And who gets to decide what is shady means?
I claim the right to decide that Ashton Kutz of Uber meets the definition of a brain dead wannabe dick.
I have never used Uber. I have used Lyft, and had several good experiences. I love that
someone had the balls to tell yellow cab in Pittsburgh “F**K YOU”, and actually shows up
for people to get a ride when called. Unlike Yellow Cab, who has stranded and gouged many
people. To hell with the law. Subverting law to truly help people AND make a business model to
force the law to change for the better is something I support. Lyft is doing this in Pittsburgh.
But after all the incredibly stupid shit I have heard about Uber in the last few weeks, I have no
urge to ever use them. I don’t want to support yet another company that feels like they have the
implicit right to track my location for whatever purposes they want- especially for something like
this. To hell with Uber.
After the Republican votedown of the bill today, can someone explain to me what it would take
for humans in this country to just stop being such f**king assholes to each other? Sorry to sound
so down, but it just seems like nothing has improved since 2001, and everything to do with privacy
has all gone to hell, and no amount of screaming at fools seems to change anything.
2 Likes
At least in California, local governments set the rules, but what I’ve always heard is that it’s easy to qualify as a taxi driver if you’ve already got a driver’s license.
Taxi companies were probably under-regulated, but Uber, etc., will only make things worse – partly because, even if these companies fail, they will be cited as evidence that taxi companies should be deregulated.
1 Like
So your complaint is that they might try to craft regulations similar to what incumbent cab companies today have, even though they have shown no urge to do so and would probably fail?
I hope they don’t start building their own nuclear weapons program too, because that would be really bad.
2 Likes
It would surprise the hell out’a me if this f’ing moron could tie his own shoes, REALLY!
Dunno. Did you tell people about it?
Yeah, how would anybody know how hard it is for black people to hail cabs unless @jandrese speaks up about it?
1 Like
I drive cab in a college town of just over 200k. Cab drivers in my state are required to undergo finger-print background checks with the state police, 5 years clean DMV records, no DUI’s allowed (ever), and yearly renewal of a Public Passenger Vehicle permit. (All the checks all over again). Cab companies are required to jump through all permit hoops annually, inspections of every cab from the city, certified mechanics, and the airports (if they want to be allowed to operate their. Airports have a whole separate set of hoops we have to jump through).
Apparently 16000 people do.
It has more grey in this topic.
In a time when so much tech journalism is in the pockets of advertisers, I respect a fellow journalist who writes informed copy that annoys PR people.
I’m a tech journalist who occasionally writes harsh things about vendors and was mildly proud when IBM’s local head of PR sent an email to every IBMer in the country telling them not to speak to me and was actually delighted when I learned that one of Microsoft’s PR firms had the word “beware” in their file on me.
Yes, they have a file, that’s what professional PRs do, frankly if there isn’t some record of you as a journalist then you’re not prospering in your work. My file is mostly dull since my focus is s/w dev, corporate IT and careers, possibly includes my allergy to eggs (PRs buy lunch for journos) and other stuff like having worked at various IT vendors.
But… I also am a political activist and that is a different world and I keep them wholly separate. You could read all of my pieces and not be able even to guess which party and causes I support, if you can then I have failed professionally. You might spot that I think education is a good idea.
When you become partisan, you should expect a partisan response.
Not only can this be seen as some sort of “ethical” position, it is a practical one. IBM knows some rather entertaining things about me, but as a journalist I’m ready for them. If I knew a firm was likely to actively come after me, I’d take practical steps.
i don’t have a complaint, as i’ve said. calm down.
i’m simply observing some pretty indisputable things: the lack of barrier to entry now that Uber has called the regulators’ bluff, Uber’s willingness to use dirty tricks to stay ahead, and the crazy idea that people wouldn’t just sit by and compete fairly while $30B evaporates. if Uber wants to hold on to that (somewhat ridiculous) valuation, it seems to me that they would need to use regulatory capture. your nuclear weapons comment is just stupid since they don’t have any incentive to use those.
“noted dingdong” !?
Sure? I would think that any enterprise involving cars in urban environment would find a tool to make glass-paved parking lots to be a rather practical toy.
1 Like
No, what you see there is a representation of “Haha, geez, look what Ashton Kutcher thought/said/did. Whadda(handsome)doofus.”
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
