Uber sued for $307 million by Toronto taxi drivers

[captaincranky]

You missed mypoint... but as I see by your nickname, you're just here to whine... -

Which you're doing a bang up job of yourself.

NOONE is trying to take away my benefits or pay - just trying to freeze my pay (which while I'd love a raise, see no need to strike for it)... Unions are only useful SOMETIMES.... other times, they just get in the way...

Right, OK. Unions are OK, when they're doing exactly what you want. If they aren't, they're in the way and should be dismantled. I certainly did not, miss your point. You just don't happen to like the way I explained it back to you.

As for Uber being a "bunch of yuppies".... While this doesn't really dignify a response, I'll give you one anyways... Uber is a bunch of SMART BUSINESSPEOPLE who saw an essential service being mismanaged and created a vastly superior alternative

And I say "scab", provides equally valid nomenclature.

 

[Squid Surprise]

UNIONS are fine, even if they aren't doing what I want... MY UNION, on the other hand, isn't...
I hardly think it's unreasonable to want MY OWN UNION to be doing what I want - and what many of its members want - none of my colleagues want to strike either!!

And "scab" actually means someone who BELONGS TO THE UNION going against union policy.... so if my union went on strike, and I went into work... I'd be a scab.... Uber isn't a "scab" - they don't belong to the Taxi Driver Union!!!

That would be like saying a Microsoft Employee going into work would be a scab if Apple was on strike!!!

Perhaps you should limit your comments to things you actually have knowledge about? But then, I guess you wouldn't be able to make any posts...

 

[captaincranky]

UNIONS are fine, even if they aren't doing what I want... MY UNION, on the other hand, isn't...
I hardly think it's unreasonable to want MY OWN UNION to be doing what I want - and what many of its members want - none of my colleagues want to strike either!!

And "scab" actually means someone who BELONGS TO THE UNION going against union policy.... so if my union went on strike, and I went into work... I'd be a scab.... Uber isn't a "scab" - they don't belong to the Taxi Driver Union!!!

That would be like saying a Microsoft Employee going into work would be a scab if Apple was on strike!!!

Perhaps you should limit your comments to things you actually have knowledge about? But then, I guess you wouldn't be able to make any posts...

No, they used to call "gypsy" cab drivers "scab cabs also. I agree that your definition is equally valid and correct.

.I live in a big, filthy city, with a predominantly minority school enrollment. A big chunk of the children's parents don't work, don't pay taxes, and live on social entitlements. Meanwhile their little delinquents show up in school from time to time, with their little knapsacks bursting with goodies along the lines of 9 mm pistols, and possibly a couple dozen bags of heroin..

Of course, our politicians are heavily pandering to the society's lower tier, by promising to raise the taxes of those fortunate enough to have jobs, and don't summarily load up the schools with children of dubious intelligence, and even more questionable parentage..l

So, the teachers are whining their little brains out, being laid off, and local government is closing schools right and left.

So, I'd like to see you venture out of "the great white north", and put on your "I am a rock, I am an island" show around these parts.

 

[Squid Surprise]

No, they used to call "gypsy" cab drivers "scab cabs also. I agree that your definition is equally valid and correct.

.I live in a big, filthy city, with a predominantly minority school enrollment. A big chunk of the children's parents don't work, don't pay taxes, and live on social entitlements. Meanwhile their little delinquents show up in school from time to time, with their little knapsacks bursting with goodies along the lines of 9 mm pistols, and possibly a couple dozen bags of heroin..

Of course, our politicians are heavily pandering to the society's lower tier, by promising to raise the taxes of those fortunate enough to have jobs, and don't summarily load up the schools with children of dubious intelligence, and even more questionable parentage..l

So, the teachers are whining their little brains out, being laid off, and local government is closing schools right and left.

So, I'd like to see you venture out of "the great white north", and put on your "I am a rock, I am an island" show around these parts.

I fail to see how your nonsense about teachers in the slums of the US relates to my union up here... and while they may have called gypsy cab drivers "scabs", they were using the term wrongly... just because someone else uses something incorrectly, doesn't make it all of a sudden valid...

Might I remind you that this thread pertains to Uber in Toronto... where I live... NOT where you live....

Oh... and I teach at a school where over 95% of the children are below the poverty line and we have violent crimes regularly.... doesn't change a thing....

 

[Rippleman]

I fail to see how your nonsense about teachers in the slums of the US relates to my union up here... and while they may have called gypsy cab drivers "scabs", they were using the term wrongly... just because someone else uses something incorrectly, doesn't make it all of a sudden valid...

Might I remind you that this thread pertains to Uber in Toronto... where I live... NOT where you live....

Oh... and I teach at a school where over 95% of the children are below the poverty line and we have violent crimes regularly.... doesn't change a thing....

I am seeing you are replying to a guy named captain cranky, it's best to just block him like most of the board has done. He won't stop crying about how life sucks and how the world is against him, him, him, him, him.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Yeah... I kind of noticed

But it's always enjoyable to simply trounce a pitiful fool with some logical arguments... I suspect I won't be doing any more replying to him though...

Even his signature is incorrect.... "Qui es futurus indignans, Ego vos salutant"

He conjugated the latin wrong - it should be "est" not "es"

"Who is going to be in a rage , I salute you," --> I guess you salute me, as I'm pretty mad at you now

 

[captaincranky]

I am seeing you are replying to a guy named captain cranky, it's best to just block him like most of the board has done. He won't stop crying about how life sucks and how the world is against him, him, him, him, him.

The world isn't against me. I'm not a teacher. I'm not in a union, and thank God I'm not you. Now scamper along and hide behind your blocking.

Hey, while you here, is Mexico in "America"? I need help with that.

 

[captaincranky]

I fail to see how your nonsense about teachers in the slums of the US relates to my union up here...

That's not really surprising you don't get. But if you were here, you'd quickly realize when one one of these slum urchins doesn't do well in school, the teacher is the only one who gets blamed. The crack smoking parents are never at fault. We're working on 3rd generation social entitlement crack babies now, and trust me, a good union rep would definitely help out in a pinch.

Like I said, enjoy your high horse up there in the great white north..

 

[sadman3]

Shouldn't it be a way for taxi drivers to be happy that they could have passengers that would contact them? They could save lots of gas when that's the case. I don't understand their actions.

 

[captaincranky]

Shouldn't it be a way for taxi drivers to be happy that they could have passengers that would contact them? They could save lots of gas when that's the case. I don't understand their actions.

Granted that taxi companies have reached "institution status". With that said, institutions respond poorly to need to change.
However, if you want a cab, you pick up a telephone, the same way you do with Uber.

Uber exists by ignoring all the existing regulations regarding fees and licensing. That's how they're able to work so cheaply.

When asked about vetting procedure for drivers, they respond in a very cavalier manner, "we vet our drivers". Perhaps so, but I don't really believe the government is obliged to summarily take their word for it. The answer is uncomfortably close to a child asking, "why mommy", and being told "because".

When a driver "goes off the reservation", it can have catastrophic results, as attested to by the recent Amtrak disaster. Still, thousands upon thousands of individuals involved with public transportation. transport tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people each day, without incident, and under watchful, institutional eyes.

If you ask someone in law enforcement the greatest aid to illegally trafficking in drugs, has been the cell phone. Uber seems like it could be a worthwhile adjunct as well. (And yes, I understand, all the other forms of public and private transit function the same way).

Putting vehicles on the street 24/7/365, is a maintenance intensive, daunting, undertaking. Keeping mechanics and garage facilities is an expensive proposition. I'm very curious as to when the average Uber driver begins to incur these costs at a personal level, if some of the glimmer of using a private vehicle for commercial use, will fade away.

I mean face it, the average intellectually challenged individual, (I'm not allowed to use the "I" word), thinks they can go out and hit every pothole available, while still retaining warranty protection under , "defects in material & workmanship", clauses

If I were a car manufacturer, I'd use a FOIA request to Uber to determine exactly who is using pleasure vehicles for commercial purposes, and treat service costs based on that.

If I were Allstate, or GEICO, I'd do the same damned thing, and jack up their rates..

 

[Tanstar]

And that's why most of you have a scab mentality. Well, that and you've likely been watching too much reality TV, where "Outwit, Outlast, Outplay", stick it to the other guy appears to be the role of law. Basically the glorification of sociopathy for the entertainment of a bunch of brats who don't want to get their hands dirty.

Here in Philly we have a city workers union. And while, "many of you might believe" that unions are, "outdated by a century", trust me, one of those union guys is worth at least a gross of fools sitting in their parents basement trying to code the one millionth and first crapplication for the iPhone. Hands down, no contest!

My experience with labor unions are a bunch of guys saying, "That's not my job" who aren't allowed to do anything outside the definition of their job and that is grossly inferior to a team that works together. It's also silly to get promotions based on time at the company instead of actual skill set. I've also never had to pay anyone to get me a raise.

 

[captaincranky]

I've also never had to pay anyone to get me a raise.

Well, you're special. You've made that very clear.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Well, you're special. You've made that very clear.

And you're "special" in that unflattering kind of way... but, hey, makes for some fun on the forums....

 

[captaincranky]

And you're "special" in that unflattering kind of way... but, hey, makes for some fun on the forums....

Good of you to notice.

Oh BTW.
Origin of RAGE

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin rabia, from Latin rabies rage, madness, from rabere to be mad; akin to Sanskrit rabhas violence

 

[Squid Surprise]

Hehehe.... and I notice you still have the incorrect conjugation in your signature

Origin of captaincranky: that algae at the bottom of a swimming pool...

 

[captaincranky]

Hehehe.... and I notice you still have the incorrect conjugation in your signature

It's part of my charm.

Origin of captaincranky: that algae at the bottom of a swimming pool...

Ad hominem attacks are so childish, don't you think? Although I'm not certain if the "algae" remark fully qualifies as such.

Actually, I have the tense of the verb "salutare" wrong. It should probably be "saluto".

"Ego" (I) "Vos" (plural "you" ) "Saluto" (1st person indicative of "salutare").

 

[Phr3d]

Gawd this has been entertaining, Thank You! hehe

fwiw, I believe that a chauffeur's license -which is impossible to renew if you get moving violations-, an insurance certificate displayed or at least required from a fully-aware insuring agency for the exact driver and vehicle, and a semi-disinterested party verifying that the vehicle has any business on the Road, let alone transporting people, has intrinsic, measurable value, particularly when I am transported @ Hiway speeds.

I wish that these items were routinely discussed and described whenever the Uber debate comes up, as my experience is that their customers seem to lack an idea of why that might be important.

 

[Squid Surprise]

It's already illegal to drive a car in Toronto without insurance - so this shouldn't be an issue for Uber drivers... I don't see why you should need any other license... I can drive a friend of mine to the store without anything else... why should an Uber driver require more?

Answer: Because the City of Toronto (and every other city where this is an issue) wants their cut.... hence the proprietary deals made with taxi unions...

 

[captaincranky]

It's already illegal to drive a car in Toronto without insurance - so this shouldn't be an issue for Uber drivers... I don't see why you should need any other license... I can drive a friend of mine to the store without anything else... why should an Uber driver require more?

What I'd like to see happen, is if they decided you don't need a license to teach kindergarten. I mean really, even I could hand out graham crackers and half pints of milk to a pack of 6 year olds. Boy, I bet then you'd be whimpering to the union you claim you don't need now!

I wish school would go back in session, because listening to a bunch of self serving crap from you is a tedious as it gets. If it takes a kindergarten class to re-inflate your ego, and that would pump the air pressure back up in your head, that's what needs to happen, In the meantime, it would take some of these annoying siroccos off us, amen.

Come to think of it, why on earth would you need a license for anything? Just strap yourself into the cockpit of a 747 and head for the wild blue yonder. Why, you ask? Because you're under the mistaken impression that you can.

Why would you need commercial insurance for anything? Beats the heck out of me.

Answer: Because the City of Toronto (and every other city where this is an issue) wants their cut.... hence the proprietary deals made with taxi unions...

And if the City of Toronto can't get the anticipated funds in these places, they'll just jack up the retail sales taxes, raise parking rates and fines, then raise your property taxes. Especially your property taxes. Because a big chunk of that money goes to the school system, and I think those teachers in Toronto are making too damned much money. Bring on the scabs, they'll teach cheaper and better!. (And yes, that pejorative used correctly in that context).

Hey come to think of it, go Uber...(y)