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Pittsburgh Welcomed Uber’s Driverless Car Experiment. Not Anymore

40 points by Vannatter 9y ago

Isamu 9y ago
As a local, I think this is pretty overstated. And I'm not an Uber fan, but I think the mayor is mostly upset that Uber is not giving the city $25 million for an infra project. I think that was far-fetched from the start. Promising jobs in a depressed area and not delivering seems more reasonable to complain about. Although again everyone should have been skeptical about this: it should have been obvious that only highly-skilled, high-tech jobs would be generated for the foreseeable future. Otherwise it's not like Uber is making a nuisance of themselves here.
- atonse 9y ago
  Then Uber shouldn't have promised it. I see this as Uber got everything they wanted and gave nothing in return that they promised. They even broke promises (charging for autonomous rides)
  - tdeck 9y ago
    I see your problem, you haven't properly internalized the double standard in our national discourse. Only individuals are expected to act ethically, take pride in their work, and keep their promises. Naturally, businesses and management can't be expected to have any scruples at all, and if someone is stupid enough to believe their promises it's entirely the believer's fault for being a fool. Honestly it's been this way for decades, time to get with the program!
- jackelope20 9y ago
  Thanks for this comment. I was wondering if it is Pittsburgh broadly that has problems with Uber, or just a handful of residents and Pittsburgh officials that don't like Uber and are willing to give the newspaper the quotes it needs to the manufacture controversy that will generate clicks and ad revenues. It sounds like the company said it would help, but that this government official is angry that they didn't help by just writing a $25 million dollar check, which quite frankly sounds like a big enough ask that you get that in writing if you're expecting a financial commitment that big. Did Mr. Peduto communicate the magnitude of his expectations or did he think any company would just agree to whatever he asks after the fact. There is a lot of room for interpretation in "indicating it would support Pittsburgh’s application for a federal grant to redo local transportation". To me, that sounds like the company offered to help them with planning by lending professional expertise and not simply cash. Furthermore, the NY Times doesn't even try to hide its bias in its attempt to manufacture controversy. One litmus test to use is if a journalist presents the complete story when mentioning the travel ban and subsequent #DeleteUber campaign, or if they selectively omit details that exonerate the company of wrongdoing.
BoiledCabbage 9y ago
The things you hold up as ideals says a lot about the culture of your environment and its values. It is extremely disappointing that Uber is a crown jewel of Silicon Valley. It unfortunately speaks volumes.

40 points by Vannatter 9y ago

As a local, I think this is pretty overstated. And I'm not an Uber fan, but I think the mayor is mostly upset that Uber is not giving the city $25 million for an infra project. I think that was far-fetched from the start. Promising jobs in a depressed area and not delivering seems more reasonable to complain about. Although again everyone should have been skeptical about this: it should have been obvious that only highly-skilled, high-tech jobs would be generated for the foreseeable future. Otherwise it's not like Uber is making a nuisance of themselves here.

atonse 9y ago
Then Uber shouldn't have promised it. I see this as Uber got everything they wanted and gave nothing in return that they promised. They even broke promises (charging for autonomous rides)
- tdeck 9y ago
  I see your problem, you haven't properly internalized the double standard in our national discourse. Only individuals are expected to act ethically, take pride in their work, and keep their promises. Naturally, businesses and management can't be expected to have any scruples at all, and if someone is stupid enough to believe their promises it's entirely the believer's fault for being a fool. Honestly it's been this way for decades, time to get with the program!
jackelope20 9y ago
Thanks for this comment. I was wondering if it is Pittsburgh broadly that has problems with Uber, or just a handful of residents and Pittsburgh officials that don't like Uber and are willing to give the newspaper the quotes it needs to the manufacture controversy that will generate clicks and ad revenues. It sounds like the company said it would help, but that this government official is angry that they didn't help by just writing a $25 million dollar check, which quite frankly sounds like a big enough ask that you get that in writing if you're expecting a financial commitment that big. Did Mr. Peduto communicate the magnitude of his expectations or did he think any company would just agree to whatever he asks after the fact. There is a lot of room for interpretation in "indicating it would support Pittsburgh’s application for a federal grant to redo local transportation". To me, that sounds like the company offered to help them with planning by lending professional expertise and not simply cash. Furthermore, the NY Times doesn't even try to hide its bias in its attempt to manufacture controversy. One litmus test to use is if a journalist presents the complete story when mentioning the travel ban and subsequent #DeleteUber campaign, or if they selectively omit details that exonerate the company of wrongdoing.

BoiledCabbage 9y ago

The things you hold up as ideals says a lot about the culture of your environment and its values. It is extremely disappointing that Uber is a crown jewel of Silicon Valley. It unfortunately speaks volumes.