16 Comments

Probably. But I'd like to think that maybe the drivers just got tired of wearing the mask.

Expand full comment

A fundamental principle of economics is that “people respond to incentives”. If you pay people not to work, many won’t work. Unfortunately, progressives seem not to understand this. They evidently live in a fantasy world where incentives don’t matter and all elasticities are zero.

Expand full comment

AB5 plus these shenanigans have made Uber and Lyft nearly unusable in California.

Expand full comment

Guessing you did not want to use AMA !!!! Don’t blame you…

Expand full comment

Another result of the Covid hysteria....making people more dependent on government checks than their own ability to work. This is just one of several things that happened that will further the agenda of the left. The more they can get you to depend on that government hand out, the easier it is to bring about the socialist revolution. One day, people will wake up. The only question is will it be soon enough to stop this or will it be after all of our liberties are gone. Keep preaching truth, Gato!

Expand full comment

Simple economics 101; if one can get more money from gov assistance than what one could make at a job, lots would prefer the former.

BTW Gato, check this out (completely off-topic, I know):

https://twitter.com/Emily_Burns_V/status/1400538856978632704

They really don't want to let the mask thing die...

And Cal OSHA went further; apparently employers would have to offer unvaxed employees fitted N95s (yeah, you read right). If they refuse, then all employees have to wear masks, regardless of their vax status.

Initially, it looked like they rejected the proposal, but they reversed their stance and approved it (coming from California, I guess it's not surprising).

In reality, it's just another form of coercion to get the jab.

Expand full comment

Don't stop at Uber. Tesla wants to play too. It always amazes me that some poor hermano slaving away in a chicken processing plant or some hermana sweating through a shift cooking in a restaurant contributes tax dollars to subsidize six-figure earning baizuo office plankton's 15% off retail on their sizzling new Model 3. How's that for "redistributing" the wealth?

Expand full comment

I do not uber old to be out late and no more busy travel but labor is short in fast food bc reserve price feature not big bu g.

Expand full comment

I'm still laughing at Uber. I drove Uber Lux for a couple years in a ES350, the smallest 4 door sedan by Lexus. Then I upgraded to an RX350 like these: https://www.carmax.com/cars/lexus/rx-350/black. In early 2020, Uber started a slightly higher priced service called Premier. Drivers needed a high rating; no problem there, but I wasn't getting any rides, while my Lux rides dwindled. Uber told me all Lux cars were eligible except the Lexus RX350, which is pure luxury with lots more room than the ES350 and easy to get in and out of. My repeat customers all loved it. Then Uber said they were discontinuing LUX but I could drive UberX in my RX350, which is only slightly profitable if you drive a Prius and are desperate. The funny part was that's when Covid started and being an old fart, I wasn't about to drive folks around town in those swiss cheese masks for any price.

Expand full comment