Uber Controversy

“It’s a simple experience and a much more pleasant way to get a ride than stepping onto a busy street and waving at oncoming traffic” (Stone, 2014, p. 53). It is convenient for both the employee and customer to arrange a ride, which makes Uber preferable. Additionally, the employees of Uber are given more benefits than the employees of taxi companies. For example, Uber issues an iPhone with the Uber software, free gear to secure it to their windshield and an hour of orientation (Stone, 2014, p. 52). It is this simplicity that appeals to people seeking employment. They are also using a platform that is accessible to many of their customers, because, as of 2015, “64% of American adults now own a smartphone of some kind” (Smith, 2015). Since their focus is on luxury, innovation, and results, they have transformed the public transportation system in their favor.

The sharing economy has its perks however also its inconveniences. Mary Dejevsky is the writer of “Uber and the “sharing economy” are leaps into the past, not the future”, and in the text she speaks on the downside of the sharing economy. “There are questions, too, about quality of life and fairness. What recourse do you have if you are a tenant or home-owner disturbed by anti-social short-stayers? If you are a neighbor woken by driveway customers slamming their doors at 6am? If pollution is increased by the many more cars plying for hire? If wages are further depressed by casualization?”, Dejevsky lists various of problems that people face or could face now that sharing economy is becoming a global thing. All the things she mentions are pretty

A customer’s experience using cabs was mostly the same in 2014 as it was in 1983. They would call the dispatch number and give them the information of where to be picked up and dropped off at. The dispatcher typically told the rider that it would be about a twenty-minute wait and sometimes longer. When the rider reached their destination, they would either pay with cash or swipe their card which would require them to wait extra time for approval. Most drivers didn’t like when customers used cards because companies would charge a fee on them (Liss). Uber made this entire process very simple and easy for customers. When registering on the Uber app, you are required to put your credit card information on there to create an account. By doing this, the payment at the end of your ride is automatically processed and no tip is need because it is already added on to your payment at the end. You are given the option of rating your driver at the end of the ride with most drivers receiving very good reviews. Uber has taken advantage of the ability of being able to use smartphones to order rides and has made the payment method very easy for customers.

There is a ongoing debate and controversy over whether Uber is safe and if it's undercutting the taxi industry.

John McDuling‘s article “Locals fight back against Uber in ridesharing battle” in the Australian Financial

The thesis of this article explains that despite surge pricing achieving the goal that it’s supposed to, (bring more drivers online and present available services to consumers who need them the most) most believe Uber is taking advantage of customers by using extreme multiplier prices. While the author states that this issue between price and product/service is giving Uber a relative degree of bad press, he also gives solutions as to how to fix this problem.

In recent months, there has been controversy surrounding the fairly new and popular concept of ride sharing companies . Primarily, ride-sharing companies are online-based networks that connect passengers with drivers that use their personal vehicles through a mobile platform. Some of the most popular ride-sharing companies include the well-known Uber, Lyft, and Wingz’s. The packleader of them all, Uber, has recently been challenged by the government, taxi companies, and their own drivers over legal matters. They have been accused of bending around labor laws and disregarding regulations around transportation for hire industry in many of the large US cities where they are present. In mid-2015, Uber has been involved in at least 173 different

The article “Uber’s New Goal: Flying Cars in Less Than a Decade” by Jamie Condliffe, appears in the MIT Technology Review. Uber has announced it wants to build an on-demand urban aviation system. The article explains how Uber is not content with upending the taxi industry and developing self-driving cars. Even though the idea seems a little outrageous, it seems that Uber is completely serious. The company has also recently published a statement that declares urban air transportation will use three-dimensional airspace to alleviate transportation congestion on the ground. Another point to mention, Uber does not plan to build the cars. Instead, they hope to other companies to create them. To be fair, Uber realizes there are hurdles. In their

In modern society’s day and age, we still have many types of transportations that helps us complete some of our daily needs. You can drive, grab a bus, take a train or even get a quick workout and walk. However, as society progressed and wages increased, people start spending money on other ways to get around instead of driving themselves such as Uber: an app that allows other people to drive you places for a small fee depending on its location. Uber may be cheaper than having your own car but it isn’t always very reliable or convenient. Having your own car provides a reliable source of transportation. Although insurance and maintenance can be pricey; Uber is a relatively cheap and easy system of transportation, although it can be unreliable.

Cab aggregators have been a boon to the society. They ensure that one reaches their destination on time and without any hassles.

Uber is ridesharing smart phone application that connects drivers to passages and is an alternative option to the taxi industry. The core of the company’s business model revolves around lawbreaking, which enables it to have a competitive advantage in this industry through the use of noncommercial cars with drivers who lack the special driver’s licenses and/ or permits required by regulators. Both Uber’s upper management and lawyers are responsible for building a culture of illegality.

This industry has already started expanding their business more than just ride sharing application they have gone into electric driving. One of the CEOs Travis Kalanick of this business said it will be intense, but it is only for expanding the company on making more profit (Felton). In Ryan Felton article he stresses Uber overall problem is will their money last enough to have a trucking and a driverless car. I believe that if Uber budgets their money right and avoid lawsuits they can expand one part of the company at a time.

As a shopper, they would similar interest as potential customers, tourist, or pedestrians. Where Uber could provide them a more convenient way for them to travel to their next destination. Presenting the confirmation bias, if the shoppers shopped a lot, it would be irritating to use public transportation where they need to watch out from crowds or carry the merchants around. With Uber, shoppers can be driven to their destination without any difficulties.

I think Uber reputation definitely tarnished by the recent bad press. However, it does not seem to stop the millenniums from continue using their services. I came across an article about a generation of “sharing and not caring”. It said “Millenniums came of age during the Great Recession, and it is slow, grinding aftermath. Their habits were shaped by a bottoming-out of the housing market and the disappearance of easy credit. The generation with the highest-ever burden of student loan debt also saw a sharp contraction in wages.” (Davis O., 2015) The technology allowed more possession to live online, therefore, millenniums tend to drive less, and some don’t even own a car This may be one of the factors why uber remains popular despite

Uber started out as a ridesharing mobile application in 2009, a pioneer in the modern sharing economy. Today, Uber has expanded its services to include food delivery and are now operating in more than 450 cities (Elliott, 2015). However, Uber’s international growth is threatened by stiff competition from other ridesharing applications such as Gett, Lyft, and Grab, coupled with accusations of unethical business practices (Davis, 2015; Garrett, Bradford, Meyers & Becker, 1989) and bans from operating in certain countries. To make matters worse, Uber’s recent data breach cover-up scandal has shown consistency in their poor decision making.