There's a new lawsuit that says that the UBER server software is screwing drivers. It shows passengers a longer route, then shows drivers a shorter route. Charges each for each and pockets the difference.

https://arstechnica.com/...-drivers-passengers/

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LLLEEEEEEEEEEEERRRROOOYYY JEEENNNNNKKKIIINNNNNS!!!

Is that a real article? I can't tell anymore what I'm supposed to believe. From the footnote at the bottom of the article on the author:

"DAVID KRAVETS
The senior editor for Ars Technica. Founder of TYDN fake news site. Technologist. Political scientist. Humorist. Dad of two boys. Been doing journalism for so long I remember manual typewriters with real paper."

.

Something doesn't seem right with that story.

The price Uber gives a rider up front is a fare estimate. When I summons a ride a fare estimate pops up. Then I take the actual ride and the actual fare pops up at the end of the ride. Usually the actual fare I pay is the same or less than the up front estimate.

As a driver you don't see that up front estimate because you aren't given the rider's destination until the rider is in the car and "start" the trip.

As a driver I'm paid for the trip I actually take and as rider I pay for the trip I actually get.

That whole article/lawsuit smells like bullshit to me.

If it's true, then Uber is committing straight up fraud.

My guess is you just provided more evidence of the left's assault on Uber.

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Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

With Uber, though, I think the left just wants them gone.

I'm a late-comer to Uber. I've only had an account for less than a year. Just speaking purely from a user interface and experience. I've used it numerous times now on business trips and it's been awesome! Rides are easy to find at all places and at all times. Drivers have all been very pleasant, engaging and helpful. It's made it super easy from an accounting stand-point for me with my work - one place for all ground-transportation receipts/expenses.

But then I read in the business pages of the house-of-cards set up of it all and that it all might come crashing down in an instant. How could something that is so good on the consumer facing front, be so precariously set up on the business side.

BTW - I am a liberal? :)

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Huh. I've always thought of Ars as fairly reliable, but further google searching doesn't bring up anything on this. There is an article on USSA News(doubtful reliability), but I can't read it.

Have to watch Ars a little closer.

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LLLEEEEEEEEEEEERRRROOOYYY JEEENNNNNKKKIIINNNNNS!!!

I ride Uber and I drive for them.

Zero problems with either.

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Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

I live in the Austin area and Uber and Lyft pulled out of Austin proper last year due to the city council passing a law that required all cab/rideshare companies to fingerprint its drivers.

So, Uber/Lyft pulled out in protest. Rumored there would be a driver voluntary option in its app to get finger printed. Also I think they tried to get a compromise passed in that the app would give riders a choice to request a finger printed driver or not.

Interestingly you can request an Uber outside of Austin city limits and thus get a ride into Austin. But you get blocked if you are trying to request a ride while inside the city limits.

Anyway, Austin has been without Uber/Lyft for about a year now.

There have been a number of competitors that have gained a lot of traction for Austin and seem to work well enough. They fingerprint their drivers. Uber/Lyft seemed to have better rates, but the newcomers are still a good alternative. I suspect that if Uber and Lyft ever come back to Austin, the overall market rates will drop and these other companies will have to lower their rates to compete.

Some of the other main options for rideshare are Fasten, Fare, RideAustin, InstaRyde. It seems Fasten is the most popular and it works pretty good. People I hang with use them. Supposedly best rates of the "others" and have a low overhead cut, meaning more of the fare goes directly to the drivers.

Point being I guess is that Uber and Lyft aren't the only options.

.