pictures from today's Uber riot in Paris

[Liberal_in_LA]

Flashpoint: In a toughening of the French stance, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve ordered Paris police to issue a decree banning the activity of UberPOP 'given the serious public order disturbances and development of this illegal activity'













Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3138835/French-taxi-strike-protesters-smash-rocker-Courtney-Love-s-cab-driver-hostage-driven-Paris-industrial-action-Uber.html#ixzz3e6fFtZqN

[randome]

1. Well, rioting isn't the answer but Uber is a blight on the world, I think.

It's desperation capitalism and a get rich quick scheme for its owners. I don't need cabs that much myself so my opinion may be biased but I just don't like them or their business model.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]No squirrels were harmed in the making of this post. Yet.[/center][/font][hr]

[Warren DeMontague]

12. "I dont need cabs that much myself" - maybe you should talk to people who do.

A lot of people in places with historically spotty, crappy, or lackluster cab service are ecstatic that companies like uber are shaking up the marketplace and increasing ride availability.

[Ace Rothstein]

52. This.

Try calling a cab on the south side of Chicago, you may be waiting for hours. Uber shows up in minutes.

[Adrahil]

26. What I don't understand....

Is why traditional taxi services don't just adopt the more successful of Uber's business model.

People use Uber because it is convenient, and reasonably inexpensive. I'd take traditional cabs if they were clean, easy to access, and didn't cost $50 for a 10 mile ride.

[Recursion]

33. Because medallion owners need cab scarcity

It's a complete racket and I hope Uber destroys it.

[Adrahil]

49. Yep, you're right I think.

And there is no need to improve if you don't have to compete.

[leftstreet]

2. 'Uber pharmacist, Uber doctor'

A taxi with signs reading 'Uber taxi, Uber pharmacist, Uber doctor etc.' is parked outside terminal West at Orly Airport, in Orly, south of Paris

[frazzled]

5. That last picture says it all

If the so-called "sharing economy" that Uber represents becomes pervasive, no licensed or regulated profession is safe from this practice. Do we really want to allow Uber-type doctors, pharmacists, and plumbers?

I, for one, believe in the State (note the term!) protecting citizens through the reasonable regulation of industries.

ON EDIT: This doesn't mean that I condone the overturning and burning of cars or rioting. I don't.

[Nye Bevan]

6. Yeah, the difference is, you don't need 7 years of medical school

to drive someone from point A to point B.

[leftstreet]

10. I don't think that was the point

...in terms of the signs on the last car

I think it's more about safety regulation and protection - a drive across town being just as safe as an appendectomy

[Warren DeMontague]

11. No, I suspect it's about people being pissed off that their monopoly on taxi $$ is threatened.

I've been driven by actual cab drivers in France from that same airport. I can tell you from direct experience that at no time did I feel like I was the passenger of someone with some extra-special regulatory level of safety training.

[KittyWampus]

14. as a small business owner who goes through hoops to meet fire and health regulations

and pays taxes, unemployment etc, I totally resent unregulated crap like this.

[Warren DeMontague]

15. Are you familiar with the way taxi service - medallions, etc- is handled in many US cities?

It's not about "health regulations", it's a blatant ripoff scam about cronyism, connections, and manufactured scarcity- and it is the actual person who wants a ride somewhere who bears the short end of the stick.

[Adrahil]

28. This. It's a HUGE scam. n/t

[Recursion]

36. So regulate them, don't do a corrupt arbitrary medallion system

There's nothing keeping jurisdictions from regulating Uber; meallion owners just fight tooth and nail to prevent it.

[whathehell]

51. Good point, and in America, at least, Uber comes complete with Drivers who attack passengers

Way to go, Uber.

[Pooka Fey]

16. Licensed FR cab drivers pay into the FR Secu system, health, retirement, disability, unemployment

and so are protected by said system. UBER drivers pay nothing into the SECU system, which is why they are able to charge less. They're basically scabs.

You can't it both ways - low, low prices and a socialist society. UBER is incompatible with the French social system, and so it has to go.

[Warren DeMontague]

22. Fine, I can't speak to the Frech experience- but I DO know that in a lot of US cities

the only people benefiting from the taxi status quo are the small number of connected companies and drivers who manage to score the taxi license or medallion or what-have-you.

It sure as fuck isn't the person who can't get a ride half the time when they call for one.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

31. I agree. It's been a while but I've done loans for taxicab drivers so I've seen some financials.

The drivers I've had dealings with were independent contractors leasing thei cabs by the day.

It's not like the drivers here have some large stake in the profits. They have a daily nut they have to cover come shine or rain.

[leftstreet]

18. Meh. The Uber drivers are scabs

I don't know why you'd say unionized taxi drivers attempting to protect their wages are operating a "monopoly"

Good grief

[Recursion]

37. Rent seeking is not what unions are for

And the ones that do that deserve to be scabbed.

[pangaia]

53. Try Ho Chi Min City sometime. :>))

[Recursion]

34. No, it's rent-seeking medallion owners pissed their gravy train is threatened

I have no sympathy.

[gratuitous]

13. No but you should probably carry adequate insurance

Or be wealthy enough to pay the damages in case you injure or kill your passenger. Your vehicle should probably be inspected by an independent mechanic to certify its roadworthiness. Passengers should have a reasonable expectation that you don't have a criminal history of assault, rape, kidnap, or murder. In case of a dispute between the driver and the passenger, there should be a process for sorting out any complaints. If you're routinely picking up or dropping off passengers at a major airport, the facility should have some assurance that you're not a terrorist.

[Egnever]

21. How are any of those things different with cab companies?

[gratuitous]

24. Those are the minimum regulations cab companies operate under

I was responding to Nye Bevan's post about how simple it is to drive for Uber, and my point was that Uber is operating under a decidedly different set of rules than a cab company operates under. Which the public will find out to their dismay means that they don't have adequate recourse against the $40 billion company (Uber's number) in case of an accident, a dispute, or a criminal proceeding in one of Uber's conveyances.

[Egnever]

44. I am not sure that is true

As far as I know uber does background checks on all of its drivers,inspects the cars, and requires insurance.

Not to mention ubers drivers are rated on every ride something that doesn't happen in can companies. Drivers that get low ratings are let go. Meanwhile cab companies mostly only fire drivers that wreck the car.

[msongs]

3. most of this article is about a washed up former celebrity. skip to the bottom for any real

"news" about the issue at hand

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. yes, thanks

[Pooka Fey]

20. Mail Online omits that the former celebrity was caught riding in a scab cab on strike day. WHOOPSIE

Americans seem to have forgotten that the whole point of a strike is to inconvenience people, to make them notice you.

I listening to the video, the strikers informed the driver that the road was blocked, and politely asked her driver to get out of his unlicensed taxi along with his passenger - the former celebrity in question. A fact also omitted from the Mail Online story, and many British journalists speak French, so the language barrier excuse is flimsy.

[msanthrope]

7. did they throw cobblestones?

it's not a real Parisien riot unless they throw cobblestones.

[appalachiablue]

8. K & R. Thanks for the post. Serious event, difficult issue.

Global neoliberal economics, privatization, deregulation and austerity, enough is enough-

[seveneyes]

9. France never had a freedom machine

[Cheese Sandwich]

17. France is different

[Prism]

19. Poor babies can't take their monopoly for granted

This is my sad face.

Maybe if they provided good service, wide coverage, and efficient product, they'd not be in such trouble.

I'm a San Francisco Uber driver. Before I started (last year), I was a taxi consumer. If I could find one. Without an attitude. In a car that wasn't a filthy wreck.

Uber could pay more. It could do many things. But taxi services took their position for granted. And the medallion system is an absolute joke. Over-priced and entirely dependent on who you know to get one. With artificial supply to boot. And the companies treated their drivers like garbage.

I have some doubts about the sharing economy. But I know Uber has been good to me. And, it's been good to my customers (never had a complaint in my super clean vehicle, my unfailing polite demeanor, safe driving, and efficient route choices). Things like Air BnB are also pretty awesome, IMO.

The world is changing. I'm fine with it.

[Warren DeMontague]

23. Uh oh. Now you've done it.

Watch out, you'll get called all sorts of names.

Actually, your experience mirrors that of several friends I have who do the same gig-- and your experiences getting cabs; or trying to- is identical to the ones I had for years, particularly being a drinker who wanted to get to and from bars without getting behind the wheel.

Cab service in many cities is a bad joke, that's why these services are so immediately popular.

[Prism]

25. My passengers smack talk cabs all day

It's the most common thread of conversation. "There's no duct tape on your seat!" And what's funny is that UberTaxi enlists cabs, and passengers complain to me about those as well. (And, weirdly, female passengers like me a lot because I'm apparently not a creeper).

People want clean, efficient service without someone being a grouch. They can't get that with cabs in this city. I can count on one hand the number of times where I've been in a cab in S.F. and thought, "This is nice." I stopped using them. Couldn't find them. When I did, they took some bizarre route. The cars were degrading. Sometimes I'd get attitude. Newp. It's like my taking a taxi was a class on "What not to do as an Uber driver." So I don't.

I've had a lot of overwhelmingly positive experiences as a driver, and I get along very well with my passengers. Not a total roses experience, ("Hi, I'm drunk and on LSD, come up to my apartment!&quot , but there's a camaraderie. It's like both me and my passengers are both thinking, "Thank god this isn't a cab."

And what does that say?

[bravenak]

29. I'm glad you're not creepy. I'd ride with you. I hate creepy drivers.

[Prism]

32. Is it cultural?

I'm genuinely asking, because my anecdotal hearsay usually concerns foreign drivers not having the same social boundaries that Americans are accustomed to when it comes to women. (i.e. women passengers getting hit on).

I'm a male, so I can't know how American male drivers may treat American female passengers. I'm just curious to know about your creepy experiences and what they entailed, if your comfortable sharing them.

Sometimes I'm hyper conscious about the male vs female dynamic. For example, I had the boyfriend of a woman summon me at 2AM at the end of my night. She had overslept, and the train didn't run at that hour, so she needed a lift across the bridge to the train station at the other side where her car was parked. Now, this BART station was not in a great area at all. So, I drove her over and offered to wait until she was safely in her vehicle and had driven out of the station. But part of me wondered if she thought I was lurking inappropriately or something. I wanted her to be safe, but I wasn't sure if I was making her feel safer or if she was maybe wondering if I was inappropriately hanging around.

It's a sticky line.

[bravenak]

35. Some drivers are just hella creepy.

I don't know whether it's machismo or what but I have literally jumped out of a cab and threw money at the car and ran. Since then I will not ride in a cab in the front seat or alone. Ever. Some people start asking personal questions to the point where you feel rape is imminent and need to skedaddle. Once a driver started touching me on the way home from a club, one had automatic locks and tried to keep me locked in to try to get my number. Creepy.

[Prism]

40. Oh, helllll no

I'm sorry you dealt with that =(

[bravenak]

41. It was Hollywood...

No big deal, comes with the territory.

[Warren DeMontague]

47. Here's an example of what happens with our "legitimate" cab companies, here.

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/07/lesbian_couple_sues_broadway_c.html

And seriously out of whack with the values this city embodies.

[bravenak]

48. Disgusting!

Bigots should never take jobs working with the public. I bet he had complaints before, they always show signs of who they are.

[Mojorabbit]

43. I have used uber since my husband passed eighteen months ago

Uber gets me to the grocery store and everywhere else I need to go and helps me to maintain my independence. I had a cab driver tell me once that they had a policy against picking anyone up at the grocery store because they showed up so late everything was melting in the cart and too many complaints. I waited once for two hours in the blazing Fl heat for a taxi that never came even after multiple calls where I was assured one was on the way. I have a lot of stories like this re cabs. With Uber I am picked up within ten minutes tops and a lovely driver gets me where I need to be. I hope as it becomes more popular that more benefits and protections will be available to the drivers. I think it will happen.

[philosslayer]

54. Sorry, but you're part of the problem.

Licensed, union professions are being run into the ground by the new "sharing economy". If SF taxi drivers go on strike, will you cross the picket line? Will you be a scab?

[Renew Deal]

27. Give me taxis or give me death!

[yeoman6987]

30. You can have them

I think taxis are way too expensive. It is outrageous how much they charge. Total rip off.

[Pooka Fey]

38. Ethnic Black and Brown French Union Labor workers go on Strike. DU yawns.

[Starry Messenger]

39. Good for the cabbies.

A socialist government should be wary of breaking a union, and allowing privatization of a public service.

[Recursion]

50. Cabs in France are a private cartel using government influence to seek rents

Like in most places actually. There is nothing progressive about them and they do not deserve our solidarity.

[philosslayer]

55. Any other unions you're opposed to?

[Recursion]

56. NFL owners. MLB owners. Capital cartels in general

Even if you self-drive, once you buy the medallion you are capital, not labor.

The taxi medallion system is an absolute racket and fraud and you should be ashamed for supporting it.

[Starry Messenger]

57. One mans opinion, Rec.

My husband was a cabbie and it is hard hard work. You and I never agree on union stuff anyway, to my memory, lol. We'll just have to disagree again!

[Recursion]

58. Did he own his own medallion?

Last edited Sun Jun 28, 2015, 04:15 PM - Edit history (1)

That's very rare in US cities. I have no problem with cab drivers organizing, I have a huge problem with medallion owners organizing.

[Travis_0004]

42. I dont care if taxis strike

Uber is better anyway. Maybe with the strike a few more people will give them a try.

[Codeine]

45. Working class unions?

Forget it Jake, it's DUtown.

[DemocraticWing]

46. Uber is union-busting.

I'm against union-busting. Organized labor needs to win these battles against the sharing economy, before we share away everything they won us.

[christx30]

59. Then taxis need to do a better job

serving their customers. I once waited 2 1/2 hours in freezing temps for a cab. I called them about 10 times and kept getting assured that someone would be coming out soon. But they never did, and I had to walk home 9 miles. I called them the next day and they just verbally shrugged their shoulders like "Oh well." And that wasn't the first time it had happened.
If Uber had been in Austin at that time, I would have used them instead.

So the taxis can go the way of the dinosaur for all I care.