How Uber Got Ahead By Breaking The Rules

[@jacobgarrison1510]

You should do more Journalistic pieces like this. This is great and I'd love to see you do deeper dives on topics like this.

[@PatTheBatmanFan]

The real question is, why don't actual news programs produce pieces like this?

[@Snardvark25]

BatMashUps some do. There's just so much shit they all push out every day. The sources he cited at the beginning show some media doing investigative journalism.

[@TiffyVella1]

Absolutely. This is why i subscribed.

[@nikolaijohan7924]

pro trick : you can watch movies on Flixzone. Me and my gf have been using them for watching lots of of movies recently.

[@lochlanabdullah5937]

@Nikolai Johan yup, been using flixzone for since december myself :)

[@Virolaxion]

Another crime you forgot to add: destroying the meaning behind "uber" which was a cool word back when I was 13.

[@NostalgiNorden]

Just pronounce it correctly(Yber) and now one will notice.

[@TheAlison1456]

Yayberrrrr mateys!

[@magsec5]

That’s Uber cool

[@joegrimes9232]

What you're saying is Uber is over? - I'll see myself out.

[@joegrimes9232]

Thank you someone appreciates wordplay ;)

[@critically.panned]

That dancing figure in the background of the intro was all I could focus on

[@Bluehawk2008]

A proverbial lava lamp.

[@ThreadBomb]

Your tax dollars wasted on worthless public sculpture. Happens everywhere.

[@jibcano1777]

I want one in my driveway

[@critically.panned]

JV lmao amazing

[@Derrikbulginheadin]

It's very Blade Runner-esque.

[@Scoobydcs]

you either have very good mic and audio equipment or your lip syncing is spot on!

[@magsec5]

eatthisvr6 lip syncing

[@yawn1887]

Its what we call in the movie trade as " dubbing "

[@SuperMikeFender]

@@yawn1887 Actually it's what we call in the movie trade as "ADR"

[@brianjohnson9802]

@@SuperMikeFender Nice try Yawn.

[@Meladjusted]

I refuse to use Uber. Not only because of the questionable treatment of its "non-employees" but because anyone considered a non-employee, yes, wouldn't need to give over much information to said company about themselves. Using an app to basically virtually hitchhike for a fee seems... immensely fucking sketchy and I have no idea how it became so popular. I mean, there are really good reasons I've never tried hitchhiking.

[@B.W.Jackson]

Uber pulled the real-world equivalent of blocking an admin so you can sh!tpost.

[@EhRandomGuy]

That dancing pedestrian screen in the beginning (edit: and near the end) was mesmerizing to say the least...like a lava lamp.

[@AcuraAddicted]

Ah, yes, Toronto :) I was an Uber driver here from 2014 until 2016, when the regulations came in place. Your video is very on point, Georg. Thanks!

[@33ecto33]

I'd forgotten how good these bizarre summaries are. bloody nice work G.

[@helgesamuelsen9097]

People like it, because it is cheaper. Because it is cheaper, the drivers make less money. People who like that will not like when in an "uber-economy" they themselves inevitably get lower wages and worse work conditions. And that will happen when companies are allowed to use business models like Uber. Uber is the same in principle as "pirate-taxies", this is illegal in Norway. If Uber should be legal, "pirate-taxis" (anyone can drive passengers for money) would actually be far more profitable than Uber, and would easily bankrupt even Uber, obviously also regular taxi-services. But only because there are no regulations, no special insurance, no rules that make taxis having to drive from certain areas, not only the most profitable ones, etc. Taxies are expensive in countries like Norway and Denmark simply because the rules are strict and cars and fuel are horrendously expensive. That is the problem if people find it expensive, not that people are not allowed to bend the law. It would be very easy to come up with a business model if no rules apply - I can think of a few from the top of my head. This is the basic business model of such vampire businesses - to avoid rules and regulations.. If they succeed there are tons of money to be made, but only because it is possible to make more profit than those having to comply with the rules and regulations. Rules and regulations is what makes society work, and the reason people in many civilized nations actually make a decent living from their one job, not having to have two jobs, or live in trailer parks. It is a reasonable price to pay that taxis are a bit expensive.

[@atlas8827]

Taxis are expensive everywhere, it would seem.

[@GenericInternetter]

You're right! If people can't afford taxis then they must make private arrangements to share transport, use cheaper public transport, get their own personal transport, or change where they live and/or work so that they can reach work from their homes without needing a taxi. People make bad decisions about where they live and work, and expect the world to adjust to their own personal mistakes because they refuse to accept the reality of their situations. If they can't get to a far away job, then they must move house or change job. It's not rocket science. Uber tried to pass itself off as a social network while charging their drivers like a transport contractor. It's so obvious that they are in the wrong.

[@frealms]

Heard that argument before but the business model still is capitalist in nature: Is it MANDATORY to drive for Uber? No? Should you then stop driving for Uber if you don't agree with their wages? Yes! Will driver migration force change in payments? Yes! Uber is no saint but it did break open the floodgates in a segment that has been stagnated in a lot of countries if not all where it is present. It has shown that you can have a more effective, better service with less constraints. Hell, here in Brasil it was quite the blessing, even with the dip in payments after they took the market, from their initial payouts, they STILL pay enough that people can buy a new car (which costs as much as a house in most countries, even the "popular", "entry" models) and have the same wages as someone with a college degree. Not only that but now you have a service that, well, works. I barely used to take a cab a year here and I'm not being hyperbolic. You had to have enough money on you to cover what you expected the fare to cost plus any traffic you might find, you had to know the way to the destination or face the high chance the driver would take the long or more snakeway route, you had sometimes to even convince the driver to take the ride (if it was too short they would just flip you off, if it was going somewhere out of their way, same result) and you had to put up with whatever the driver wanted. Not to mention during events where they'd break legislation (good luck finding one that didn't or someone to complain to in those hours) and just charge ludicrous amounts of money for a ride, turning off their meters. Now with uber you already know the cost, pay digitally, see the route, can follow it on your own phone, contest it if it has deviated, drivers are MUCH more polite, pay attention to their driving (speeding and reckless changes of direction are logged in the app and they get fined from Uber, risking losing their ability to log in again), you don't have to convince the driver to take the fare. In years using the service I only had ONE problematic ride and that was solved in a couple hours. I don't know how bad it may be in some places, but here it has been a blessing. Sometimes it is even cheaper to take an Uber to a restaurant and pick-up food instead of paying their delivery fees (and no, they are abusive. Some restaurants charge x4-x5 more than others in their region and I've asked the delivery folk, doesn't go to them), or using Uber Eats for it.

[@helgesamuelsen9097]

frealms, So basically you say that in a capitalist economy some companies should be allowed to be above rules and regulations? It may come as a surprise that child workers in some eastern countries also work on their own volition. To stay alive. Neither argument is an argument pro unfettered capitalism if you ask me. In Norway we have a mixed economy where having a job means financial security. We also can afford social security unlike most purely capitalist countries. This did not happen by allowing companies to break the rules. I think maybe Uber could work in an economy that does not put any high regard on workers welfare, but certainly not in Norway. The queestion people should ask is whether they would like to emulate Norway, or some country where workers have low wages and few rights. I know what I would choose. I would not give away what we have just because taxis might become cheaper. And in that kind of economy people that cannot afford taxis would probably end up in low paying jobs themselves - still not being able to pay for taxis. Personally I think a taxi is for special occasions where public transportation or driving yourself is not possible, and I can afford those occasions easily, even if it is "expensive".

[@frealms]

No, basically I'm not. I didn't say either they should be allowed to be above the rules and regulations yet by breaking regulations that were stagnated here for decades, being sheltered by lobbyism they promoted a healthy debate over the transportation sector that promoted new regulations that decentralized the monopoly held by taxi companies in the country. People who work for Uber didn't sprout out of the ground, they CHOSE the company because the work hours are flexible to their needs and the payment is good. And no, it comes as no surprise and we are not in an eastern country. If the whole "eat your vegetables because there is a child starving in Africa" fallacy is the best you can come up with, this is fruitless. Norway is small and self-suficient (why you have little to no inflation and most currency fluctuation barely makes a dent in it's economy). It's like comparing a street corner shop to a supermarket chain. Of course the shop will have a more effective and caring system, it can afford to. But it will hardly reach or have the structure required to serve a big city block by itself and unfortunately the bigger the "machine", the bigger the issues. It is easy to paint the picture you paint when you live in a country that is the size of cities in other regions of the globe and say "our system just works".

[@KingsCountyLightHaus]

This channel is legit better than most highly produced TV shows.

[@TheKid377400]

Thank you for making this video! I did not know just how deep the controversies were. I have learned a lot!

[@DiegoEsteban1910]

In most countries, the Taxis operates as a mafia.

[@tyranid13]

In Greece it's even worse. The government issues a "taxi-ownership" license. The few who have these licenses then hire drivers to drive the taxis for them.

[@paulhendrix8599]

I just have to say it: I love your videos. Especially the Bizarre Summary series is always a joy to watch. I also tend to agree with your opinion of Uber being finished in the long term. They have realized themselves that the platform itself is not very binding, which is why they pursued the self driving efforts so much. As soon as Waymo rolls out with tens of thousands of cars (the deals, mainly with Jaguar, are already through) users will just download their app if they see them being faster or cheaper (which are both likely) and Uber is out of the game. I love that you talk about such a broad range of topics and the new narration format (I mean you walking around instead of sitting beside a lava lamp) is fresh and perhaps more friendly to some viewers that don't enjoy the creepy feeling of your dimly lit room. Now that I think about it I'd probably miss the tangents if you were to continue the bizarre summary on this path - but it really isn't that "bizarre" in this format anyway. I suggest you continue both formats independently (at the same rate and same quality, of course ;).

[@NickdeVera]

Filipinos really don't want Uber to go away. The consensus is that the government is just forcing them out to protect the universally despised Philippine taxi industry

[@Metalders]

In Brazil we get the same feeling as well.

[@Bourikii2992]

That's what literally all these countries are doing.

[@CurseTheseMetalHands]

That zoom shot of "that sounds like a legitimate business business!"

[@QuirkyQuillify]

Very informative. Really love videos like this. Thank you for taking the effort to make them.

[@WrecklessEating]

Finally was able to watch this one. Great video!

[@TiffyVella1]

A friend in Texas told me she was trying to earn some extra income as an Uber driver. She wouldn't say much about it, but I know it came to an abrupt end soon after when someone hit her car while she was working. She was left high and dry by Uber, without a car, and had to bear all costs etc, without even a working family car. This reminds me of the chicken industry ( as outlined by John Oliver) in that the Uber driver (like the chicken farmer) is responsible for all the things that cost money (all the physical capital assets like cars or chicken sheds, material things that can quickly turn into liabilities) while the "parent" company that pays you retains control of all the profit-making parts, like the relationship link between the worker and the customer.

[@Carewolf]

In the best case scenario Uber are not commiting crimes, but just organizing them. So in the BEST case scenario, Uber is organized crime.

[@mammamiaculpa]

This was a good video Georg Rockall-Schmidt. I'm proud of you. Love, William x

[@jsward96]

As fellow Brit living in Oregon, I was so pleased that you pronounced Oregon correctly... only for you to mispronounce later!

[@2und2sind4]

10:13 "that sounds like legitimate business" in an alleyway wearing gloves :D That really cracked me up.

[@jefferyjones8399]

They ARE a cab no matter how they try skate around the rules.

[@SpoopySquid]

"An apparent fan of Ayn Rand" Suddenly a lot of things make so much sense

[@poego6045]

There need to be more school classes that read and tear apart her books. Or like, frame them like they should be "why is john galt a narcissist and what does that say of the economy?", etc... Like, it's rare you get kids growing up to say "I wanna be just like Victor Frankenstein" after they go through English class and show how pretty much every action by Victor brought upon doom and gloom to everyone

[@entropino9928]

+L G Never heard of Ayn Rand from school. But through the internet I found the ideology that would finally word the ideas I had about how the world is and should be.

[@sskspartan]

SpoopySquid Go back to Marx, idiot

[@geoffrobinson]

if you agree with Marx, you do have problems.

[@birdtheidiot3002]

So if you don't agree with Rand you must be a Marxist?

[@GregoryCarnegie]

I find the cuts where you are outside and your inside voice is playing very distracting. However, I found this video very informative. Subscribed.

[@ViralKiller]

In London every company and org is a criminal. Landlord, estate agents, debt collectors, police, they are all corrupt criminals who rely on you not knowing your legal rights. It's very important to know the law to protect yourself.

[@atlas8827]

Oh, you're like a little baby. Come to Brazil and let me take your place in London. I want to be abused by your criminals.

[@ViralKiller]

touche...still....knowing ur rights makes the difference

[@GenericInternetter]

You said "London" when you should say "The UK"! The state of affairs is such that big businesses don't simply comply with the law. The UK market and economy is so ultra-tight that big businesses have to push to see how much they can get away with, just to stay on par with the competition. The problem is rooted in factors much, much deeper than simple corporate corruption.

[@ViralKiller]

yeah, but I lived in Scotland and England, and Scotland was never this corrupt...everyone I deal with here is operating outside of the law....

[@G96Saber]

> As if you've ever lived anywhere but London or Scotland.

[@imogenx9145]

Thanks for this deep dive! I've known about some of these issues but not the full extent.

[@facefister69]

Is that dancing light single?

[@dar232323]

Great video love your movie critic videos too, but you should do more like this

[@GenericInternetter]

The key question that nobody seems to touch on is simple: *Is Uber a transport company or a social media network?* If Uber is a transport company, then they must comply with all the transport rules and regulations. There's no logical way to avoid or change that. If Uber is a social media network then it's just a software company providing a platform for willing participants to share their locations and contact details on a live map and matching service to meet other people. This is basically no different to a dating website or adult hookup website, except that the purpose of the social connection is to carpool. As a social network, Uber would have been just another facebook, twitter, tinder, etc. If any money changes hands _privately_ between individuals, then that's none of Uber's business and therefore they can't demand a commission. If Uber takes any money from it's drivers then it is clearly a transport company. Newsflash: *Uber is a transport company* help.uber.com/h/33ed4293-383c-4d73-a610-d171d3aa5a78 Uber should have just charged all users a flat subscription fee and acted as a social network, then people would have been free to meet each other and therefore any further financial arrangements would have been strictly between the individuals.

[@JordanSullivanadventures]

Great piece. Also nice Bioshock reference.

[@kruleworld]

The taxi industry could have seen what Uber was doing, and moved to block them out by doing it better. Unfortunately they didn't feel the wind changing and probably wouldn't have wanted to change, even if they did.

[@BigHenFor]

Evil Ash You're right. Competition only works when you have a credible rival. They had it their own way for years. I hope Uber cleans up its act and keeps competition going. If they don't, the old boys will slip back into their bad habits.

[@jefftaylor3109]

Evil Ash I live in San Francisco and I maintain the taxi industry had it coming. In 2009 you could call any of the 3 biggest taxi services and wait for 10+ minutes on hold, this would be on a Tuesday night at 9pm, not exactly a peak time. Your driver would show up and then ask you for directions.

[@sujimayne]

Of course, because they couldn't foresee Uber being danger to their taxi oligarchy.

[@ashknoecklein]

Taxi services already do it way better.

[@RunyaEithelNar]

In Poland taxi drivers were attacking every car with smartphone holder because they suspected they are from Uber [some of them were poor people who were new in city and used google map xP]. Blocking, keying and the worst - pouring manure x.X [and more]. Yeah, polish taxi drivers don't have good reputation - expensive, cheating on fare etc, so no wonder people started using Uber and carpooling system Bla Bla Car in place of taxi.

[@Dunkage]

Wow, just WOW! Having stumbled on a thoughtful ponderance on Zardoz nearly a year ago your stlye made me an immediate sub with a great wealth of back content to feast on (and feast I did.) "But what if he's all lava lamps and bedclothes? (I asked myself.) How could anyone maintain such a well polished blend of comically cadenced cynical satire over a sustained period without losing relevance or lustre? "The light that burns twice as bright..." and all that rot, you understand. Apparently you were mindful as well and issued notice of your intent to restructure your content by creating less to include "more." I must say this offering serves as a perfect proof of visionary concept in delivery, research and production values. Well Done, Sir! This post was of particular interest for me as several years ago I was on what sounded like a faith based "hook-up site" ("Adam" something or other) and was told by a potential "brother in worship" that he was interested but unavailable as he was sitting in a parking lot smoking meth in anticipation of his next Uber dispatch call. Let's just say that my virginity with both him and the transport service have remained in tact to this very day. I learned 3 things today. You clean up well and have great presence at large, the lava lamp is not being used as a crutch (more likely an instrument for subliminal "influence"), and apparently the U.K has certain crosswalks that instruct pedestrians to observe hula dancing regulations whilst crossing the street.

[@williamchamberlain2263]

Nice to see a startup playing in the same ruleset as established lobbyist-employing companies.

[@Tomwall92]

Hi Georg, loving the new format! However, do you think you could also record a wild track when you cut away to your pieces to camera and do the rest as voice over? It always throws me that I can't hear any traffic or any ambient noises when I see your lovely sarcastic face.

[@bigogle]

Did you overdub all of your narration on this? There's no background noise at all. If so, ggwp, it's pretty seamless.

[@TheAlison1456]

That sign with the animated woman would be surreal if it weren't for the ordinary looking environment around it

[@TheWerecatboy]

Here in Anchorage, Alaska it was a complete mess. Uber got their ass handed to them here, though Lyft still operates here.

[@paradoxinfinity-y2b]

In Japan, Uber is fine but only legal taxis can be Uber.

[@cacodemon4414]

I worked for a limousin company that also took Uber Black trips. That means high luxury cars like Mercedes S Class 300 and up. Problem with Uber is the rating system; they don't want drivers that have under 4,8 rating driving Black. So if most customers give you a 4 star rating over time you will be dropping. So drivers constantly have to give super excellent service to try and get 5 stars every time. This is impossible as you will always get one asshole who give you a 1 star or 2 or 3 for no reason; they had a bad day or you didn't drive super-perfect or took a different route than they think is the best. Shit system who only benefits passengers. I worked in that company for one year, when I left my rating was 4,70 ... many other drivers who had worked before me had to leave since their rating dropped under 4,8. Good drivers providing good service.

[@joachimmacdonald2702]

Last time I was this early George still had enough hair to look plausibly human

[@FrederikWeile]

Here in Denmark, Uber was made illegal for compeding with the established oligopoly of taxi companies. Taxis in Demark are extremely expensive and definitely not within the price range of the average Joe, so most Danes saw Uber as a welcome addition since there now was a taxi service for people with a more regular salary (around $4-5000/month). However, it got banned, and now taxis are exclussively for the wealthier segments once again. But then again, Denmark is a very socialist country with a lot of monopolies and oligopolies, and all that "market economy" and "free market" stuff is apparently swept under the rug. Not saying their business practices aren't shady at best, but they did offer much needed services for more people as well as jobs for people with no/low education, who might not otherwise be able to get a job. Great video, though! Very interesting, love pretty much everything on your channel - even your podcast! :)

[@dmitryalexandersamoilov]

I'm in Eastern USA, and Uber has opened up a whole new market for transportation. For the first time ever, you can get somewhere fast and cheap. Also, I love to drive, so it's the best job I've ever had. It perfectly fits my lifestyle. The cab companies are really terrible here: rude, expensive, late, inefficient. There are so many industries whose inefficiency can be solved with an Uber-like system. I literally cannot wait for the next one.

[@matsv201]

Yea... if there alreddy exist a shady oligopolly with there hands in the politics pockets.. there is no way you going to enter that market with out breaking any rules.

[@aaronlynch6895]

Frederik Weile Just wondering but how much on average would a taxi ride be in Denmark? Here in Ireland I find it expensive enough...

[@FrederikWeile]

I once paid $100 for a 30 minute ride home from the city, and the driver was late. However, this was at night, which might make it a bit more expensive than usual.

[@retardedfishfrogs1]

wouldn't it being a socialist country make taxis cheaper?

[@ihath]

Fantastic video. I only wish you would list where you got all the retro video clips from.

[@decimated550]

0:40 he mentions being in a uber driven by a illiterate immigrant whose son was translating the directions. that's one thing i hate about uber - it draws in unskilled immigrants who land in america and with a relatives license start driving, not even speaking the language and freaking people out.

[@ThrottleKitty]

I really enjoy watching billionaires drive themselves broke and ruin their billion dollar companies because billions of dollars wasn't enough for them.

[@TheGoddamnJefe]

Throttle Kitty THIS^

[@magsec5]

It’s all investments income

[@ausaskar]

Once you go public "growth" becomes everything, you gotta do better than last year's figures no matter how much seed you eat or bridges you burn, the shareholders demand it.

[@bubblegumgun3292]

They didn't do that to themselves. The government fucked them over because they weren't being crushed by laws im the UK until now. In the US they are successful.

[@ThrottleKitty]

Not really. Here in america, they break just as many laws, and basically no one uses them in favor of Lift. Also, if a government fucks a business over, they deserved it. End of story. Even if you are some anti government psycho, evil business are honestly much worse and more dangerous, so just be happy.

[@hewasfuzzywuzzy3583]

Uber can drive itself. That sounds like a self driving car was just told it could go fuck itself. I don't think Uber is going to be able to "unfuck itself."

[@ItsJustMe0585]

As much as I appreciate this piece, I hate the shady practices that lead to them retaliating with shady practices. Cab companies "wahhh... Uber is better than us, so lets find any way to shut them down." I'd not even use Uber if regular taxi cabs didn't suck ass. And they can no longer say it's because of the over head costs. Uber, at least in Edmonton Canada, is subject to the same costs, but still charge less than the average cab, drivers are polite, and you don't feel like you're in the back of a police car. Many people I spoke to used to work for yellow cab, and now do Uber because, according to them, the pay/flexible hours and better customer base make them happier. I know that's circumstantial and is likely different city-to-city, but it'd be a shame to see Uber go away and the monopoly return to cab unions, which screw their customers over left and right.

[@riz3310]

Hyper-exploitation, tax evasion, public safety violations, and fraud are ok and good actually because the services are mildly cheaper and more convenient for me. How dare unions protect their member’s interests and livelihoods, I demand cheap services that comes at the expense of other people’s well being!

[@Shavinism]

Very interesting Gerog and food for thought. Nice one liner there at the end ha!

[@cannonfodder4000]

I love the use of retro future videos here

[@carcasses5131]

Pretty glad I haven't used uber in months then, truly outstanding work Georg, I'm relentlessly impressed by your channel big boy. Forgive my ignorance, but is your new picture Mussolini?

[@Peepholecircus]

In animation it's a good idea a lot of the time to have the audio a few frames ahead. First bit of this video looks like it was dubbed by Golden Harvest lol. You'd make a good kung fu villain btw.

[@Johny40Se7en]

I only clicked on this video because I was curious what Uber is, I enjoy your style of video making as always but I don't really care what Uber is enough to watch all the way through =P

[@destinycaptain247]

All English signs in the background? Are you back in the UK or possibly the US?

[@zactron1997]

The dancing lady sign in the background of the opening shot is a mood

[@tomwilliams5273]

Wow great vid, I had heard stuff about Uber being shady but damn. I've deleted the app, which was hard cos I had to say goodbye to that 4.96 rating, ah well time to start again with lyft.

[@notimportant493]

uber used to operate where i lived but they left after poor buisness due to the sheer amount of asian taxi firms operating there and none of them wanting to use uber

[@jamesshiflett1618]

Good for Uber! I know tons of people who use it, and I've heard no complaints. If it breaks the licensing monopoly of the government, I'm all for it.

[@rndompersn3426]

Taxis are expensive because the drivers have the audacity to want to actually get paid for what they do. So selfish.

[@Bourikii2992]

Taxis are so expensive because the taxi companies lobby for shit "regulations" to stomp out cheaper competition. If uber was so horrible and low paying why is it so popular? Are you forced to drive for uber? No? Then fuck off. I bet you don't even know minimum wage exists solely to price out cheaper black labour.

[@russianboss0378]

I've been in so many Ubers as of lately where the drivers don't know how to read their GPS. Multiple times I have had drivers take wrong turns, get in the wrong lane, stop in the middle of an intersection to contemplate what to do next, one driver took me to the wrong school, another almost ran over a pedestrian until I said "Hey, there's someone in the crosswalk." I hate playing backseat driver to people that barely know English just so I can get back to my apartment. In fact, it's not just an English problem; some of these drivers do not know how to read road signs or estimate distances (such as "In the next 1000 feet, take the next turn.") I am all for more low-skilled jobs in an economy where technology is taking away every opportunity for the low-skilled, but what the hell even is Uber's vetting process? I live in Boston, which is one of the hardest cities to drive in, no doubt. But that's where the ability to interpret a GPS is crucial. I depend on Uber because I simply cannot afford to keep a car up here and public transportation does not get me back to my apartment in a timely manner after 9:00. I'm seriously considering switching to Lyft to see if the service is any better, although many Uber drivers also work for Lyft too.

[@FREDSDEADBABE]

Georg has good style. I love the boots he wears.

[@AppiusOS]

I went with uber after I got into a taxi that was over 40 minutes late, I was desperate to get to work and when it arrived there was a hooker in the front passenger seat. Never again

[@ThreadBomb]

You're worried there'll be another hooker in your seat?

[@Klblaz]

He is worried that there wont be one.

[@GenericInternetter]

You should have refused to enter the vehicle with another passenger if that violates the agreed rules. If not, then you do agree to share with any kind of passenger, regardless of whether you approve of their lifestyle or profession. If on the other hand you feel a crime is taking place or has taken place, then call the police and do not enter the vehicle. If you are late for work, then you need to use better public transport, obtain your own private transport arrangements, or find a new job closer to your residence. I don't understand what you are whining about. The logic about all of it is straightforward.

[@buckledben]

I think that explaining that to him while you are late, pressured and the driver might not know english that well, justify his decision to get in the taxi anyway and later regretting it.

[@charlesjurgus]

Great vid, thanks.

[@mitchio86]

People over complicate things. They hook you up with a ride. Simple. What's not to like.

[@sidma1980]

Did you watched the video?

[@mitchio86]

yes and it was a lot of fussing about nothing. Employment law was the only thing of interest and thats for the courts to decide.

[@paulhendrix8599]

Oh, could you maybe attribute the clips you use? The scene at 1:28 has sparked my interest.

[@StermaPerma]

I breaks rules alright. I missed two flights because my uber decided not to show up without letting me know.

[@frealms]

You didn't check if they were coming with the app? Here we can see the driver's location in real time when we hail a ride.

[@StermaPerma]

I did check: One was on time but drove right past me to some other target and the other was on his way as well but just stopped moving half way.

[@eustacequinlank7418]

I wouldn't have based my flights over Uber though really. I'd have pre-booked travel well in advance. Uber and the like is for "Where shall we go to become inebriated now across town" "I want to go home quick, this place is fucking boring".

[@ZombieSharky]

Great video as usual.

[@JayRNaylor]

Given how overregulated everything is, I don't blame companies for finding ways to skirt them as much as possible. I mean, you have a company providing a service that a *lot* of people find valuable and decide to use regardless of whatever risks there may be. That's a voluntary choice and a risk assessment each individual should be free to make That last part can't be overstated.

[@letsburn00]

The thing they were getting sued over was claiming sufficient insurance, while in reality they don't provide insurance that will actually work.

[@coolliz21]

Great vid!

[@TheAlonelonelyloner]

So much information in one video I had to watch it twice.

[@capisceeshorigami3702]

The new lava lamp looks great

[@kristopherbigelow]

yo where's that Robocop video?

[@ZeroG84]

wow. Really really good audio... and I can't even spot the mic. Impressive. Have your self a like just for that :)

[@Hip0lit0]

Where is Georg? That statue/bench at 6:37-ish is called Homeless Jesus. There are several of them, most of them located in the US. Where is this particular statue located?

[@lavender3717]

I think Georg lives in Mexico

[@phunkym8]

as someone who never used uber and doesnt even own a smartphone: isnt uber just the app? the service of bringing 2 people together and charging a percentage from the driver? the drivers arent employees of uber, are they? couldnt the passenger and the driver just mutually pretend cancel the uber call in the app to evade the charg by uber?

[@Elbierth]

He is back

[@bitcrusher1355]

Solid content mate.

[@kittykuroki]

hey ive seen that little dancing lights girl behind you in Chicago, except its just her walking but its aesthetically almost identical

[@Abe-]

YOOOO!!! You live in Indy! That was Mass Ave wasn’t it? I live there too it’s a great city

[@Horzuhammer]

I think he's said he lives in Mexico. Either he's moved or just visiting.

[@handsomebrick]

Some would argue that dodging regulations is a form of disruption. A notable example is Hollywood, whose rise in the film industry was mostly due to Thomas Edison having difficulties enforcing his patent on the technology there.

[@arturczerwinski2616]

From the perspective of a taxi driver from Poland: Uber started its service in our capital city, Warsaw, 4 years ago. At the beginning, nobody was paying attention, as we've already had similar services locally - I mean, people without taxi driver's licence doing taxi driver's job. But without the cool application, aggresive marketing, and being trendy. In a matter of months, Uber has become a major company in Warsaw, it also started its services in other big Polish cities. Right now, we estimate it has at least 2000 cars in Warsaw alone, on the market that has around 8-10 thousands of active, legal taxi drivers. However, it needs to be noted, that most of these cars work 24/7, usually with two drivers on 12 hour shifts. Most of these cars are owned by sub-companies, who hire those drivers on a minimal wage. The amount of rides it takes away from the market is thus enormous. Now, as to legal matters: in Poland, to do a taxi driver's job you need to pass the exam proving that you know the city you're going to work in. Next, you have to have a clean criminal record. The car you're going to put into service needs to be very specifically equipped, taxi meter checked every 24 months by The Office of Weight and Measurements, and so on, and so on. The penalty for offering rides without licence is 8000 PLN, which is around 2000 USD. As the author said in his video, legislators and officials are just catching up. In Poland, there is a law, by there is very poor execution of it. There are around 5-10 cars being caught every month, and Uber officially gives money to those who are caught, so they can afford to pay them and more importantly, so that others don't get afraid and quit (which is what fines are generally invented for). Thanks to that, the average price of 1 km in a taxi in Warsaw is around 2,00 PLN, which is around 50 US cents. Not going into boring calculations, this means that I earn around 15 PLN an hour - which is around 4 USD. That's my net gain in a city with average flat prices comparable to Berlin, where taxis are around 4 times more expensive (one square meter of a flat in Warsaw costs, on average, 2000 Euros). It's always nice to buy something cheaper, but often we don't think what price is being paid for that by other people. In Warsaw, Uber is destroying at least 8000 established taxi driver's jobs right now, don't know how many in other cities combined, but at least another few thousands. The drivers hired by those sub-contractors for Uber, also don't earn much, and having neither their own car or licence, their position in the company is rather poor and they can be fired instantly. Not to mention total lack of idea about the city or driving - there where some spectacular crashes with Uber drivers in Warsaw. Oh, and thanks to their ability to change prices from minute to minute, depending on demand, they are often much more expensive than a a legal taxi here. Thank you for your material, I knew all this but I think many regular users didn't. As to whether they will fall, I really wish they would, but I don't think so. They are too big already, and people somehow don't care whether it's legal taxi or illegal regular car. Summing it all up, Uber was a good idea as a sharing service, for people who want to take sb occasionaly when going to work, in exchange for money for gas. Right now it does not have anything to do with that model, it's a full time, regular job, being done by unqualified, underpaid, underequipped people, stealing the jobs from those who invested into it their life, their knowledge, their money. There's a reason why taxis in most civilised countries are pretty expensive, regular person has no idea how much it costs to keep a car running, properly serviced, insured, plus, doing it in some sensible and legal working time. If you cut corners, it seems that there is so much you can take off the price, but, well... somebody always has to pay, sooner or later. Those whose jobs are destroyed, those who will die in a car accident, those who won't get proper insurance money. Have a nice day and thanks again for your effort!

[@chrisharris4999]

Well said Sir.

[@altrogeruvah]

Uber is almost non-existent in Greece, only serving as a taxi-hailing service, but we have our own app made in Greece, Beat. I was really against the Uber ban back then, but having come to understand the intricacies behind the logistics and what the taxi unions are going through, I am now for it. Very useful service for sure, but I don't think we're there yet.

[@zerg0s]

One thing of note about the "German three judge panel": Only one of them is an actual judge. We don't have juries in Germany, we have an official judge and two junior judges, who are just, well, random people, like US juries. They and the judge overhear the case, and then retreat to figure out their guilty/non-guilty verdict between the three of them. Of note is that the actual judge doesn't have any more say in the case than the two citizen-judges. ...at least in theory.

[@MrPurplesheepy]

The city that I live in Australia has embraced Uber, and the government seems to favour it over taxis. Most public events will now have a designated Uber pick up/drop off area. Taxis have failed to keep up with technology here so the government has decided to roll with Uber. You can pay by paypal for example so you don't have to worry about finding cash or paying a credit card surcharge. The shady business practices in this video really surprised me, because we haven't had that much controversy in Australia (apart from taxi drivers of course)

[@ThomasVanHoesenDeadpooliscool]

what movie were those clips of the futuristic society from?

[@Azaisdaking]

Having just come from living in Malaysia, it's crazy how badly they bungled trying to set themselves up in South East Asia. They came in late, offered an inferior service to Grab (a SE Asian ride sharing service), and ultimately had to pull out. Selling off their services to Grab in exchange for a chunk of their company.

[@davidcameo]

I'm impressed at your ability to delve into other areas than film. The all-encompassing man. Hmm

[@ExarPalantas]

Dude, are you walking around Mass Ave? That's my favorite nightlife area.

[@livewithmeterandnomeasureb1679]

Uber broke my stepdad who was a cab driver for 25 years spirit. I also had a cabbie friend who had to move into his cab because uber took all his business. He died of kidney disease less than 2 years later. My stepdad has also passed. RIP stepdad and friend.

[@clarkjames1510]

in the city I live in uber is still the only decent app based taxi solution, and given that I get taxis literally everywhere for work, something that i can assure gets me a ride within a few minutes, is cashless and i can easily switch between private and business accounts, that puts all my business receipts neatly into a weekly printable document, and provide a convenient way of ordering a taxi where my other 2 options are stand on the street corner in the rain, 'flag down a black taxi and pay a premium for it while having the driver grumble for writing a receipt and me wanting to pay on my business credit card, or have to literally phone up a private hire company, to then wait an indeterminate time before suddenly getting a call that my taxi is outside, I don't agree with uber as a company, but by god is it so impossible for a local company to just copy their design to remain competitive

[@Kenro200x]

I don't think Uber and other ridesharing companies are finished. Here in DC, the Metro isn't safe and reliable. Their ridership is down significantly and even when jobs subsidize metro fees for their employees, people just pass on that (like me). I use Lyft and after a few years, so far so good.

[@sonchezz]

Been a while since I lived there, but it's easy to recognize Mass Ave

[@CadgerChristmasLightShow]

What an awesome video topic! I had no idea about the shadiness of uber before this. Keep up the good work man!

[@44almm]

here in china when uber was introduced they had X minutes free rides, and you could sign up with as many phone numbers as you wanted, so people got loads of free rides.... but thisshowed that they had a huge userbase, and then prompted to show the figures to people inrested in buying it... and a chinese company did (didi)

[@ronfroehlich4697]

In most cities in America it was impossible to get a ride to or from the suburbs before the rise of Uber. All of the laws regarding taxis were made as a way to prevent competition with existing taxi companies and to make wealth aquisition more difficult for poor people who might seek to employ themselves by driving people around.

[@chapterblaq]

Keep using this "walking about" format from time to time. It's dynamic.

[@zanthraxnl]

Uber are like drug dealers. They are operating a business in an unnecessarily regulated section. Why would the government care what I put in my body and why would they care what cab I get into? By overregulation both have been turned into criminals without a valid reason. By making them criminals a requirement was created for them to do more stuff that falls into the criminal realm, just to keep their business running. The taxi business carries an artificial scarcity in most countries that drives up process by reducing competition. Uber have been scummy in several instances but I still applaud them for disrupting their sector and I don't see a reason why a service like theirs should not exist.

[@999YCM]

you don't even see rickshaws anymore! have you seen a rickshaw lately? you haven't!

[@magaz]

nobody believes me when I tell them about uber and how bad they really are. The Dollop have a really good episode of their podcast about it, definitely worth a listen if you want to go further in detail!

[@ToumalRakesh]

Unfortunately in certain cities, for example if you're south of Paris, Uber is a godsend to have because after 11pm there's often no way to get a regular taxi. I was once stuck around Evry because the train service was suspended and even the taxi night hotline (which cost 6 euros just for the call itself) only played a tape and then hung up. So while Uber may be on the fringe of legality, the fact is that many taxi companies are simply robbers.