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> Similar to construction workers; if they lose their job they cannot work as anything else. But this isn't true right? It's not that Uber is eliminating taxi

> Similar to construction workers; if they lose their job they cannot work as anything else. But this isn't true right? It's not that Uber is eliminating taxi jobs, it's that they are competing with the status quo. Surely, if current drivers would lose their jobs, they'd be more than welcome to hop on-board the Uber train (or I guess I should say "Uber car"). Is there a reason that you think that these drivers wouldn't be able to become Uber drivers? I only have a cursory understanding of the whole taxi situation since I hardly ever use a taxi (although I happened to have called one to take me to the airport tomorrow morning).

citricsquid 12y ago
Uber make grandiose claims about the amount their drivers can earn, these claims have been demonstrated to be false, Uber drives down the cost of using Uber which in turn drives down the amount that drivers earn[1]. Driving for Uber is uneconomical for some drivers in some areas, if the trend continues more and more drivers for Uber are going to find it uneconomical. If the concern the taxi drivers have is that they are going to lose their career, Uber is certainly not a viable alternative, because while it may provide a job right now who knows what it will provide in a years time. [1] http://uk.businessinsider.com/uber-drivers-say-theyre-making-less-than-minimum-wage-2014-10?r=US http://uk.businessinsider.com/uber-drivers-say-theyre-making...
- kartikkumar 12y ago
  That's interesting, and at the same time perplexing. This seems to be a market that is opening up, with multiple options for drivers. If it's truly the case that a significant number of Uber drivers are struggling to make ends meet when working full-time, sure this should lead to an exodus? This is suggested right at the end of the article: > There's no way you will stay with Uber if you want to make ends meet. So either Uber will fix things, or drivers will leave." I don't know what contractual obligations are forced onto drivers so maybe they're tied up for a certain period of time. The following quote from the article though suggests that it shouldn't be the case: > Uber is not obligated to pay its drivers minimum wage; the drivers aren't employees, they're independent contractors. Neither do I know if there is a "non-compete" clause of some sort that prevents them from working for Lyft, Sidecar, or even reverting back to traditional taxi services. The article suggests that at present this is not the case: > "Right now, the TLC is open, so you can work with multiple bases," Diallo tells us. " All in all, I find the business case for Uber intriguing because I don't fully understand the fuss. Admittedly, this is likely to my lack of understanding of the powerplay behind all of this, but I struggle to understand how drivers have gone from the "no-Uber world" to the "I-rely-on-Uber-and-can't-get-away-and-can't-make-ends-meet-world".
- jryle70 12y ago
  The question is, why is it unsustainable for Uber drivers? can someone else disrupt Uber down the road and give the drivers a better option, if it's indeed Uber who drives down the earning potential for individual drivers?
bane 12y ago
For that to work, any debts or obligations the driver owes on their medallion would have to "go away".
- kartikkumar 12y ago
  This is an interest proposition for Uber. I wonder if they have conceived of a strategy to lure drivers of traditional taxis away by essentially helping them wipe the slate clean, or transferring the debt to them, with low interest. I think that they'd make a lot of headway that way and come across more positive as a company supporting and enabling a new, vibrant workforce.

citricsquid 12y ago

Uber make grandiose claims about the amount their drivers can earn, these claims have been demonstrated to be false, Uber drives down the cost of using Uber which in turn drives down the amount that drivers earn[1]. Driving for Uber is uneconomical for some drivers in some areas, if the trend continues more and more drivers for Uber are going to find it uneconomical. If the concern the taxi drivers have is that they are going to lose their career, Uber is certainly not a viable alternative, because while it may provide a job right now who knows what it will provide in a years time. [1] http://uk.businessinsider.com/uber-drivers-say-theyre-making-less-than-minimum-wage-2014-10?r=US http://uk.businessinsider.com/uber-drivers-say-theyre-making...

kartikkumar 12y ago
That's interesting, and at the same time perplexing. This seems to be a market that is opening up, with multiple options for drivers. If it's truly the case that a significant number of Uber drivers are struggling to make ends meet when working full-time, sure this should lead to an exodus? This is suggested right at the end of the article: > There's no way you will stay with Uber if you want to make ends meet. So either Uber will fix things, or drivers will leave." I don't know what contractual obligations are forced onto drivers so maybe they're tied up for a certain period of time. The following quote from the article though suggests that it shouldn't be the case: > Uber is not obligated to pay its drivers minimum wage; the drivers aren't employees, they're independent contractors. Neither do I know if there is a "non-compete" clause of some sort that prevents them from working for Lyft, Sidecar, or even reverting back to traditional taxi services. The article suggests that at present this is not the case: > "Right now, the TLC is open, so you can work with multiple bases," Diallo tells us. " All in all, I find the business case for Uber intriguing because I don't fully understand the fuss. Admittedly, this is likely to my lack of understanding of the powerplay behind all of this, but I struggle to understand how drivers have gone from the "no-Uber world" to the "I-rely-on-Uber-and-can't-get-away-and-can't-make-ends-meet-world".
jryle70 12y ago
The question is, why is it unsustainable for Uber drivers? can someone else disrupt Uber down the road and give the drivers a better option, if it's indeed Uber who drives down the earning potential for individual drivers?

bane 12y ago

For that to work, any debts or obligations the driver owes on their medallion would have to "go away".

kartikkumar 12y ago
This is an interest proposition for Uber. I wonder if they have conceived of a strategy to lure drivers of traditional taxis away by essentially helping them wipe the slate clean, or transferring the debt to them, with low interest. I think that they'd make a lot of headway that way and come across more positive as a company supporting and enabling a new, vibrant workforce.