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Careful now. It's daytime in Europe, so the more Laisser faire (US-free-market-style) arguments have a higher change of getting down voted. This will correct a

Careful now. It's daytime in Europe, so the more Laisser faire (US-free-market-style) arguments have a higher change of getting down voted. This will correct a bit in about 6 hours when the East Coast wakes up. I'm not judging it, it's just the way us europeans are 'wired'. The taxi market is one ripe thats ripe for disruption. There's lots of demand and low, all-the-same companies offering a low quality/high cost service. It's also one thats build a lot of rules around it, some for the clients protection and a lot to prevent competition. Large established companies always prefer more rules because it absolutely kills new companies trying to enter a market.

jacquesm 12y ago
The taxi market is absolutely ripe for disruption. But GP did not provide any reasons why Uber should be the way to do it. Taxi companies are regulated for a variety of reasons, not just to keep out the competition and as far as I know nothing stops Uber drivers from getting the same certifications as regular taxis. If they do that and they are still blocked or if they are denied certification then you have a genuine case of unfair competition. Until then Uber is tilting the playing field in their direction by offering a product that competes unfairly with the regulated drivers. Maybe this is the only way in which such a regulation effort can be challenged but I'm not convinced of that. As for the 'careful now' and so on bits, anybody quoting Ayn Rand verbatim without adding much to the conversation is probably going to get downvoted, it's not as if she's an authority in the field of economics, and most of her writing displays a shockingly bad understanding of the field.
- digitalengineer 12y ago
  Thank you for the insights. A quick reply: >Taxi companies are regulated for a variety of reasons Correct. But mostly because they made a mess of their nr1 job: transporting people Today we have new and far better ways t regulate a driver's behavior. Payment in advance, navigation to check the route and a easy way to judge the driver afterwards. That takes care of most of the complaints.
  - jacquesm 12y ago
    But that still leaves the certification of the vehicle, and with the number of kms taxis drive that's not a luxury. Your regular TUV checkups are targeted at regular drivers, not professional drivers. Your insurance company also won't like it if you start ferrying people around on a 150K km/year plan when paying for the statistical chance of getting in an accident based on 40K km/year. In all these cases Uber drivers are using rules and regulations (and statistics) applicable to personal transportation and applying those towards a business.
    - digitalengineer 12y ago
      And here we get to the heart of the matter: Individual or group responsibility. Everyone is responsible for their own insurance. Every individual has to communicate an estimate of the miles/km they plan to drive in a year to receive a correct insurance. If you fail to do so, you will loose your insurance. No need to regulate this extra and above the systems already in place. As for yearly or 2-yearly checkups of the car, both are also tied to usage. Most people will drive in and around the city, not accross the country. (This is also why Rand has a place in this discussion promoting the über-individual. I also don't always agree with her conclusions but she did address a lot of concerns of her time, half a century ago).
      - jacquesm 12y ago
        At a guess, insurance companies and passengers alike are not in a position to verify all these issues when they sign up / catch a ride. So some laws were passed and Uber is now ignoring those laws. That private individuals can lie on their application forms and skip certain tests that are required is not a businessmodel.
        digitalengineer 12y ago
        I really don't think they'll be a Uber driver without the correct papers... And even if they did, they won't be for long.
aikah 12y ago
Since when disruption means disrespecting the law ? If your business is illegal it's going to get shut down,wether you are in Europe or USA. Or why dont you make an app that sales crack cocaine and sees what happens in USA ? After all,there is a demand for that,there should be an app for that /s . > Careful now. It's daytime in Europe, so the more Laisser faire (US-free-market-style) arguments have a higher change of getting down voted. And please,stop hating on Europeans, your bigotry is showing.
- digitalengineer 12y ago
  Iam European actually. I am not a bigot. I described a method of thinking. A perspective if you will. Most Europeans will try to see a debate from society's perspective and Americans from the individual's perceptive. Something that is persistent in a lot of discussions here between US and EU professionals.
  - aikah 12y ago
    grep my comment somewhere in this thread about order and chaos.
ulfw 12y ago
Yes because establishing a monopoly of one big US company rather than say 200 local taxi cos in a city is such a fantastic US-free-market-thing to do. Hard to fight against a multinational corporation with the marketing power of $1,500,000,000 in funding behind it against a 'Meier Taxi' or 'Müller Taxi' - some dudes with 5 taxi cabs trying to make a living in a harsh market environment.
RichardFord 12y ago
Yep, the socialist/statist European downvoting mafia is on the march on this story as usual

jacquesm 12y ago

The taxi market is absolutely ripe for disruption. But GP did not provide any reasons why Uber should be the way to do it. Taxi companies are regulated for a variety of reasons, not just to keep out the competition and as far as I know nothing stops Uber drivers from getting the same certifications as regular taxis. If they do that and they are still blocked or if they are denied certification then you have a genuine case of unfair competition. Until then Uber is tilting the playing field in their direction by offering a product that competes unfairly with the regulated drivers. Maybe this is the only way in which such a regulation effort can be challenged but I'm not convinced of that. As for the 'careful now' and so on bits, anybody quoting Ayn Rand verbatim without adding much to the conversation is probably going to get downvoted, it's not as if she's an authority in the field of economics, and most of her writing displays a shockingly bad understanding of the field.

digitalengineer 12y ago
Thank you for the insights. A quick reply: >Taxi companies are regulated for a variety of reasons Correct. But mostly because they made a mess of their nr1 job: transporting people Today we have new and far better ways t regulate a driver's behavior. Payment in advance, navigation to check the route and a easy way to judge the driver afterwards. That takes care of most of the complaints.
- jacquesm 12y ago
  But that still leaves the certification of the vehicle, and with the number of kms taxis drive that's not a luxury. Your regular TUV checkups are targeted at regular drivers, not professional drivers. Your insurance company also won't like it if you start ferrying people around on a 150K km/year plan when paying for the statistical chance of getting in an accident based on 40K km/year. In all these cases Uber drivers are using rules and regulations (and statistics) applicable to personal transportation and applying those towards a business.
  - digitalengineer 12y ago
    And here we get to the heart of the matter: Individual or group responsibility. Everyone is responsible for their own insurance. Every individual has to communicate an estimate of the miles/km they plan to drive in a year to receive a correct insurance. If you fail to do so, you will loose your insurance. No need to regulate this extra and above the systems already in place. As for yearly or 2-yearly checkups of the car, both are also tied to usage. Most people will drive in and around the city, not accross the country. (This is also why Rand has a place in this discussion promoting the über-individual. I also don't always agree with her conclusions but she did address a lot of concerns of her time, half a century ago).
    - jacquesm 12y ago
      At a guess, insurance companies and passengers alike are not in a position to verify all these issues when they sign up / catch a ride. So some laws were passed and Uber is now ignoring those laws. That private individuals can lie on their application forms and skip certain tests that are required is not a businessmodel.
      - digitalengineer 12y ago
        I really don't think they'll be a Uber driver without the correct papers... And even if they did, they won't be for long.

aikah 12y ago

Since when disruption means disrespecting the law ? If your business is illegal it's going to get shut down,wether you are in Europe or USA. Or why dont you make an app that sales crack cocaine and sees what happens in USA ? After all,there is a demand for that,there should be an app for that /s . > Careful now. It's daytime in Europe, so the more Laisser faire (US-free-market-style) arguments have a higher change of getting down voted. And please,stop hating on Europeans, your bigotry is showing.

digitalengineer 12y ago
Iam European actually. I am not a bigot. I described a method of thinking. A perspective if you will. Most Europeans will try to see a debate from society's perspective and Americans from the individual's perceptive. Something that is persistent in a lot of discussions here between US and EU professionals.
- aikah 12y ago
  grep my comment somewhere in this thread about order and chaos.

ulfw 12y ago

Yes because establishing a monopoly of one big US company rather than say 200 local taxi cos in a city is such a fantastic US-free-market-thing to do. Hard to fight against a multinational corporation with the marketing power of $1,500,000,000 in funding behind it against a 'Meier Taxi' or 'Müller Taxi' - some dudes with 5 taxi cabs trying to make a living in a harsh market environment.

RichardFord 12y ago

Yep, the socialist/statist European downvoting mafia is on the march on this story as usual