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> in the end casuals are pushed out and you get fulltime sellers, drivers and purpose rental properties driving the market. Have casuals been pushed out of U

> in the end casuals are pushed out and you get fulltime sellers, drivers and purpose rental properties driving the market. Have casuals been pushed out of Uber? Maybe my market is weird, but I tend to talk to every Uber driver I have and I take a lot of them: I'd say less than 50% are full-time drivers.

lordnacho 9y ago
Really? I don't recall meeting an Uber driver who didn't do it all the time. I think GP's point is valid. To start with, it's beneficial and fair that lots of little people can rent out their cars for some extra change. But when it ends up being a loophole to sidestepping existing rules to make essentially the same service with fewer rules, it's worth paying extra attention to. Not saying it needs to be outlawed, just that it's not obvious what to do.
- ForHackernews 9y ago
  It'd be very easy to have legislation that regulates small-timers (only owns one or two cars, rents it out less than 30% of the time, etc.) differently from professional operators, even if they advertise on the same platform. Some jurisdictions have started doing this for AirBnb.
  - Shivetya 9y ago
    we already have too much of this type of regulation which does just what you state, keeping small timers out to benefit the established interests. occupational licensing sounds beneficial to the public as a whole and at one time it was but once established businesses found they could use it to block competition its original focus was lost. It really clobbers low income workers and fattens pockets of companies which "train" for licenses and the like. Nearly a third of all jobs are regulated as such and many are prohibited to former convicts which is yet another road block. You can end up spending more money gaining your license to braid hair than serve as an EMT.
    - ForHackernews 9y ago
      I'm proposing the opposite: regulate big operators more heavily than small-time amateurs. If you want to rent out a spare room in your own house a few weekends a year, the government probably doesn't need to be very involved in that. On the other hand, if you're a company that owns 50 condos and lists them all on Airbnb, you should be carrying insurance, you should be subject to inspection for bedbugs, etc.
- wutbrodo 9y ago
  Sure, I'm not disagreeing with the point as you state it. I was just surprised by the claim that casuals are pushed out.
  - ams6110 9y ago
    Afer accounting for their costs, Uber drivers don't make much money. As a casual gig a lot of people with other sources of income have probably found it's not worth their time. If you have no other options, working 80 hours/week as an uber driver might make you enough to eeek out a living.
    - wutbrodo 9y ago
      I'm not speculating from first principles as to what might be happening, I'm saying what I've seen from a fairly large sample over the years. Though again, it's limited to my market (SF).
varjag 9y ago
My country has no Uber service, so I use it on foreign trips. Initially everyone seemed amateur, now it feels full of pro drivers. But of course could be market specifics, and I don't chat up with every driver too.
yardie 9y ago
Depends on time of day. I tend to meet causa Uber drivers late nights and weekends. Day tend to be full time drivers. Quite a few are recent immigrants. At various stages of job searching. Full time? Yes. Professional? Definite no.
- wutbrodo 9y ago
  Right, which would belie the notion that casuals are pushed out.
- bluntfang 9y ago
  It seems like you're make a subjective value judgement on what 'professional' is. If they are making money, they are a professional.
  - yardie 9y ago
    No, you are confusing occupation with profession. Most of the drivers I have ridden with would not consider being a driver their profession. Some were retired accountants, others were freshly arrived immigrants saving up for school. A UPS, longhaul or UberXL may consider driving this their profession. As for ridesharing very few were professionals.

lordnacho 9y ago

Really? I don't recall meeting an Uber driver who didn't do it all the time. I think GP's point is valid. To start with, it's beneficial and fair that lots of little people can rent out their cars for some extra change. But when it ends up being a loophole to sidestepping existing rules to make essentially the same service with fewer rules, it's worth paying extra attention to. Not saying it needs to be outlawed, just that it's not obvious what to do.

ForHackernews 9y ago
It'd be very easy to have legislation that regulates small-timers (only owns one or two cars, rents it out less than 30% of the time, etc.) differently from professional operators, even if they advertise on the same platform. Some jurisdictions have started doing this for AirBnb.
- Shivetya 9y ago
  we already have too much of this type of regulation which does just what you state, keeping small timers out to benefit the established interests. occupational licensing sounds beneficial to the public as a whole and at one time it was but once established businesses found they could use it to block competition its original focus was lost. It really clobbers low income workers and fattens pockets of companies which "train" for licenses and the like. Nearly a third of all jobs are regulated as such and many are prohibited to former convicts which is yet another road block. You can end up spending more money gaining your license to braid hair than serve as an EMT.
  - ForHackernews 9y ago
    I'm proposing the opposite: regulate big operators more heavily than small-time amateurs. If you want to rent out a spare room in your own house a few weekends a year, the government probably doesn't need to be very involved in that. On the other hand, if you're a company that owns 50 condos and lists them all on Airbnb, you should be carrying insurance, you should be subject to inspection for bedbugs, etc.
wutbrodo 9y ago
Sure, I'm not disagreeing with the point as you state it. I was just surprised by the claim that casuals are pushed out.
- ams6110 9y ago
  Afer accounting for their costs, Uber drivers don't make much money. As a casual gig a lot of people with other sources of income have probably found it's not worth their time. If you have no other options, working 80 hours/week as an uber driver might make you enough to eeek out a living.
  - wutbrodo 9y ago
    I'm not speculating from first principles as to what might be happening, I'm saying what I've seen from a fairly large sample over the years. Though again, it's limited to my market (SF).

varjag 9y ago

My country has no Uber service, so I use it on foreign trips. Initially everyone seemed amateur, now it feels full of pro drivers. But of course could be market specifics, and I don't chat up with every driver too.

yardie 9y ago

Depends on time of day. I tend to meet causa Uber drivers late nights and weekends. Day tend to be full time drivers. Quite a few are recent immigrants. At various stages of job searching. Full time? Yes. Professional? Definite no.

wutbrodo 9y ago
Right, which would belie the notion that casuals are pushed out.
bluntfang 9y ago
It seems like you're make a subjective value judgement on what 'professional' is. If they are making money, they are a professional.
- yardie 9y ago
  No, you are confusing occupation with profession. Most of the drivers I have ridden with would not consider being a driver their profession. Some were retired accountants, others were freshly arrived immigrants saving up for school. A UPS, longhaul or UberXL may consider driving this their profession. As for ridesharing very few were professionals.