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Exactly. There are always going to be low profit or unprofitable areas and it's unreasonable to expect an individual driver to subsidize those rides. That sho

Exactly. There are always going to be low profit or unprofitable areas and it's unreasonable to expect an individual driver to subsidize those rides. That should fall on the company that's profiting in aggregate (ex: Uber). Unfortunately I think I'm in the minority with my belief that companies like Uber have a social obligation to serve economically depressed areas. Everybody should be asking themselves where the line is when it comes to not being a profitable enough customer because, as wealth disparity increases, the odds of being on the wrong side of that line are going up for everyone in the bottom 50%. > If you want to add another variable - rider ratings - that’s fine. Judge people based on their individual behavior - shocking I know. Yes. Uber has all the info needed to obfuscate ride details to the point where they could reduce discriminatory biases and have drivers selecting rides based primarily on economics and rider reputation.

scarface74 5y ago
> Exactly. There are always going to be low profit or unprofitable areas and it's unreasonable to expect an individual driver to subsidize those rides. I’ve said it twice now. Give the drivers the information they need to know the cost of the trip - distance to pick up, distance to drop off, and the estimated time to get there. Let the algorithm decide how to appropriately charge based on supply and demand. I have no problem paying more to get from my house in the northern burbs to the airport in the south 60 miles and two hours away in traffic. I’m the epitome of the none price sensitive customer - I’m not paying for it. Either my company is paying for it or my company’s customer is paying for it. When I am price sensitive on personal trips, I get an Uber to the closest train station that is much closer and less traffic. > Unfortunately I think I'm in the minority with my belief that companies like Uber have a social obligation to serve economically depressed areas. I disagree. The only responsibility that Uber has is to make a profit and let drivers use their own free will to decide whether it’s worth it. Uber shouldn’t even be responsible for benefits. If we as a society decide that everyone has the right to healthcare (I do), add a per ride government fee and let the government pay for it. If you want affordable transportation, the government should either provide it themselves via mass transit or subsidize Uber rides for those who can’t afford it and if it’s more cost effective. That’s already happening in some places - via a “Universal Fund” tax added to each Uber ride. If it isn’t obvious, I’m a pro capitalist, bleeding heart liberal big government pig. I should (or at least my company should) pay for the societal benefits of the ride share drivers.

scarface74 5y ago

> Exactly. There are always going to be low profit or unprofitable areas and it's unreasonable to expect an individual driver to subsidize those rides. I’ve said it twice now. Give the drivers the information they need to know the cost of the trip - distance to pick up, distance to drop off, and the estimated time to get there. Let the algorithm decide how to appropriately charge based on supply and demand. I have no problem paying more to get from my house in the northern burbs to the airport in the south 60 miles and two hours away in traffic. I’m the epitome of the none price sensitive customer - I’m not paying for it. Either my company is paying for it or my company’s customer is paying for it. When I am price sensitive on personal trips, I get an Uber to the closest train station that is much closer and less traffic. > Unfortunately I think I'm in the minority with my belief that companies like Uber have a social obligation to serve economically depressed areas. I disagree. The only responsibility that Uber has is to make a profit and let drivers use their own free will to decide whether it’s worth it. Uber shouldn’t even be responsible for benefits. If we as a society decide that everyone has the right to healthcare (I do), add a per ride government fee and let the government pay for it. If you want affordable transportation, the government should either provide it themselves via mass transit or subsidize Uber rides for those who can’t afford it and if it’s more cost effective. That’s already happening in some places - via a “Universal Fund” tax added to each Uber ride. If it isn’t obvious, I’m a pro capitalist, bleeding heart liberal big government pig. I should (or at least my company should) pay for the societal benefits of the ride share drivers.