OT Uber and drunk driving

[Ivan Vegvary]

Portland Oregon. Daughter's housemate sitting on front porch, 8am. Me, "no work today?" Her, "waiting for my Uber ride. Company party after work yesterday and didn't want to drive thereafter. Left car at work. Wow! How responsible and convenient. Uber cars show up in a few minutes, no cash or credit card required, no tipping. Several people can pile in. She claims all her acquaintances are doing the same. I expect drunk driving reate to be down, although local politicians would never ascribe it to Uber or Lyft. I'm impressed by today's youth and the entrepreneurialship of these services. Ivan Vegvary

[Moe DeLoughan]

Responsible persons who occasionally have a little too much to drink have been doing this for decades, using cabs or calling friends. The truly hardcore drunk drivers still drive, because the issue underlying their boozing is their anti-social attitude. They just don't care if they put other people at risk. It's all about their right to do whatever they please, including driving drunk, driving on a suspended or revoked license, and driving without insurance.

[notbob]

Kinda makes one wonder who is setting stds for uber drivers. If cabbies, who pay big $$$$ for medallions, get caught doing something wrong, they risk losing those costly medallions. What do uber drivers lose if caught DUI?

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[Malcom Mal Reynolds]

lot's of money, time and a source of income

[notbob]

....until they re-apply w/ false documents.

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[Moe DeLoughan]

Nobody, apparently. A number of them have been arrested for assaulting or robbing customers. They've hired convicted rapists as drivers. They've had disgruntled drivers force customers out of their car and then drive off and abandon them. Since Uber says the drivers are not their employees, but are independent contractors, they seem to do more talking than screening.

Well, if they're carrying insurance, the insurance company won't like it. If Uber finds out, they'll be fired. Uber drivers earn starvation wages, so it's not a job one can support oneself on. And Uber scammed a great many of them into participating in a vehicular purchase program through Uber where they ended up buying vehicles they couldn't afford on bad terms, under the assumption that it would increase their Uber earning power. But they aren't earning enough to afford the upgraded vehicles Uber wanted them driving.

Uber's business plan boils down to making other people do the work, assume the liability, spend the money on required work tools (car, fuel, insurance, smart phone), then funnel the vast majority of the income earned to Uber.

[notbob]

You mean it wasn't for the benefit of those poor over-charged denizens needing transport in large metropolitan areas?? GASP!! I'm shocked.

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[Malcom Mal Reynolds]

just like all others caught for DUI