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> The chilling effect is essentially invisible until we can see a better way. Eg uber vs taxis I don't think it's clear that Uber is a better way than taxis. C

> The chilling effect is essentially invisible until we can see a better way. Eg uber vs taxis I don't think it's clear that Uber is a better way than taxis. Cheaper for an individual ride? Yes. Better for the drivers? Maybe, but maybe not. Better for society as a whole? I lean toward no, even if the only factors we consider are congestion and pollution. Zoning laws need to be addressed, and we need to do something about housing prices in major metropolitan areas. But at the same time, we don't need to allow the construction of meat packing plants in the middle of residential neighborhoods, and we don't want to promote construction of what will end up being slums in the name of affordable housing. There is, like always, a balance to strike.

deckard1 7y ago
> Better for society as a whole? I lean toward no I used to think this way. But I realized something. Uber/Lyft eliminate an entire class of scams that taxi drivers have gotten away with for decades. No longer can unscrupulous drivers take tourists on a joy ride "shortcut" or just outright overcharge them. Fares are agreed upon ahead of time. They also tend to be safer. You don't have to worry about writing down the taxi cab number you're in, or the driver's name. Uber/Lyft track everything for you. This is not to say that traditional taxis couldn't be this way. But the fact is, they weren't getting there if Uber didn't light a fire under their ass.
- CaptainZapp 7y ago
  Uber/Lyft eliminate an entire class of scams that taxi drivers have gotten away with for decades. And in the process introduced whole new categories of scams. As a for example: look up vomit scam. But there are a lot more.