Posting in this thread has been a hugely eye-opening experience for me. Everyone's mantra on this forum always seems to be about how "Silver bullets won't save this town."
But whether it's Ballpark Village, the proposed new riverfront stadium, or UberX, everyone here really, really wants their silver bullet to "keep St. Louis on the map."
Mound City wrote:Posting in this thread has been a hugely eye-opening experience for me. Everyone's mantra on this forum always seems to be about how "Silver bullets won't save this town."
But whether it's Ballpark Village, the proposed new riverfront stadium, or UberX, everyone here really, really wants their silver bullet to "keep St. Louis on the map."
Highly amusing.
If you want to passively insult us, go right ahead.
MarkHaversham wrote: From everything I've read from other cities Uber is a terrible, exploitative company and I won't lose any sleep over not having them in St. Louis, regardless of whether our local taxicabs are somehow even worse.
I don't think that is the case.... uber attracts a different kind of driver; more temporary and looking for extra bucks in addition to their regular job(s) as opposed to cabbies who tend to be more full-time, but I bet the job satisfaction would be higher with uber:
The good news is that the vast majority of Uber drivers—78%—are satisfied working for the company. But the data also reveal that many drivers see the ride-sharing service as a stopgap measure until they find a better job. The survey results show 32% of drivers said the major reason for partnering with Uber was “to earn money while looking for a steady, full-time job.”
That makes sense considering nearly half of Uber’s drivers have a college degree or higher, well above the 18% of taxi drivers with similar credentials. Indeed, slightly more than half of Uber drivers became inactive one year after joining the service, suggesting they quit or found other work.
That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. One of Uber’s major selling points is that anyone can drive a car to earn a little extra money, and it has clearly succeeded in this regard. But the numbers demonstrate how Uber isn’t providing a career as much as an income supplement or temporary gig...
Again, I'm not a big fan of uber but I am of the service; I think it is much more likely that a Costco will emerge to compete with the Wal-martish Uber than the cab industry will ever treat its people right. And my last comment is, whichever service you use, tip well, please.
Mound City wrote:Posting in this thread has been a hugely eye-opening experience for me. Everyone's mantra on this forum always seems to be about how "Silver bullets won't save this town."
But whether it's Ballpark Village, the proposed new riverfront stadium, or UberX, everyone here really, really wants their silver bullet to "keep St. Louis on the map."
Highly amusing.
I don't think it'll solve anything besides me getting better taxi rides on Friday. maybe a little less drunk driving.
leeharveyawesome wrote:I had an Uber driver who was on hiatus from a NON-SPEAKING role on Brooklyn Nine Nine. If that's not helping the downtrodden I don't know what is. She couldn't even get her SAG card!
Also had a young Asian student who really really had to pee. I let him pee at my place. LA traffic can be hard on your bladder!
Bless you for your kindness. I'm serious. I've had Uber drivers who said they hadn't peed all morning and afternoon because they can't afford it.
You can never go wrong by going all in with the bleeding heart routine. You'll always be the guy who cares more, feels more and would potentially do more if they could do anything at all.
Well, let me tell ya something Mister. At least I let my Uber drivers take a leak when they're about to pee their pants. On my dime. In my own bathroom no less!
How about showing some compassion next time dude. I'm absolutely appalled.
Uber is hardly a "silver bullet"- it's a basic service that EVERY OTHER 1st, 2nd and 3rd tier metro has yet St. Louis doesn't. It really is embarrassing.
stlgasm wrote:And dismissing "technocrats" is rather ignorant- increasing the upwardly-mobile educated class will enhance the quality of life for all residents regardless of income level.
Trickle-down economics? Did I time travel back to 1980?
roger wyoming II wrote:And my last comment is, whichever service you use, tip well, please.
Why would you tip Uber drivers if they're Independent Contractors? That doesn't make any sense.
stlgasm wrote:Uber is hardly a "silver bullet"- it's a basic service that EVERY OTHER 1st, 2nd and 3rd tier metro has yet St. Louis doesn't. It really is embarrassing.
We already do have that basic service. It's called "taxis".
roger wyoming II wrote:And my last comment is, whichever service you use, tip well, please.
Why would you tip Uber drivers if they're Independent Contractors? That doesn't make any sense..
So you ask your cabbie if he is an independent contractor or not before you tip? I don't mean to be a jerk so I hope I'm not coming off that way, but I just am struggling with how this myth came about that cab companies are somehow better than a company like uber. They just aren't.
Some cabbies are independent contractors and some aren't; it depends on the specific facts of how the individual company structures its relationship with its drivers, but the companies try to claim they are independent and not employees.... the Mo Supreme Court ruled in May that Laclede drivers were in fact employees and not contractors, and owe unemployment taxes, etc. I'm not sure how the Court would rule on Uber drivers, but California recently ruled that its drivers are employees.
Also, do you not tip your pizza delivery driver? Because there is a good chance she is being treated as an independent contractor.
MarkHaversham- I have to believe you're being contrarian for comic relief. Comparing Uber to a traditional taxi service is like calling Airbnb a hotel. Different concepts and you know it.
As a small business in a transitional neighborhood (Cherokee), I can't even count the number of times visitors have complained about our glaring absence of ridesharing options a la Uber and Lyft (don't get me started on bikeshare). It is literally a fixture of daily life in every large city to the point that it's actually taken for granted, like the internet. In a city striving to stay competitive, to not offer this modern alternative to driving is another strike against us. Its absence makes it more difficult and time-consuming to do business, or to go out for a drink and discover what the city truly has to offer. I firmly believe that St. Louis' lousy reputation is largely because 75% of visitors never leave downtown. Why? Because it's a royal pain in the ass to wait for a cab, so people end up hanging out a f##king Caleco's downtown because it's convenient to their hotel. The defense of cabs is laughable-- when have St. Louis taxis ever been a reliable or quick way to get from A to B? It's not like they're cruising for fares and waiting to be hailed. I mean, I've done it a few times but it typically requires a lot of time and planning ahead. And visitors to St. Louis sure as hell don't have the Laclede Cab app downloaded on their smartphones.
Uber should be viewed as a tool that can help transform this city's image-- not because literally every other major city has it (that is painfully obvious), but because the neighborhoods and local businesses that make this city great would become much more accessible-- literally at your fingertips. Currently, so many of our greatest neighborhoods are not, and that's a loss for all of us. We know that St. Louis sells itself when people get out of downtown and discover the neighborhoods. Uber makes that so much easier for the casual visitor. Not to mention the utility, convenience, and flexibility for local residents.
Complacency and resistance to change is what has kept St. Louis stagnant while upstart cities have passed us by. I have much more to say, but I'll shut up now.
Have used Uber in Brooklyn, San Francisco and Miami. Even the least interesting ride was way better than a sleazy taxi.
If you have never used Uber, you will not get what the fuss is about (and you should not be allowed to comment on this thread)
I have no need for another job but the thought of driving for Uber appeals to me. It would be a great way to interact with and share the city with residents and visitors. More than a cab ride, its a human connection. And that is what cities are about.
Edward Domain of Techli is hot on Twitter today. He was in a Harris cab that got into a wreck and was severely injured. Turns out the cab didn't have insurance despite MTC rules. A Harris Cab employee was on STL Public Radio today discussing Uber/rideshare championing safety which set him off. Sounds like there will be some reporting on his story forthcoming.
roger wyoming II wrote:And my last comment is, whichever service you use, tip well, please.
Why would you tip Uber drivers if they're Independent Contractors? That doesn't make any sense..
So you ask your cabbie if he is an independent contractor or not before you tip? I don't mean to be a jerk so I hope I'm not coming off that way, but I just am struggling with how this myth came about that cab companies are somehow better than a company like uber. They just aren't.
Some cabbies are independent contractors and some aren't; it depends on the specific facts of how the individual company structures its relationship with its drivers, but the companies try to claim they are independent and not employees.... the Mo Supreme Court ruled in May that Laclede drivers were in fact employees and not contractors, and owe unemployment taxes, etc. I'm not sure how the Court would rule on Uber drivers, but California recently ruled that its drivers are employees.
Also, do you not tip your pizza delivery driver? Because there is a good chance she is being treated as an independent contractor.
You need to pick a story and stick with it. Is Uber better than taxis because it's just connecting clients to individual drivers, or is it simply a better taxicab company? If it's the former, it makes no sense to tip them because you don't tip individual business owners. If Uber drivers are independent-in-legalese-only, then Uber is just another taxi company with a better smartphone app, less safety precautions, and a public mandate to treat its employees like crap.
I understand the potential impact of improved technology for true ride-sharing, i.e. carpooling. Uber is not ride-sharing; it's Silicon Valley cab dispatchers dodging labor laws.
^ Mark, with all due respect, you are descending into douchebaggery, so to speak. And my story has been consistent.... both uber and taxicab companies are douchebags. But one provides a better service.
Now, would you be willing to answer the question of whether you ask pizza delivery drivers, taxi drivers and barbers if they are independent contractors or employees before you decide to tip? Do you dangle a $10 bill in front of them but if they answer "independent contractor" you say, "Oh, so sorry. I don't tip independent business owners" and put the bill back in your wallet like a douchebag, so to speak? I'm not that kind of person.... and I'm not sure how encouraging others to tip well set you off but your views on tipping seem pretty hard-hearted towards working people.
I know Ed Domain and what happened to him in that taxi-cab accident is tragic. The fact that the driver had no insurance and that the cab company did not step forward to cover his huge medical expenses should be criminal. Ed had to declare bankruptcy due to this event and if Uber is paying him to lobby for them then I am glad because he deserves another chance. Unfortunately I am pretty sure he is not being paid by Uber.
stlgasm wrote:And dismissing "technocrats" is rather ignorant- increasing the upwardly-mobile educated class will enhance the quality of life for all residents regardless of income level.
Do you realize how much you sound like Ronald Reagan right now?
Oh, you mean the DIY piece of poor white trash from downstate Illinois who liked baseball and cinema who got off the plantation and became President? That guy?
stlgasm wrote:And dismissing "technocrats" is rather ignorant- increasing the upwardly-mobile educated class will enhance the quality of life for all residents regardless of income level.
Do you realize how much you sound like Ronald Reagan right now?
Oh, you mean the DIY piece of poor white trash from downstate Illinois who liked baseball and cinema who got off the plantation and became President? That guy?
Only plantation Reagan would have been on is the one where he was the overseer.
So not liking Reaganomics makes me a somebody with a "victim" mentality? If only that applied to me. I'm the definition of the anti-victim, I'm just anti-slavery.
roger wyoming II wrote:^ Mark, with all due respect, you are descending into douchebaggery, so to speak. And my story has been consistent.... both uber and taxicab companies are douchebags. But one provides a better service.
Now, would you be willing to answer the question of whether you ask pizza delivery drivers, taxi drivers and barbers if they are independent contractors or employees before you decide to tip? Do you dangle a $10 bill in front of them but if they answer "independent contractor" you say, "Oh, so sorry. I don't tip independent business owners" and put the bill back in your wallet like a douchebag, so to speak? I'm not that kind of person.... and I'm not sure how encouraging others to tip well set you off but your views on tipping seem pretty hard-hearted towards working people.
To be honest, I never much thought about any of those jobs being "independent contractors". They shouldn't be (and apparently the courts agree). The reason I am upset by the notion of tipping Uber drivers is that the entire premise of their supposed business model is that the drivers are independent citizens utilizing Uber as a social networking tool of sorts. Tipping Uber drivers puts a lie to the whole concept of Uber being anything other than a new taxicab company.
I wouldn't stop tipping pizza delivery drivers, because if they are independent contractors it's strictly a legal dodge as far as I understand such things. I'm also, by the way, not a fan of that setup, and were I a judge I would look unfavorably on such an arrangement.
I don't know why I'm supposed to be excited about this stupid Uber service. In my experience, the drivers are usually off-the-clock cab drivers, anyway, so what the hell is the big difference.
^ Thanks for the reply. Think about the local barber shop.... where I go on Wyoming there is one guy who actually owns the place and two young women who are not employees but utilize the space (most likely paying a booth fee) and in that sense own their own businesses. Regardless of their status, I'll always tip them well unless they cut my ear off.
And back to cabbies, again a lot of them are independent contractors; I can all but guarantee that the Harris Cab company driver who maimed Ed Domain was considered one as he/she had no insurance and the company did not pay out to Ed. Fortunately, Laclede Taxi got called on the carpet by the Supreme Court but again these guys are vipers and the MTC is complicit. Pretty much I see Uber and taxi cab companies as acting like Wal-Marts but clearly a large part of the market prefers Uber regardless of whether you are excited about it or not. (And if cab drivers are picking up some extra cash -- which actually Laclede did not allow and was one of the reasons for the finding that their drivers were indeed employees and not independent contractors -- then obviously they needed more income than what the cab companies provide.)
Virvus Jones @Virvusj
I know white privilege when I see it, this ain't it. Taxicab Uber Outrage is ‘White Privilege’ « CBS St. Louis http://cbsloc.al/1HB5Bna
Antonio French @AntonioFrench
Lobbyist who tried to kill Civilian Oversight now claims to be on the side of black folks as he tries to kill @Uber. http://cbsloc.al/1HB5Bna
Steve Stenger @StengerSTLCo
I urge uberX to work with MTC to join our transport community. Drug testing, background & insurance checks are necessary for public safety.
