Uber ads on Prop 1 for May 7

[AustinN4]

Ironic!

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-22/tipping-is-coming-to-uber-and-it-s-going-to-be-awkward

In part:

"As part of the settlement with drivers in California and Massachusetts, Uber has agreed to notify customers more clearly that tips are not included in fares and give tacit approval for optional gratuity. Drivers can now solicit cash tips by asking passengers or posting signs in their vehicles.

"Shannon Liss-Riordan, a lawyer representing the drivers, said riders should start seeing gratuities as a major part of an Uber driver's income. In other words, more like a cabbie. “I believe that, with this information, many riders will begin tipping their drivers, which will increase drivers’ pay substantially,” she said in a statement to the court."

 

[Younggun]

The cabbies should have fought this same fight when they had the chance instead of accepting it as a way to muscle out any competition. Kinda like saying "can't work here, you ain't union". I don't feel sorry for them.


I'm all for Uber/Lyft on this one. Don't feel safe with them, call a cab. Don't want to ride is a smelly, dirty ass cab, call Uber.






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[TheDan]

For me it is much simpler than that. I believe taxi and Uber/Lyft drivers should all be subject to the same rules.

The "rules" have created a cartel. In order to be a taxi driver in Austin you have to be sponsored by one of the major taxi companies here. If they don't think there needs to be any more taxi drivers, then they don't sponsor anyone. Creating higher demand by restricting supply, creating an artificial barrier to entry, and preventing competition.

You've mentioned several times that you don't trust corporations and this is a good example of why you're right. These taxi companies have used their cronies in government to create a cartel that prevents the market from working naturally.

 

[stdreb27]

Mike, we usually agree on most things, but this isn't one of them. That's OK, we don't need to agree.

After going thru this process, were I to vote I would vote against. If Uber/Lyft were going to do the same level of background checks as the city then I would be for it, but they aren't. That kills it for me.

But I doubt I'll even bother because it just isn't that important to me.

Why? Do you think the checker at the grocery store had a background check to get the job? The salesman at the car dealer? The plumber, the delivery guy from Pappa Johns?

This isn't a public safety issue...

 

[AustinN4]

More Uber/Lyft propaganda:

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/new...rnallink_referralbox_free-to-premium-referral

 

[Mreed911]

Yeah, the city hates being embarrassed. Of real interest is that only 6% of permitted drivers applied to Uber. Guess those cables arent as unhappy as they'd have you believe.

 

[300blk]

Here is the 2014 ordinance
http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=220985

Here is the 2015 ordinance (with the problems) City is tacking on a 1% or per driver fee. ridesharing relies on very part time drivers to dynamically increase supply. I think they believe that fingerprints will dramatically decrease the ability to get a ton of sometime drivers who will drive only when rates are high enough during peak times. Less drivers means much higher rates for customers. I will add there is not a safety problem with uber. millions of rides have shown that.
http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=245769

Taxi driver complaints - there are 3 cab companies. You must work for one of them. Cab companies pay the city $400 for a drivers permit and then resell to the drivers for 15,000.

http://austintaxidriver.org/campaigns/mobile_permits/

1. City of Austin taxicab drivers work excessive hours and average small hourly earnings.
2. Taxi drivers who own a vehicle pay approximately $300 a week to a franchise to have a permit, vehicle liability insurance, and dispatch service whether they use it or not. Drivers pay $15,600 a year for use of the permit that franchises obtain for only $400. Over a seven year life of the vehicle, drivers pay the franchise $109,200.
3. Taxicab franchises have little incentive to compete for the services of drivers because the franchise has control of the permit. Consequently, drivers have no insurance coverage, franchises may cancel a driver’s contract for any whim, and terminal fees continually rise.
4. The city of Austin has lost control of this public utility and lost income by transferring the value of the permit to the franchises at a bargain price.
5. The city has lost sales tax revenue that it would recover if drivers had $15,000 a year more money in their pockets to spend locally.

 

[mroper]

Why? Do you think the checker at the grocery store had a background check to get the job? The salesman at the car dealer? The plumber, the delivery guy from Pappa Johns?

This isn't a public safety issue...

I disagree I think it is. Yes most Plumbing companies do background checks on their employees. Car Salesman in Houston do have to get finger printed and background checked. The grocery store store checker does not come into your home or do you get into his car,
I am not for the Taxi companies in any way.

 

[stdreb27]

I disagree I think it is. Yes most Plumbing companies do background checks on their employees. Car Salesman in Houston do have to get finger printed and background checked. The grocery store store checker does not come into your home or do you get into his car,
I am not for the Taxi companies in any way.

So let me ask you this, you think that's regulatory? Or self governance?

 

[Mreed911]

I disagree I think it is. Yes most Plumbing companies do background checks on their employees. Car Salesman in Houston do have to get finger printed and background checked. The grocery store store checker does not come into your home or do you get into his car,
I am not for the Taxi companies in any way.

When's the last time you chose a plumber specifically because you knew he had a background check?

And when's the last time you've asked someone who had a background check if they've committed any crimes since the check was run and now?

I thought so.

 

[lsadfjlakjdfwalk]

As much as you may not like Uber's stand on guns or whatever other issue, I am pretty darn sure neither taxi companies nor Austin City Council does any better.

Rather than big corps making rules, this is more like big corps using their own money trying to getting rid of bureaucracy. Austin City Council has a terrible record at getting anything done right. And how much did they get paid by taxi companies over years? It disgusts me that Austin City Council paints itself as the victim in this fight, and use whatever public resources they can get their hands on to spread the propaganda against ride sharing companies.

I don't use ride share/taxi often. But I do hate the taxi companies screwing me over (begging taxi companies for airport drop off/pick up for $100 and they still couldn't show up on time or at all)

Do you really want Austin City Council to collect fees/issue permits for craigslist/angie's list/airbnb and any other innovation that creates competition with the council's long time donors?

 

[lsadfjlakjdfwalk]

Yeah, this bothers me a lot too. I don't like cabs, and from what I can tell the cab rules are pretty stupid and arbitrary, but if the cabs have to follow them then Uber/Lyft shouldn't get to ignore them just because... well, I'm not sure why they get to ignore them.

What I'd like to see is what I alluded to earlier - just have all the cabbies sign up to be Uber drivers and let the cab industry die on the vine. If the cab drivers can't cut it without the monopolistic protections of the cab structure, tough. That's how the free market is supposed to work.

But yeah, they do have a legitimate gripe that the playing field is not level.

Why is the rule created solely for the benefit of taxi monopoly needed for ride sharing companies?

Following your path the City can expand its definition of riding sharing networks to include anyone that gets "compensated" for giving a ride. Then the city can issue you a citation for giving a ride to your cowoker or whatever without a permit, requiring you to pay for a background check, submitting your fingerprints and annual renewal fees.

Oh btw how good is the city at safeguarding your information? You really have a lot of confidence in the city council....

You know what, why not require background check and fingerprinting for pizza delivery guys because there is a safety concern. Oh the cooks too. They could poison the food......

 

[Mreed911]

Rather than big corps making rules, this is more like big corps using their own money trying to getting rid of bureaucracy.

No, this is the more than 65,000 voters that signed the petition telling their elected representatives not to eff up a good thing that's working well, keeping Austinites safer and saving them money while providing better service.

That's getting lost in all this - in the end, Uber doesn't get a vote. Only Austinites. The same ones who petitioned their government for change.

 

[lsadfjlakjdfwalk]

No, this is the more than 65,000 voters that signed the petition telling their elected representatives not to eff up a good thing that's working well, keeping Austinites safer and saving them money while providing better service.

That's getting lost in all this - in the end, Uber doesn't get a vote. Only Austinites. The same ones who petitioned their government for change.

That really explains how Trump is winning and crooks get to stay in the office. Misinformed people voting against their own interests.
[Sarcasm]That worked so well for taxi companies that we all love. They must have saved money for Austinites like you (I don't even know what's going on any more) and no elected representatives took money from them [/Sarcasm]

First time ever to hear that taxi companies save money and provide good service. Are you lobbying for big taxis?

 

[Mreed911]

That really explains how Trump is winning and crooks get to stay in the office. Misinformed people voting against their own interests.
[Sarcasm]That worked so well for taxi companies that we all love. They must have saved money for Austinites like you (I don't even know what's going on any more) and no elected representatives took money from them [/Sarcasm]

First time ever to hear that taxi companies save money and provide good service. Are you lobbying for big taxis?

You've got me backwards. I'm for Prop 1 and I'm one of the 65,103 that petitioned for the repeal of this councils rules. Not sure where you got that I'm pro-taxi out of this thread.

 

[Younggun]

That really explains how Trump is winning and crooks get to stay in the office. Misinformed people voting against their own interests.
[Sarcasm]That worked so well for taxi companies that we all love. They must have saved money for Austinites like you (I don't even know what's going on any more) and no elected representatives took money from them [/Sarcasm]

First time ever to hear that taxi companies save money and provide good service. Are you lobbying for big taxis?

I think maybe you should settle down and read things a little bit more carefully.

 

[pharmaco]

I honestly hope that Uber & Lyft DO pull out of Austin.
The backlash against Kitchen will be freakin' great.

All of the lemming statists who will suddenly realize how hard it is to get a cab at 1:55am will be up in arms.

 

[AustinN4]

The people have spoken.

http://techcrunch.com/2016/05/07/uber-and-lyft-shutdown-in-austin-after-voters-defeat-proposition-1/

"The defeat is a serious setback for Uber and Lyft, who spent a combined $8 million dollars on advertisement encouraging voters to support the proposition. Comparatively, a political action committee that is anti-Prop 1 spent under $100,000 on advertisements opposing the proposition."

 

[AustinN4]

Interesting article, which points out the bad on both sides of the issue:

http://jalopnik.com/nobody-wins-in-austins-garbage-uber-and-lyft-election-1775277375

 

[Younggun]

Not real surprised, seemed to somewhat confusing as to which way to vote to support über/lyft.


Course, I don't live there so didn't see any vehicles saying which way to vote.


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