re: Baton Rouge Uber drivers to strike Friday before Mardi Gras

Baton Rouge has a Mardi Gras?

Yeah, I really don't understand what they're trying to accomplish in this market. They were advertising hard to get more drivers signed up, and then slashed rates right after. I guess they're thinking they'll rope in new drivers while screwing those that are used to the better rates, and the new people will stick it out?

There's also some program that some people (high rated, tenured drivers) have gotten into to guarantee their rates to the pre slashed level if they meet certain criteria.

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Only real time to make money in BR is during surge hours late night on the weekends.

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I was doing this for the most part well before this latest round of cuts. You can't allow yourself to lose money trying to make money. Lafayette got hit with the cuts as well.

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So dumb.

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While I understand your frustration...its a dam ride sharing app not a job.

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While I understand your frustration...its a dam ride sharing app not a job.

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I have a full time job. That's not my point. I'm talking about how stupid their current business decisions are.

It used to be a ride sharing app. That's my point. The price point was high enough to keep middle and even upper class people interested as drivers which made the entire experience nice.

Now the price and profits so low Uber is quickly becoming another cab company. It's losing the drivers that made the company different from the cab companies. It's increasing wait times, and it's all around worse experience for all involved.

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Chasing the flat rates?

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Just staying uptown by the colleges and downtown. No one is ever going far, so youd get a bunch of runs all close to each other and throw in an airport run or two I'd make great money.

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Now the price and profits so low Uber is quickly becoming another cab company. It's losing the drivers that made the company different from the cab companies. It's increasing wait times, and it's all around worse experience for all involved.

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Ding ding ding.

I was doing it in a brand new Passat. I'm an IT consultant that's always dressed like I'm going to client sites. I drive well, am cordial, and was damn good at it. People like me aren't going to keep doing it.

People like the last driver I had - terrible BO, driving a beat to shite minivan are going to be the new norm.

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I was doing it in a brand new Passat. I'm an IT consultant that's always dressed like I'm going to client sites. I drive well, am cordial, and was damn good at it. People like me aren't going to keep doing it.

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Yup. I have a brand new clean car, always in slacks and a button down or a suit and always nice.

My last guy was in a t-shirt, didnt know the city, kept asking me where the corner of canal and Claiborne is, had some stupid music playing the whole time and was in a shitty car.

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I guess they feel like they own their own business bc they get to drive around in their cars all day.

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Considering that they are classified as independent contractors and not employees, that kinda drives that line of thinking.

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didnt know the city, kept asking me where the corner of canal and Claiborne is

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Did you enter the name of the place you were going, or at least put in an address? I'm certain that there are drivers who hate it when a rider doesn't put in a destination that would at least allow them to immediately use their turn by turn navigation.