5 ms·
if all these drivers are getting horribly exploited why are they doing it?
by anthonypasq 5mo ago
if all these drivers are getting horribly exploited why are they doing it?
- tech_ken 5mo agoThere's no better option on the table? Desperate people have low labor elasticity, kind of definitionally.
- AirMax98 5mo agoIt's a bit like a payday loan — the drivers need money _today_ and effectively borrow against the depreciation of their vehicle.
- twoodfin 5mo agohttps://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/jle/vol59/iss1/8/ https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/jle/vol59/iss1/8/ Banning payday loans tends to shift borrowers to worse forms of credit. One imagines worsening the economics of ride share jobs will do the same.
- scottyah 5mo agoNot sure why you're being downvoted, this is what I've heard as well. It gets a person cash while they are in transitionary periods of time. There are not a lot of jobs you can get paid for almost immediately- most require startup time, training, applications, etc.
- s1artibartfast 5mo agothat sounds like a benefit, not abuse.
- chalupa-supreme 5mo agoAll because you’re being exploited doesn’t mean you can’t voice your want to change things. Some of these workers might find that the only gig that they can rely on is ride share for various reasons.
- twoodfin 5mo agoVarious reasons necessarily include the successful business model of the ride share companies.
- onedognight 5mo agoI’d guess because most don’t correctly account for wear and tear and depreciation of their car when they do their mental profit calculation.
- anthonypasq 5mo agoright, so the real answer is that all these poor immigrants are too stupid to realize they are losing money. lovely class solidarity there.
- emceestork 5mo agoIt's definitely not because of this. They are not stupid.
- techteach00 5mo agoFood and shelter?
- shimman 5mo ago[flagged]
- anthonypasq 5mo agoi dont think selling labor for money is inherently exploitative. its a two sided voluntary exchange.
- shimman 5mo agoSpoken like someone who is financially well off and lives in an extreme bubble. Not totally surprising knowing the site we are on, but quite disgusting how anti-human and anti-worker most commentators are here. Makes sense that the public hates tech workers. I suggest you talk to some of these workers next time, you don't have to be scared you won't catch the "poor."
- anthonypasq 5mo agoso do you think all trade is inherently exploitative or do you think two parties can come to a mutually beneficial agreement?
- devindotcom 5mo agowhat a revealing question. why don't you ask one next time you're in a car?
- deleted 5mo ago[deleted]
- anthonypasq 5mo agoI have, they mostly say they enjoy it, they can work when they want, scale up when they need more money, scale down when they dont, decent money etc. flexible, supplemental income.
- harmmonica 5mo agoI'm asking this earnestly, do you ever follow up and ask if the added money/income offsets the additional wear and tear on their vehicles? Like do most of those folks you talk to understand the potential trade off? I would think the average rideshare driver understands that generally ("of course the added mileage decreases the value of the car!"), but I wonder how many folks take the time to quantify it, even roughly. Seems like a logical follow-up question when you're interviewing/making small talk with them.
- anthonypasq 5mo agono i respect people's intelligence enough to assume they wouldn't be working all day for $0
- richwater 5mo agowhite savior complex is rampant in these threads. Insisting they know better for someone else.
- tech_ken 5mo ago> Insisting they know better for someone else Well it's the drivers themselves who voted to join the union, so presumably there's something they want to see changed. No need to speak for people who've already found their voice. Not sure why you want to bring race into this, people from all backgrounds have the right to free association and deserve labor representation.
- darth_avocado 5mo agoWhy are children mining rare minerals in Africa? Why are workers handling toxic waste in the name of recycling in Bangladesh? Surely they can all work from home and leave their jobs if it’s that exploitative
- philipallstar 5mo agoYes they can if those options are available. "Exploitative" doesn't mean "this is the best option for a free choosing individual".
- pipo234 5mo agoYou might ask the same about any exploitive relation. Why is there prostitution? Why are slaves doing work for their masters? Why are children going through our garbage in some distant country, if they hardly earn enough to eat?
- anthonypasq 5mo agoi dont think the choice between driving Uber and working at Walmart is the same as being a slave or dying.
- pipo234 5mo agoTrue, they are not the same. But they probably feel similarly coerced into accepting an unfair deal. So yeah, the comparisons are hyperboles, but I totally feel why they're upset and hope collective bargaining helps better their situation.
- philipallstar 5mo agoIt's not unfair if it's entered voluntarily. Prostitution and slavery are not entered (or retained) voluntarily.
- pipo234 5mo agoI suppose this comes down to semantics. It's more grey than black and white. For instance, Russia doesn't send conscripts to fight in Ukraine. But it's hard to argue that soldiers fighting and dying in the front lines made a fair choice, while they weren't forced to sign a contract. Similarly, there are Uber and Lyft drivers that don't have the economic freedom or level of education to work anywhere else.
- philipallstar 5mo ago> Similarly, there are Uber and Lyft drivers that don't have the economic freedom or level of education to work anywhere else. I doubt this is true. There are much, much worse jobs. This is just their best option, and it's easier to band together and demand more and more even if it kills the host.
- chimpanzee 5mo agoTo pay for tomorrow perhaps.
- nickvec 5mo agoBecause the alternative is being homeless.
- ishouldstayaway 5mo agoSurely this is a dark joke. People need to eat, dude.
- hackable_sand 5mo agoSorry... What? What makes it okay to exploit them?
- mrtksn 5mo agoIt’s the information disparity resulting in reduced bargaining power. The unions are supposed to solve that actually. I wonder if Americans would have more positive opinions on this if unions were called platforms, and were for profit companies that you can trade the shares. When they sign up enough people they can enough information and use financial instruments to force fair market value and eat into other companies margins and share that with their subscribers.
- macartain 5mo agothis is genius... and call shop stewards 'agents'... and call the act of unionising an org "agentifying a node flock"...