4 ms·
As a field tech, and someone who visits a bunch of construction sites (mostly data centers). I seriously feel that the author needs to get out of their tech/fi
by lithos 9y ago
As a field tech, and someone who visits a bunch of construction sites (mostly data centers). I seriously feel that the author needs to get out of their tech/fincial social bubbles.
Personally I carry around a few hundred pounds of tools. This is enough that it would take me me an hour or two every day to load and unload (since this would happen at least twice, maybe 8 times).
Likewise I also get a stipend to increase both my car insurance and renters insurance to cover my tools (electrical test equipment). It would not be acceptable to forgo this coverage, nor is it a frequent enough problem for a startup to even consider (since a lot of there real advantage is ignoring edge cases in my opinion).
Even construction workers here carry tons of tools in their vehicles, just in case (and they can be on the same site for a year). Since shared tools are kind of bad.
Likewise I couldn't imagine the anger a client would have if I showed up 2 hours later than before to an emergency, because I needed to wait for the mercy of a ride hailing company to even arrive. That then went through a likely jammed highway because some automated program wanted eyes on the traffic status.
The middle class also has immense pride in their cars. It is similar to how some programmers brag about 20 or 90 hour weeks, their strange gut improving diets, or their vacations to somewhere far.
- zapperdapper 9y agoYou are the exception rather than the rule though. Most people don't lug around heavy kit. I don't think anyone is saying there won't be special cases. For most of us EVs or ride hailing would make a lot more sense. Personally myself and my partner have moved from two cars to one car, which is about three years old, and we share it quite happily. Our next car will be an EV and for us we'd have to be nuts to buy a petrol car next. However, I don't think my brother, who is a builder, will be getting rid of his pickup any time soon! By the way the move for us to one car (I got rid of mine) and then to an EV (in the future) is primarily a financial one - we are saving a ton of money by not running a second car, and an EV is a lot cheaper to run than a petrol car. At the end of the day it's about what works for you personally I guess. If ride hailing coverage improves in our area (we are not in a city) then over time we would most likely be quite happy to give up owning a car altogether.
- upofadown 9y ago>Personally I carry around a few hundred pounds of tools. This is relevant here exactly as much as the observation that a sailor needs a ship to do their job...
- throwawaymanbot 9y agoI hope you get as dewey eyed about healthcare.