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Uber Brighton



Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
But you're saying there WERE 48 rapes in London last year, despite there being no convictions yet, but you're happy this guy is OK despite him having admitted to having sex with a 16 year old girl in his cab. You can't have it both ways.

I quoted the article that the judge said there was no case to answer. You are accusing me of being happy the guy is ok? That's quite a leap.

I have also posted links to sentences of convicted rapes on another post.
 




Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch
NSC Patron
Oct 27, 2003
21,526
The arse end of Hangleton

YOU claim ALL 48 rapes were by Uber drivers and NONE back Black Cab drivers yet the Met state they don't collate company information - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-violent-sexual-offences-london-a6988286.html

YES, some rapes were clearly committed by Uber drivers because they were convicted BUT that doesn't mean ALL 48 rapes were by Uber drivers - unless you want to provide the independent data that I previously asked for ?
 


Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
YOU claim ALL 48 rapes were by Uber drivers and NONE back Black Cab drivers yet the Met state they don't collate company information - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-violent-sexual-offences-london-a6988286.html

YES, some rapes were clearly committed by Uber drivers because they were convicted BUT that doesn't mean ALL 48 rapes were by Uber drivers - unless you want to provide the independent data that I previously asked for ?

I know this is the Daily Mail, but.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-Uber-drivers-linked-one-sex-attack-week.html

New figures, obtained by the Daily Mail via a Freedom of Information request, suggest the number of sex attacks involving Uber drivers in London could now be running at one a week, having increased by 50 per cent in a year.

Between February 2015 and February 2016, there were 32 sexual assault claims made against Uber drivers in London. In the past 12 months to February 2017, that figure rose to 48 alleged offences.

But there is a caveat. The latest data released by the Metropolitan Police includes all instances where an Uber driver was named as a suspect in a reported sexual offence or where they were mentioned in such a crime report.


During 2015, Transport for London recorded 136 reported offences of rape and sexual assault against drivers of taxis and private hire vehicles in the capital.

Owing to various reasons, such as lack of evidence or the victim’s reluctance to prosecute, in 2015, just 28 licensed drivers ended up in court.

Of these, only eight have so far been convicted of sexual assault. None of that number was a black cab driver. How many worked for Uber is unclear — but, as we have seen, its drivers have been convicted of a number of attacks and many people believe there are plenty of reasons to be concerned about Uber’s operation.
 


Albion my Albion

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 6, 2016
19,651
Indiana, USA
Uber's board sacked their CEO, Travis Kalanik, about a month ago and I'm told by one of my friends in Chicago, who is an uber driver, that things are changing drastically. They added a phone line for uber drivers to call when they have issues, they added tipping on the app for drivers to accept tips without the riders needing cash, in Chicago they have incentives that pay as much as US$70 for doing 30 rides and in one case (during the 4 July weekend) they paid US$130 for 55 rides. Referrals for getting new drivers to sign on have been up to as much as US$600. Although I'm told the regulations for getting these bonus pays are very strict and difficult to get.
 






mickybha

Well-known member
Jan 2, 2010
518
You suggest taxi driving is a profession - it might well be BUT my experience of local companies is that they fail to put the word 'professional' in profession. I've lost count over the years how many times I've had to give directions to 414141, 204060 etc cabs to get home. They are meant to do a local test for locations - similar to the London knowledge. Clearly they either don't or they don't bother to remember it. The vehicles themselves are a disgrace. Particularly the ones in East Street and at the station. Boneshaking and uncomfortable. Mrs W suffers from claustrophobia and cleithrophobia which means she is more comfortable in a front seat with the window open than the slightly ajar windows in the back of these boxes on wheels. A very large majority of Brighton cabs remove the front seat ( and generally replace it with left over food and associated wrappings ). A number of times we've refused a cab because of this and moved down the rank and the drivers in front have got all shitty - even after explaining the issue. This is before we approach the rudeness and lack of English.

Every time I've used Uber ( probably 50 times plus since they came to Brighton ) I've had a spotless cab, often a high spec one ( last two times it was a Merc and a BMW ) and never has the front seat been removed for a pile of rubbish. I always know the name of the cabbie BEFORE I get in and I've never had to tell them the directions. Throw in the Uber app that is brilliant - something Streamline only bothered to get developed for their service recently ( maybe they should have spent more time on their technology than fighting the introduction of Uber ) - and you have a top notch PROFESSIONAL service.

The Brighton cabbies and firms on the other hand have spent their time ripping of customers and whining rather than providing a professional service. The same happened with the Tuc Tucs. What they need to realise is they need to improve their service but they don't seem to get that. So consequently, I continue to use Uber.

I assume that you don't use supermarkets ? After all that undermines the profession of shopkeepers.



Strange you say this as all the reports I have found that quote the Met say that the Met don't break down the figures into companies - they just take the profession which is 'Taxi Driver'. Feel free to post a link to independently verified data though.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...sexual-assault-rates-low-disputes-report.html
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,683
The Fatherland
Why? Why should an obsolete profession be propped up by people just because they are not keeping up with the computer dispatching that competitors are better at doing well?

Its not Uber per se I have an issue with. Fair competition is fine with me. It's more the absolute obliteration of wages, workers rights and worker protection that worry me. As [MENTION=12211]The Spanish[/MENTION] has pointed out it's the extreme end of capitalism. It's capitalism in its purest form. And this always comes with a human cost.

I also prefer to properly recognise professions because it generally improves things for employees and customers and also gives recognition and pride to those who work in the sector.

Now, you raise a good point about computer dispatching.....but Uber is much much more than competition to this particular issue; there must be a better way to raise the game than race to the bottom?
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,683
The Fatherland
Why? Why should an obsolete profession be propped up by people just because they are not keeping up with the computer dispatching that competitors are better at doing well?

PS I use a smart phone App here where I press a button and a taxi arrives at my current location. The taxi (always a Merc :wink:) also appears on the map on the screen so I can see it arriving and how long it will be etc. Don't Brighton or London taxis have this?
 




CheeseRolls

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jan 27, 2009
6,230
Shoreham Beach
Its not Uber per se I have an issue with. Fair competition is fine with me. It's more the absolute obliteration of wages, workers rights and worker protection that worry me. As [MENTION=12211]The Spanish[/MENTION] has pointed out it's the extreme end of capitalism. It's capitalism in its purest form. And this always comes with a human cost.

I also prefer to properly recognise professions because it generally improves things for employees and customers and also gives recognition and pride to those who work in the sector.

Now, you raise a good point about computer dispatching.....but Uber is much much more than competition to this particular issue; there must be a better way to raise the game than race to the bottom?
These are all valid concerns, but somewhat transitory. The big prize for Uber and others is a network of driverless cars that replace taxis, hire cars and indeed privately owned cars.

Personally I welcome this and look forward to the day, I don't need to keep an expensive one size fits all journeys, chunk of metal parked outside my home.

The eye watering debt levels achievable by US tech companies raise a lot of questions around competition and artificial barriers to market entry as a consequence. This needs to be finely balanced against the investment required to build out complex infrastructure.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
 




Springal

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2005
24,779
GOSBTS
Its not Uber per se I have an issue with. Fair competition is fine with me. It's more the absolute obliteration of wages, workers rights and worker protection that worry me. As [MENTION=12211]The Spanish[/MENTION] has pointed out it's the extreme end of capitalism. It's capitalism in its purest form. And this always comes with a human cost.

I also prefer to properly recognise professions because it generally improves things for employees and customers and also gives recognition and pride to those who work in the sector.

Now, you raise a good point about computer dispatching.....but Uber is much much more than competition to this particular issue; there must be a better way to raise the game than race to the bottom?

Do taxi companies offer these rights? I thought they 'rented' a radio but were self employed anyway? Or is there some big difference?
 




Albion my Albion

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 6, 2016
19,651
Indiana, USA
Its not Uber per se I have an issue with. Fair competition is fine with me. It's more the absolute obliteration of wages, workers rights and worker protection that worry me. As [MENTION=12211]The Spanish[/MENTION] has pointed out it's the extreme end of capitalism. It's capitalism in its purest form. And this always comes with a human cost.

I also prefer to properly recognise professions because it generally improves things for employees and customers and also gives recognition and pride to those who work in the sector.

Now, you raise a good point about computer dispatching.....but Uber is much much more than competition to this particular issue; there must be a better way to raise the game than race to the bottom?

The taxi companies, IMO, are just as guilty of this as is uber.
 


Common as Mook

Not Posh as Fook
Jul 26, 2004
5,642
Same applies to DOO and privatized railways?

I had you down as more left leaning than this.....uber is as capitalist as can be, under cut wages, deregulate, race to the bottom, no such thing as society only your immediate pocket

I'm very much a capitalist who likes competition in industry. For the end consumer it provides a cheaper and more convenient in some cases as well. As far as undercut wages go, people don't have to work for them. Same as Deliveroo - a lot of people like the flexibility this sort of employment brings.

As for being left - leaning, it just goes to show that you can't always judge someone entirely by what they post on a message board!
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,683
The Fatherland
I'm very much a capitalist who likes competition in industry. For the end consumer it provides a cheaper and more convenient in some cases as well. As far as undercut wages go, people don't have to work for them. Same as Deliveroo - a lot of people like the flexibility this sort of employment brings.

As for being left - leaning, it just goes to show that you can't always judge someone entirely by what they post on a message board!

Sigh.
 




The Spanish

Well-known member
Aug 12, 2008
6,478
P

I have heard it all now. People like jobs with no security, limited rights and protection, because it offers them 'flexibility'. That's a belter.

When any middle class southerner ever wonders why the jocks and northerners have an issue with the south, it's stuff like this.
 


Albion my Albion

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 6, 2016
19,651
Indiana, USA
I have heard it all now. People like jobs with no security, limited rights and protection, because it offers them 'flexibility'. That's a belter.

When any middle class southerner ever wonders why the jocks and northerners have an issue with the south, it's stuff like this.

You make your own security by providing a dependable product/service that consumers/users can not do without. Why should an inferior product be propped up by the rest of us?
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,683
The Fatherland
You make your own security by providing a dependable product/service that consumers/users can not do without. Why should an inferior product be propped up by the rest of us?

Why should a product be propped up by workers on woeful job security, limited rights and protection? And I'm willing to bet you'd be calling a different tune if it was your job or profession which was being screwed into the ground.
 


Ernest

Stupid IDIOT
Nov 8, 2003
42,748
LOONEY BIN
Why should a product be propped up by workers on woeful job security, limited rights and protection? And I'm willing to bet you'd be calling a different tune if it was your job or profession which was being screwed into the ground.

Just think of all the small coffee shops and cafes on Portland now having to face up to a Costa slapped slap, bang into the middle of them with all their advantages re tax etc to put the others out of business but as long as the HIPSTERS are ok it doesn't matter about the lost livelihoods and businesses etc
 




Bob'n'weave

Well-known member
Nov 18, 2016
1,972
Nr Lewes
Exactly.
When a member of my family uses a cab I want them in cab with a well rested,healthy knowledgeable driver,not getting into a game Russian roulette with a knackered driver that maybe to ill to even be at work but can't afford a night off sick.

Having been a cabbie (Lewes Hackney) for a while a few years back, this describes perfectly the average licensed cab driver. 14+ hrs a day average with some days not even making running costs. As for Brighton cabs, its like Russian Roulette. Last time i got one from East Street i was chucked a sat-nav with a shrug from my non-english speaking 'driver'.
I use Uber in the States and find the drivers to be mainly friendly local people trying to get by.
 


dwayne

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
16,264
London
Yep I have used Uber hundreds of times over a period of many years in lots of different countries and I would say 80% are friendly and seem very happy with the company.

Black cab drivers in London are on the whole miserable, angry, rude Muppets that over charge and think they have some kind of divine to do and say what they want.

I'm team Uber



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