– Uber is a company trying to maximize profit. They don’t give a damn about riders or drivers. If they cared they wouldn’t leave Austin.
– Uber is heavily investing in self-driven cars technology. They really don’t want to deal with drivers, but right now don’t have another option.
– Their model is to arrive to a city with transportation problems and operate illegally. Yep, the same reason I cannot go around selling my home brew beer, people should not go and give unregulated rides. Yes it is not drugs-selling-illegal but it is not legal none the less.
– The city then has to react to the situation once Uber is already operating (as opposed to be able to plan accordingly) and tries to set a fair play field for these companies and the existing transportation systems.
– Specifically the city of Austin came with a plan that was neither perfect, but wasn’t either unattainable for Uber and Lyft to simply skip town.
– Uber and Lyft attempted to change the plan in their favor by spending 8 million dollars on an aggressive and heavily miss informative campaign that backfired.
– Exploitation doesn’t just mean a sweat shop full of 13 year olds in some 3rd world country. Exploitation happens when you don’t get proper compensation and benefits (health insurance, retirement plan, payed vacation, parental leave, …)
– Many people don’t have an option but to work for these companies. Yes they work for these companies voluntarily but that does not mean they don’t deserve a more fair work environment.
– I rarely used ride sharing neither I was an uber driver trying to make ends meet, so I’m aware that it is easier for me to go on without them. However this also gives me a more objective perspective, because I have no pains or gains in the matter.