If you have company flying into Atlanta for the holidays, they may have a hard time getting a ride to your place.
The rideshare drivers told FOX 5 Atlanta they’re fed up with unfair wages from the companies they work for.
…which everybody with half a brain knew already over a decade ago when that stuff started.
I do understand that you guys have shittier taxi service over there than we generally do have in Europe, and it was tempting to go for something new - but there’s a service like this has fixed costs, including car maintenance, and giving a higher cut to the app company than you was doing during taxi times where you was hardly getting by doesn’t really work, once the venture capital dries up, and they try to make a profit.
Since everybody was running after uber like sheep you my end up with the actually sustainable transport destroyed - fortunately regulation saved us from the worst over here, though uber did have some negative impact.
On the positive side Uber finally got some digitalization into the process here in Europe (what also helps preventing being screwed over by the driver). But yeah, screwing over the drivers is bad.
Therein lies the problem. They’re self-employed. Unless Atlanta is specifically different, rideshare drivers are almost always considered independent contractors, so they don’t actually work for Uber/Lyft/whoever. It’s hard to make demands for better pay when your boss is you.
I imagine this is an intentional design choice by gig employers, as well.
They’re self-employed
Officially but not actually. Falsely classifying employees as independent contractors is a common trick corporations use to be able to treat them like shit.
Exactly. If they actually were independent contractors, they could charge whatever price they want for a ride. But they can’t, Uber decides how much a ride costs and how much the driver gets of that cost. Independent my ass.
I agree that companies sometimes misclassify employees but I’m not sure this is the case here. The drivers choose when and where to work and provide their own resources to complete the jobs they choose to accept.
The drivers choose when and where to work
Within parameters set by the company with strict penalties if you don’t obey them. So no, they don’t really choose.
provide their own resources
Like with school teachers, who are also employees, that’s exploitation, not independence.
complete the jobs they choose to accept.
Again, while fulfilling mandatory quotas, meaning that there’s a high risk of having to accept fares they would prefer not to, as per the rules of their EMPLOYER Uber/Lyft.
Technically though if you are your boss and an independent contractor you should easily be able to set your own wage.
You don’t see plumbers and electricians being told they have to work for a certain wage by the building owner. They set their wage and if it’s too high the owner tries to find a cheaper one.
These drivers aren’t actually contractors though, they are employees being screwed over by being falsely classified a contractors. If they all collectively decide to charge $25 / hour, than as independent contractors they should be allowed to and Lyft wouldn’t have any other options other than to try and find drivers who charge less.
So people needing a rideshare at the Airport should jump on the MARTA (light rail) at the airport and take it one stop away to get their Lyft/Uber?
You ain’t wrong, it’s not hard and I’ve done it many times, but as a native to Atlanta I do have to call out that most folks are averse to MARTA because as a general rule it sucks.
MARTA is so inconvenient. I’m lucky; my family only lives twenty minutes from the airport so I just have to call them when I get in. And even though they’re so close, there’s no public transportation option to even get close to where my family is.
And God help you if you want to take the bus; those MARTA buses come when the mood hits them.
Many years ago comedian Lewis Black called MARTA “the subway to nowhere” and I’ve never heard a more apt description
Revisiting and I thought I’d expound, having now lived in a city with somewhat reliable busses it’s insane how bad the bus system is in Atlanta
I’ve used the MARTA once when I had a long layover in Atlanta and decided to visit the city center. It was fine, really (the metro, not the city. The city was dead. Does anyone even live there?)
Why did you say that name?!
Where is she?!
Most travelers won’t want to learn a new rail system. They’ll probably just get a cab at the stand.
I’m from Australia; Everyone I know will default to public transport when travelling. My partner and I normally book our accommodation with public transport in mind.
Using a different public transport system is really not that big a deal…
I’ve been ripped off by enough cab drivers across the United States that I only use taxi cabs as a very last resort.
deleted by creator
Ok, MARTA really is kind of shit.
I rank MARTA pretty low compared to other cities. Cleveland’s Rapid (RTA) ranks quite a bit higher than Atlanta’s MARTA to me. However, my city has zero light rail, so I’m still a bit envious of MARTA. As shit as it is, what is more shit is nothing except city busses.
