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Suddenly the whole Uber prospect starts to sound like a dystopia I want no further part of and I'll take a cab or the bus! "Would you like a snack or beverag

Suddenly the whole Uber prospect starts to sound like a dystopia I want no further part of and I'll take a cab or the bus! "Would you like a snack or beverage?" "No thanks" "sure? We have Red Bull, Coke, choc bars, chewing gum" "Like I said, no thanks" "We have a special discount on Coke today" "still no" "OK. I see from your Uber account you're a software developer, that's great!" "We have a short presentation that's just perfect for you!" (Do they lock the doors, time-share style, until you've watched all of it?). "Hi Uber passenger, ABC Recruiting have a great job opportunity for you.... " (pitch continues) "...press button below to go straight to in-car interview!" Just no.

andrei_says_ 9y ago
Uber is already dystopia by the measure of its villainry. It blows my mind that women still use it in the presence of competition, and that it hasn’t been shut down for its blatant disregard for laws, privacy and human decency. And that drivers still drive for Uber.
tdeck 9y ago
Last time I took a cab in NYC there was non-stop video advertising that I couldn't turn off. At what point will we as a society start to realize it's a miserable existence being advertised at around every turn, and start to set limits? In many states, even public schools run ads in the hallways.
- SwellJoe 9y ago
  It's because ads are "free" money. They make money for/from things that people don't want to or can't pay for. I'm definitely not saying it's a good thing. I lost all patience for it years ago, but I get how it happens. It makes a sad sort of sense. Don't want to properly fund schools because it means you pay an extra point on your taxes? OK, let's sell the kids' attention to the highest bidder. Let's put some junk food vending machines in the halls while we're at it. (Or, more realistically in most states where school budgets are tied to local tax revenue: Rich districts get an ad-free and well-funded education experience, while poor districts have to pursue every possible avenue to raise funds.) I wish I knew how to turn it around. Nobody likes it, as far as I know. But, nobody seems to be doing much about it.

andrei_says_ 9y ago

Uber is already dystopia by the measure of its villainry. It blows my mind that women still use it in the presence of competition, and that it hasn’t been shut down for its blatant disregard for laws, privacy and human decency. And that drivers still drive for Uber.

tdeck 9y ago

Last time I took a cab in NYC there was non-stop video advertising that I couldn't turn off. At what point will we as a society start to realize it's a miserable existence being advertised at around every turn, and start to set limits? In many states, even public schools run ads in the hallways.

SwellJoe 9y ago
It's because ads are "free" money. They make money for/from things that people don't want to or can't pay for. I'm definitely not saying it's a good thing. I lost all patience for it years ago, but I get how it happens. It makes a sad sort of sense. Don't want to properly fund schools because it means you pay an extra point on your taxes? OK, let's sell the kids' attention to the highest bidder. Let's put some junk food vending machines in the halls while we're at it. (Or, more realistically in most states where school budgets are tied to local tax revenue: Rich districts get an ad-free and well-funded education experience, while poor districts have to pursue every possible avenue to raise funds.) I wish I knew how to turn it around. Nobody likes it, as far as I know. But, nobody seems to be doing much about it.