Mayor and TLC's deal to "reduce" driver lockouts is a win for Uber. We predict Lyft will lose NYC market share and an Uber monopoly will form. It's time for drivers to think like investors.
I’m done with this industry. I started with Uber in 2014 and it’s been nothing but disappointment after disappointment. I’m not going to go into details but this is one of the few industries where you actually become better at your job, gain experience, and are rewarded with lower pay, lower prestige, and the indignity of being told you’re not welcome to drive because there is some feud over a nuance about a rule that’s totally out of your control. Uber is in the unenviable position of mostly only trying to satisfy their shareholders. That’s it. They want to take as much money as they can from riders and give as little to drivers. It’s a good formula for them. Drivers are nothing more than a commodity for rideshare companies. We are easily and summarily deactivated, suspended (by TLC), locked out, and now waitlisted. Here’s the best part: WE (the drivers) PAY both rideshare companies and TLC with our money for these “privileges.” I ran into a busboy today at a seaside restaurant and asked him how much he was paid. $16/hour plus tips. That hourly rate is not too far off from what we make and we have to bring an automobile into the equation by either leasing or purchase. It’s insane. And if you want to make over $100k it’s possible but be prepared to not have a life.
With Uber now possibly monopolizing this NYC market all bets are off. That’s an FTC situation and the Federal government should now be looking at the relationship between City Hall and Uber. There’s something weird going on there, no different that the weirdness between Revel and City Hall.
Despite all this, it’s still a race to the bottom. Those who don’t have the financial and/or logistical means of having an electrical vehicle will be crowded out in a game of musical chairs until 2030. Then your fossil-fueled car will no longer be needed, no matter how new. Self-driving cars will come to NYC., so your driver driven electric vehicle will no longer be welcomed. I used to think NYC would never succumb to autonomous vehicles but the way that Uber seems to control City Hall (not the other way around) has now led me to believe autonomous vehicles will absolutely take over.
And drivers? Well, drivers are like trying to corral 100,000 cats. Good luck with that. You can’t get them organize, form a strong union, nor invest 500 bucks into Uber. These are the same people that will tap your rear bumper in traffic, cut you off on the road, and have road rage with you. This is not a brotherhood.
This was a decent industry for a while but I’m going to go into a profession whereby a robot, AI, or a remote person in another country can not do my job.
Absolutely agree Uber is in control no doubt, Uber robo taxis will take over in the very near future, 100k drivers with no union no rights Uber can turn off the app when they want No pathway for long term drivers to get plates paying 2k rent for old Camry, or get forced into a EV with no good infrastructure and no full insurance coverage, like you said it's the only job where everyday it's just gets worse absolutely ridiculous failure of the TLC
Very true, It has been complicated for the TLC and the City to keep a balance on consumer needs, driver pay and regulatory oversight. By the time these get to a closer balancing the industry will get twisted just like it had happened in the past if the right decisions are not made (yellow almost killed by fhv, FHV killed by AVs).
Uber is definitely running things here, the deal doesn’t really secure anything but Lyft locking out drivers for longer periods of time in order to reach a number they could’ve reached if they would’ve hired accordingly to their demand, it would’ve never been a problem to begin with and it would’ve bought enough time plan for future supply controls rules, etc. Rules need to be amended and I assume they will be but that doesn’t mean that they will be beneficial to Lyft for example, at least not if they are trying to protect drivers income, at the end of the day Uber states they can keep their drivers busy and being the fact UR is measured on a calendar year we have to give them the benefit of the doubt, Lyft clearly cannot, that’s mismanagement on their side in some part since the rule was there and they knew they needed to follow, or What? They purposedly mismanaged so Uber can start lockouts and they can follow suit and then ask for fairness from TLC rules? I think in part if their death in NYC was to come due to UR, we would understand how it happened, but if rules are amended to anything that explicitly protects drivers income are they going to survive unless they get rid of at least half of their drivers? Point is, this “handshake deal” is just buying time and trying to stop protests and stuff like that.
Yes, think you're reading the politics right re. your comment "this “handshake deal” is just buying time and trying to stop protests and stuff like that.". A key complaint we have with UR is it unintentionally creates a monopoly player, it's classic "regulatory capture". Uber understands this. It is genuinely difficult for Lyft to achieve 50% UR in the way TLC wants it to, with its market share vs. Uber (the UR is the real reason Juno left NYC, many people forget).
I’m done with this industry. I started with Uber in 2014 and it’s been nothing but disappointment after disappointment. I’m not going to go into details but this is one of the few industries where you actually become better at your job, gain experience, and are rewarded with lower pay, lower prestige, and the indignity of being told you’re not welcome to drive because there is some feud over a nuance about a rule that’s totally out of your control. Uber is in the unenviable position of mostly only trying to satisfy their shareholders. That’s it. They want to take as much money as they can from riders and give as little to drivers. It’s a good formula for them. Drivers are nothing more than a commodity for rideshare companies. We are easily and summarily deactivated, suspended (by TLC), locked out, and now waitlisted. Here’s the best part: WE (the drivers) PAY both rideshare companies and TLC with our money for these “privileges.” I ran into a busboy today at a seaside restaurant and asked him how much he was paid. $16/hour plus tips. That hourly rate is not too far off from what we make and we have to bring an automobile into the equation by either leasing or purchase. It’s insane. And if you want to make over $100k it’s possible but be prepared to not have a life.
With Uber now possibly monopolizing this NYC market all bets are off. That’s an FTC situation and the Federal government should now be looking at the relationship between City Hall and Uber. There’s something weird going on there, no different that the weirdness between Revel and City Hall.
Despite all this, it’s still a race to the bottom. Those who don’t have the financial and/or logistical means of having an electrical vehicle will be crowded out in a game of musical chairs until 2030. Then your fossil-fueled car will no longer be needed, no matter how new. Self-driving cars will come to NYC., so your driver driven electric vehicle will no longer be welcomed. I used to think NYC would never succumb to autonomous vehicles but the way that Uber seems to control City Hall (not the other way around) has now led me to believe autonomous vehicles will absolutely take over.
And drivers? Well, drivers are like trying to corral 100,000 cats. Good luck with that. You can’t get them organize, form a strong union, nor invest 500 bucks into Uber. These are the same people that will tap your rear bumper in traffic, cut you off on the road, and have road rage with you. This is not a brotherhood.
This was a decent industry for a while but I’m going to go into a profession whereby a robot, AI, or a remote person in another country can not do my job.
Good luck!
Absolutely agree Uber is in control no doubt, Uber robo taxis will take over in the very near future, 100k drivers with no union no rights Uber can turn off the app when they want No pathway for long term drivers to get plates paying 2k rent for old Camry, or get forced into a EV with no good infrastructure and no full insurance coverage, like you said it's the only job where everyday it's just gets worse absolutely ridiculous failure of the TLC
Very true, It has been complicated for the TLC and the City to keep a balance on consumer needs, driver pay and regulatory oversight. By the time these get to a closer balancing the industry will get twisted just like it had happened in the past if the right decisions are not made (yellow almost killed by fhv, FHV killed by AVs).
Uber is definitely running things here, the deal doesn’t really secure anything but Lyft locking out drivers for longer periods of time in order to reach a number they could’ve reached if they would’ve hired accordingly to their demand, it would’ve never been a problem to begin with and it would’ve bought enough time plan for future supply controls rules, etc. Rules need to be amended and I assume they will be but that doesn’t mean that they will be beneficial to Lyft for example, at least not if they are trying to protect drivers income, at the end of the day Uber states they can keep their drivers busy and being the fact UR is measured on a calendar year we have to give them the benefit of the doubt, Lyft clearly cannot, that’s mismanagement on their side in some part since the rule was there and they knew they needed to follow, or What? They purposedly mismanaged so Uber can start lockouts and they can follow suit and then ask for fairness from TLC rules? I think in part if their death in NYC was to come due to UR, we would understand how it happened, but if rules are amended to anything that explicitly protects drivers income are they going to survive unless they get rid of at least half of their drivers? Point is, this “handshake deal” is just buying time and trying to stop protests and stuff like that.
Yes, think you're reading the politics right re. your comment "this “handshake deal” is just buying time and trying to stop protests and stuff like that.". A key complaint we have with UR is it unintentionally creates a monopoly player, it's classic "regulatory capture". Uber understands this. It is genuinely difficult for Lyft to achieve 50% UR in the way TLC wants it to, with its market share vs. Uber (the UR is the real reason Juno left NYC, many people forget).