removes an escape hatch for the most exploited workers of all.

hackuser 10y ago
> regulate the hell out of Uber and turn the unicorn into a donkey These are the words used to describe a hypothetical situation of your own creation. It seems hard to escape the term "hyperbole".
- strken 10y ago
  Turning Uber into a glorified taxi company, compliant with all existing taxi legislation in every jurisdiction worldwide and employing full-time employees with fixed schedules, would either kill it or strip its value so severely as to make it a laughing stock. I have no doubt that heavy-handed regulation could bring such a change. Commenters here and on other submissions seem to complain that such regulation doesn't exist, in particular that Uber doesn't employ full time workers. Maybe I'm missing something. Help me understand what the hyperbolic part is.
  - hackuser 10y ago
    But you just made up that scenario, and its consequences. Also, each post seems to contain more hyperbolic phrases. I think they are obvious enough that I'm not getting into the business of listing them.