Uber Defends Slashing Drivers’ Rates Amid LA Protest

[Retrograde]

16. Uber is a master of Newspeak

It's "ride sharing", something that sounds nice and friendly, like when I give my carless friend a ride home, rather than "running an unlicensed cab company". It's "small businessmen" rather than "drivers who we reluctantly have to pay so we'll continue to get our cut".

The statement quoted (In response to Tuesday’s protest, an Uber spokesperson sent CBS2/KCAL9 the following statement, reading in part: “Drivers are making more money now due to higher demand than they did before the price cut. We will continue to work with them individually to ensure their small businesses thrive.”) comes down to "yeah, you're getting paid less per hour but look on the bright side: you're working longer hours!"

It's a great business model from Uber's perspective: the drivers pay for maintenance, gas, insurance, etc. and Uber gets 20% off the top.