[Goethite]

The great shame of all this distrust amongst drivers, is that ridesharing is a brilliant 21st century concept, it's just that Uber have applied 19th / 20th century employer attitudes to their drivers.

It is actually very similar to the majority of mining companies - where the employee is treated like an idiot child, with no respect, hidden beneath a thin veneer of care. And really, Uber's absolute insistence, on no person to person contact and reliance on bland data driven text responses, is no different from say dealing with a telco or a government department.

Just watch and listen to a politician avoiding answering questions, or reacting as say Colin Barnett - getting angry and confrontational if questioned. The sad reality is Uber treats drivers exactly as most other businesses and large employers do.

Collectively, we hate it, but we're powerless to do anything. Question a public servant or demand an answer, or respect and you know very well you're going to the back of the queue. Question an employer and there goes your job, or at the very least, and opportunity of advancement.

So it's important not to single out Uber as being any different to most large companies - they simply do not see any value in you or I as an individual.

Everyone on this forum understands that two things would make the job viable - a 15% increase in fare structure and payment of the GST by Uber. The only other need would be genuine respect for the drivers.

Now it's not going to happen, but how interesting would it be to see Richard Branson, open up a Virgin Rideshare business, applying the business and moral principles he so strongly insists on. He could cherry pick the best drivers and vehicles and he has no need to build a brand, Virgin is trusted across the world. Finally, in defense of Uber office staff, from many years experience in the corporate world, I have no doubt those people directly employed by Uber, at Subiaco, or any other office, are just as badly treated as drivers are - they simply reflect the culture of the company.

Very astute observations Larrikin, and you're right on the money I'm thinking. Sad but true ... 'they simply do not see any value in you or I as an individual' it's all a numbers game for them trying to maximise their profits, and aided by the conveyor belt of new drivers signing up all the time. I agree about the staff at HQ, I understand they're on peanuts as well, and no doubt a lot of stress to boot.

If the fares went up 15 - 20% and surges became a lot more frequent you're right, we'd all be a lot happier. Any young person/pax showing interest in being an Uber driver I tell them sincerely do yourself a favour and go and chase the 'big money' working for MacDonalds because that's the sad reality ... at least then they're not wearing their car down as well as getting minimum wage or less.

Perfect for me as someone semi-retired, but I can imagine the stress if someone was misled enough to take out a car loan to 'get into ubering' plus a mortgage/rent to pay plus kids mouths to feed ... it would be pretty grim and he/she would be running themselves ragged working very long hours. I was informed by an American pax that uber brought their rates down rock bottom over there long enough to gain dominant market share then gradually brought the rates up to a more sustainable level for drivers ... perhaps a pipe dream, but it would be great if it was true.

The actual uberring is great fun a lot of the time though ... meeting people / chats it's still got me hooked after 6 months ...but boy I wish they'd implement that thing they're trailling in Melbourne whereby late at night a driver can somehow tweak it so that you only are offered rides in the direction of home rather than the other direction. Had another one last night around midnight... in the city, wanted to jag a pax going north, no joy, ended up halfway up the Freeway towards Joondalup and Ping! but the chap wanted to go to Canningvale! Staggered home at 1:15am ... hmmm