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Speaker: Confessions of an Uber Driver II: How we doing?

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  • BenWilson, in reply to Sacha,

    Yup, no references required. Hell, they even hired me!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to BenWilson,

    Not sure how they feel about that now :)

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • goforit, in reply to BenWilson,

    Ben I bet they are regretting hiring you now. lol

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • izogi, in reply to BenWilson,

    John Campbell also covered the tax situation tonight, having a short interview with Terry Baucher (a tax consultant).

    One short passage that caught my notice, though, was that according to Mr Baucher there apparently is an Uber New Zealand... which receives some kind of marketing payment from the web of overseas companies that shift money between tax regimes. I don't know what implications this might have for legal liability of encouraging lawbreaking. Possibly not much.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 1142 posts Report Reply

  • goforit, in reply to izogi,

    Hi all, has anyone else since the owner of the NZ Herald became a share holder of Uber the news reporting of negative happenings to Uber in NZ is some what restricted.
    NZ Stuff reports in a more balanced manner.

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie, in reply to goforit,

    ...NZ Herald became a share holder of Uber...

    Hmmm. That might explain this blatant Uber promo in today's Herald.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    …NZ Herald became a share holder of Uber…

    Do you have documentation of this or is it something a cabbie told you??

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • goforit,

    Its documented, look up Murdoch/Uber on goggle, he became a share holder about 6 months ago.

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Doesn't really explain why the Herald has run many articles pointing out bitterness on Uber, tax dodginess etc. Sure they run some infomercials but that doesn't make them partisan.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    I don't know what the media fascination with Uber is all about really. I think some of it is because media people are heavy Uber users. News is about themselves again? There's probably a sense of a kindred industry wherein the battle to survive against people who are almost doing it for free is poignant for them.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Here we are undercutting the hell out of them. And it's much higher quality in many cases. Because citizen journalists aren't constrained to making a buck, they can pick their stories and go as hard as they like. How can anyone compete that? Everyone is looking for the new economy that actually works, and perhaps they found it in Uber.

    Certainly Uber does a good job on the propaganda that they have changed the business model. But in fact it's not a new service, basically a taxi, and what is new is simply the efficient delivery and effective labour exploitation. They don't really ride share at all. And carpooling is not a new idea anyway. The fact is that no one (including Uber) has really got it to work is mostly an inherent limitation of the idea of carpooling, present since the time of wagons. It's fundamentally nowhere near as customer friendly as a taxi, because passengers are now subject to the whims of other passengers.

    So finding that the new economy actually doesn't exist in the case of Uber, any more than it does for journalism, is perhaps confirming in some way. I think it's a story that they want to tell anyway, however much everyone is still catching Ubers.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to BenWilson,

    from the rank file...

    mostly an inherent limitation of the idea of carpooling,

    for diverse transport solutions - before Uber there was Cuba...
    http://locallysourcedcuba.com/cuba-taxi

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • goforit,

    all paid transport is ride share, can be taxi, private hire, bus, train etc. Car pooling is another concept, basicly a do gooder giving some a lift going in the same direction for a peyment towards running costs, definaly not for profit

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • goforit, in reply to goforit,

    in other words ride sharing is sharing a ride with the driver

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to goforit,

    Murdoch doesn't own the Herald

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • goforit,

    he is a major share holder of I think its APL and they own the Herald

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • goforit, in reply to goforit,

    APN that should have read

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • goforit, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    sums it up nicely

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    He's the man!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to goforit,

    Its documented, look up Murdoch/Uber on goggle, he became a share holder about 6 months ago.

    Recode reported that he owns a small stake, perhaps 0.5%, through an investment vehicle.

    He owns 15% of APN, which he bought into last year. But APN is floating NZME, the local vehicle that includes the Herald and The Radio Network – it really wants ou of NZ.. It’s possible that Murdoch could step in and pick up more of NZME as APN shareholders let go their NZME shares, but far from certain.

    Anyway, I think the possibility that Murdoch has been directly influencing Herald coverage of Uber is beyond remote. NZME has other things to worry about, like the prospect of merging with Fairfax NZ.

    It’s a different story at the Huffington Post, whose editor in chief Ariana Huffington is now on Uber’s board – there have been claims that she killed a HuffPo story that was critical of Uber.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Russell Brown,

    It’s possible that Murdoch could step in and pick up more of NZME as APN shareholders let go their NZME shares

    ...if that upping the ante-elopement goes ahead in leaps and bounds (like a stalling taxi service?) they could rename their flagship The News Eland Herald - a beira of bad tidings as they don't always dot their 'i's and cross their 't's - a daily gazelle if you will...
    :- )

    (gets coat...)

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • linger, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Ariana Huffington is now on Uber’s board

    Exploiting workers for profit is her favourite business model, after all.

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to goforit,

    in other words ride sharing is sharing a ride with the driver

    That means the driver is going where you are going. Which is what carpooling is. By "sharing" is meant "sharing the cost of", not "being in the same vehicle as". To call a taxi ride-sharing makes as much sense as calling a cafe "room-sharing", because the cafe has more than just the owner in it. You don't share the cost of the rent with the cafe owner. You pay them for the service of using the room that they are bearing the cost of. "Room sharing" would be having someone back to your house for a coffee, and possibly getting them to bring the coffee.

    But Wiki explains this so I don't have to.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Sacha,

    Not sure how they feel about that now :)

    and

    Ben I bet they are regretting hiring you now. lol

    Possibly so. They certainly can’t claim to not know me any more, since I had one of the association members serve Richard Menzies a letter personally inviting them all to a discussion. Apparently, in the “roundtable” meeting, which was for selected drivers to air their grievances, when pressed, many of the Uber staff present would not even give their full names.

    But I’m not aiming for them to regret it in the long run. My aim is for it to be of mutual benefit, for a better business model to emerge, one that takes their excellent app but engages with NZ working conditions, processes and pay standards.

    I’d hope that it might lead to an organization that is still highly profitable, but doesn’t have the stink of a corporate culture of secrecy and fear that you see when employees are literally too afraid to give staff their names. I actually feel sorry for people who think they are saving the world, but can’t look their own drivers in the face and say their own name. There’s something really wrong with that.

    I would never, ever work for a company that made me feel afraid to use my own name when doing my job.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

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