#Uber and Lyft Safety

[justkameelah]

Still under construction. Just posting this reminder for everyone. Be safe and happy new year. Here’s to hoping you get everything you want and deserve this year

[completeandrandomshit]

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It's different for Lyft but they still have an option for to let someone be informed about where you are in your ride.

[maxbegone]

The election doesn’t start tomorrow, it ends tomorrow.

If you haven’t already, please make sure you are registered to vote and know where your polling place is (vote.org is a great and easy way to get that information). Additionally, please make sure you have a way to get to your polling place. Uber and Lyft often give free or discounted rides to the polls, and this year the car rental company, Hertz, is allowing free one-day rentals to get to the polls. More information on that here.

EDIT: NAACP has a discount code to use for Lyft, valid for two rides up to $20 ($40 total). Use code: NAACPVOTE24

The following states allow same day registration for general elections, ie: the presidential election:

California

Colorado

Washington DC

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Iowa

Maine

Maryland

Michigan

Minnesota

Montana

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Mexico

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Note: North Dakota does not require formal voter registration, and upon presenting valid identification at a polling place, eligible citizens receive their ballot to vote.

all info here

The following states are required by law to give you time off to vote (between one and three hours):

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Georgia

Illinois

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Maryland

Massachusetts

Minnesota

Missouri

Nebraska

Nevada

New Mexico

New York

Ohio

Oklahoma

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

*Most states requiring employers to permit voting leave also require that this time is paid. Among the above, the following do not: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Dakota. (info here)

Again, it is your right to vote. If you are in line when the polls close, stay in line. It is your legal right to vote.

If you are turned away at the polls, say the following verbatim: “Give me a provisional ballot with a receipt as required by law.”

If you make a mistake on your ballot, you have the right to ask for a new ballot. Don’t cross anything out, simply ask for a new one.

Poll workers are required to make reasonable accommodations for voters who need, including ballots in other languages or translators.

Canvassing is not allowed at polling places, and no one is allowed to threaten or intimidate voters. You have the right to report anything of the like.

All info taken from here

Some tips:

Don’t wear political merch to the polls.

Don’t engage with anyone about your politics at the polls.

Don’t take phone calls inside your polling place — it can wait, please be respectful.

Research who is running locally and see what their policies are. Additionally, research any local propositions that may be on the ballot. The language on ballots is made to be purposefully confusing, so make sure you read everything carefully in addition to your research.

If you’re able to get up early on Election Day, go right when your polling place opens to beat the line.

REMEMBER: IT IS YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE!

Here are a list of state-by-state voter protection hotlines, as well as hotlines in various other languages:

Please vote tomorrow if you have not already. It’s so important, and choosing not to vote or voting for a third party is a vote for extremist measures. Vote down the ballot, and do not let anyone bully you into voting one certain way.

What we are seeing throughout this election cycle (and the last two election cycles) is entirely abnormal. The bullying we see from a certain side and its supporters is childish and dangerous. They spew false information, make racist remarks, and sexualize and discriminate fellow candidates. No single presidential candidate is completely and wholly good, so criticize accordingly.

Vote with those you love in mind, vote with your safety in mind, and vote for those who will be affected for decades to come. Vote for someone who speaks coherently, not for someone who is, let’s be honest, not cognitively alright — and that is the bare minimum of the issue.

If you have anything to add to this post, please do. If anything is incorrect, please let me know and I will gladly change it.

Vote. Vote. Vote.

[fabricdragondesigns]

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[qqueenofhades]

I am FULLY ONBOARD the Harris/Waltz train, tho before this i was leaning towards Mark Kelly (AZ is a swing state! He's an ASTRONAUT!) If you want or have time, no pressure, but any thoughts on what makes Waltz a better pick?

I like Mark Kelly too, and since he's married to Gabby Giffords (having run for public office after she got shot and could no longer do so) he would have been an amazing pick in terms of supporting the first female POTUS. But he is a less charismatic public speaker than Walz (for whatever that's worth, but politics is a mess of Aesthetics and Vibes that matter as much and/or more than actual facts) and more moderate/conservative. He's been a great senator and picking him would defuse some of the BORDER IMMIGRATION BLAH BLAH!!! scaremongering that Republicans love to run on, but it would also leave open the possibility of losing a special election and other dangers with the Democratic senate that we really need to minimize. So Walz is a better choice for that alone, but also:

He really has serious progressive credentials as governor, even if he was a fairly mainstream Democrat (who flipped a rural red House district in Minnesota that Democrats have not been able to win again after he left) during his 12 years in the House. This is an INCOMPLETE LIST of what he was able to do in two years with a one-seat Democratic majority in Minnesota:

A Climate Action Plan that included:

Investing in energy infrastructure

100% carbon-free electricity by 2040 goal

Transition off of fossil fuels and onto clean energy resources

Building more electric vehicle charging stations

Providing funding to help workers acquire new skills through apprenticeship programs in clean energy fields

Direct state funding for transit

Money for rail

Tax credit for e-bikes

Permitting form to fast-track clean energy projects

And that was in addition to:

Codified abortion access in Minnesota

Guaranteed paid sick time and paid family and medical leave

Funded replacing ALL LEAD PIPES IN THE STATE

Free school breakfasts and lunches for all

Made public college free

Stronger labor protections

Drivers’ Licenses for All

Voting Rights Act to reverse recent court rulings that make voting harder, including restored voting rights to convicted felons

Banning medical debt from credit bureaus

The "Taylor Swift Bill" requiring all ticket "junk fees" be shown up front

Banning most "junk fees"

No book bans

Protection for tipped workers

Banned non-competes

Legalized recreational cannabis

Gun control, including increased penalties for straw purchases of firearms, expanded background checks and enacted red-flag laws, passing gun safety measures that the GOP has thwarted for years

Made MN a Trans Refuge State, and required health plans to cover “medically necessary gender-affirming care.”

Pay increase for Uber and Lyft drivers

Elimination of the so-called “gay panic defense”

A ban on “doxxing” election workers

A prohibition on “swatting” elected officials

In March, during the height of the Gaza/uncommitted primary protests against Biden, Walz said that young people should be listened to and they had a right to be speaking up and the situation in Gaza was horrible and intolerable, without directly slamming Biden or getting involved in the issue in a way to draw negative headlines. Regardless of what you think about any of it, that is a very deft way to handle it and pairs well with Kamala's better responsiveness on the Gaza issue overall. That was a big part of the reason why Gen Z/younger voters were very excited about Walz despite him being an "old" (actually the same age as Kamala but he has joked that teaching high school for 20 years will do that to a guy) white guy. If half the battle in politics is making the right pick to excite your core voters and reach out to new ones, then Harris nailed it. As I have said in earlier posts, there was just too much energy with young voters FINALLY checking in when Harris became the candidate, to risk introducing a big ideological split with Shapiro.

Aside from that: the most insufferable Smart White-Bro Political Pundits (TM) are big mad about Walz, many Never Trumper Republicans thought they were entitled to a "moderate" in exchange for oh-so-generously lending us their vote against Trump and not run the risk that we might end up with someone *gasp* progressive, and the regular MAGA Republicans are hysterical, which means they're terrified. It's also incredibly hard to paint Literal Midwestern Stereotype Dad (football coach, social studies high school teacher, military veteran, etc) as THE EVIL END OF AMERICA in the way they desperately want to do, though the fact that they're trying shows that they've got literally nothing. The fact that Kamala picked Walz against the PREVAILING WISDOM!!! that she had to take Shapiro (for whatever reason that might have been) is also a good sign, because by far the most genuine and extensive enthusiasm that I have seen from Democratic voters, especially those feeling burned out or disillusioned or angry with specific policy choices of the current administration, was for Walz. Having everyone excited for the pick beforehand, effectively using the "weird" line, and rallying behind the guy, only for her to actually go for him, is inspiring. It makes people feel like they're being heard and the Democrats have decided to win by being progressive, and not just endlessly Catering To The (Imaginary) Middle as they have always been told to do (and often done). That alone is MASSIVE.

Walz is tremendously funny, personable, has Democrats from AOC to Joe Manchin praising it (again, shocking), was right out the gate supporting Kamala, has already been majorly successful on TV, was by far the most progressive-on-policy picks of the VP finalists, is incredibly, hilariously wholesome and small-town Midwestern (he's the JD Vance that they wish JD Vance was), and is already sending ActBlue gangbusters with donations again. And when you're getting this kind of response on the Cursed Bird Hellsite, just:

Just. I don't know what's happening either. But let's enjoy it, and then work hard, because we gotta fucking do this and for possibly the first time this entire year, I really think we might. Heck yeah.

[soursturniolo]

Send Me Your Location

Pairing - Matt Sturniolo/Reader

Summary: A girls night out goes south, and your boyfriend comes to your rescue.

Tags: angst while reader is alone, a creepy man being creepy (this doesn’t last long), Matt being a good bf, Nick and Chris being good bros, fluffy fluff at the end

TW: unwanted touching - (creepy man touches readers waist), unwanted attention

Word Count: written on my phone so I’m not sure

You found yourself outside, shivering from the cool breeze in downtown LA. You had been invited to club with by some friends, and decided to go pretty last minute. Matt hadn’t been able to come due to needing to film with his brothers.

So now, here you were, standing outside the club staring down at your phone, finger hovering over the call button near Matt’s contact. Matt always told you to call if you ever needed anything. You were still worried you’d upset him, knowing if you called now the boys were probably in the middle of a video. But it was dark and uncharacteristically chilly for LA tonight, and you were now alone after your friends insisted on moving to a club that you knew had a bad reputation and didn’t feel comfortable going to. Every Uber and Lyft had at least a two hour wait, and you were getting more scared and uncomfortable by the minute.

Sighing to yourself, hoping it wouldn’t upset Matt or his brothers too much, you decided to give your boyfriend a call.

It rang twice before he answered, and you smiled as you heard him yell at his brothers to shut up before he said anything to you.

“Hey, baby. How’s girls night going?” He asked, voice quiet but sounding happy.

You grimaced at the question before answering.

“Hi Matt, not so well. The girls wanted to go to another club but I didn’t feel comfortable going and now I’m kinda stranded,” you told him, voice soft and a bit shaky. It was scary being in this part of LA by yourself at night.

“They just left you?” Matt asked, sounding shocked as you heard the sound of his key turning in the ignition of his car and it come on.

“Yeah, I tried to get an Uber but they’re all over a two hour wait, so I was wondering if maybe you’d have time to-“ before you can even finish asking Matt is answering.

“Text me your location, baby, we’re on the way now,” he tells you as you also hear him talking to his now, very confused brothers.

“What is going on? Is she okay?” You hear Nick ask, sounding so worried. Chris speaks up and offers to take the phone so Matt can focus more on driving. You hear some rustling as you move to send your location to him, so you assume Matt took him up on the offer.

“I just shared my location with you,” you tell him.

“Chris, map us there,” Matt says.

“Already doing it. We are 15 minutes away,” Chris tells you both.

“We’re coming, babe. Just try to stay in a well lit area and stay on the phone with us,” Matt tells you, voice soft but serious.

“Okay, I’m sorry for interrupting you guys, I know you were probably trying to film,” you apologize, feeling bad for stopping them. Instantly your met with multiple assurances that there’s no need to be sorry.

“Don’t be sorry, it’s completely okay,” Chris tells you.

“Your safety matters more than us concluding a silly video,” Nick adds in.

“Baby, never apologize for calling me when you need me. There’s nothing to be sorry for in this situation,” Matt speaks up at the end, sweet and kind.

You stay on the phone talking to Matt and his brothers, their voices keeping you calm as they tell you about their day and ask about yours. Suddenly you feel a hand on your waist, making you jump and gasp.

“Baby?” Matt asks, voice worried through the phone as his brothers also call out to you.

“Hey sweet thing,” the creepy guy leers at you, eyeing you up and down in a way that makes your skin crawl. You take a couple steps back, making the creeps hand fall off you and your hand grips your phone a little tighter.

“Don’t touch me,” you tell the man. The boys all call to you again urgently, sounding more worried after hearing what you just said. You also hear Matt’s car accelerate in the background, meaning he was driving to you faster. Faster meant sooner, and sooner was good as you now felt paralyzed in fear as the man kept looking at you.

The man steps closer as you step back, continuing to follow you until your back is pressed against the cool brick of the club building. You’re shaking in fear as this man continues to approach you.

Suddenly, Matt’s black SUV rolls up quickly, jerking to a stop on the street. After throwing the car in park, you see Matt jump out of the drivers side, jogging over to you, making you sigh in relief.

“Matt!” You call out to him, so happy to see him. The creep turns around to face your boyfriend. Matt’s jaw is clenched in anger as he assesses the situation, his fears confirmed as he sees the situation he was coming up on.

“She’s not interested, fuck off,” Matt tells him gruffly, reaching out to grasp your hand and pull you away from the man who had been bothering you. You allowed yourself to be pulled away from your position against the wall. Matt moved you to stand behind him, shielding you from the man and his creepy gaze.

“You wanna go?” The creep asks angrily, trying to step up to your boyfriend but stumbling a bit.

You all hear two windows roll down from Matt’s car. Unbeknownst to you, they had already been cracked so Matt’s brothers could watch and hear what was going on.

“I don’t think you’d want to do that man. You mess with him, you mess with us too,” Nick calls out from the backseat. Chris just nods and raises an eyebrow at the man. Matt just smirks at the dumbfounded look on the creeps face.

The creep grumbles and stumbles away, shaking his head. You wrap your arms around Matt, hugging yourself to him tightly. His arms wrap around you as he releases a sigh, and you feel him press his lips to your head.

“Did he hurt you?” Matt asks you, concerned.

You shake your head, “No, just scared me mostly. He put his hand on my waist but I backed away so he’d stop,” you tell him in a whisper.

“I’m so sorry baby,” he tells you, kissing your head again. He held you for a moment before he began to gently lead you over to his car. While you both had been hugging, Chris had moved to the backseat with Nick so you could sit up front with your boyfriend.

Matt opens the passenger door for you and you get in. Before you can reach for it, he’s grabbing the seatbelt for you and buckling it for you, making you smile. He gently shuts your door and jogs around the car to his side, getting in and buckling up. As he adjusts and moves to put the car in drive, you turn to meet the gaze of his two brothers who look equally relieved to see you but still concerned.

“I’m okay, guys,” you assure them with a small smile.

They nod and return the smile.

As Matt pulls away from the club, one hand remains on the wheel as his other comes over to hold your hand. While your boyfriend isn’t always one for public displays of affection, he never was shy about holding your hand, and tonight you welcomed the comfort his hand in yours brought.

“Can you stay over at our place tonight? I’d feel better,” Matt asks you softly. You smile and nod, glad that he asked.

The ride home was quick and quiet, Matt’s brothers were on their phone. Chris played some songs that he knew you liked at a low volume. Once arriving to their place, you gave Nick and Chris a big hug before letting Matt lead you to his room.

“Come here, I just wanna hold you for a minute,” he whispers to you after he shuts his bedroom door. His room is cozy, dimly lit by the lights on his bedside tables. It’s warm and safe. Just like Matt. He pulls you into his arms, gently rocking you back and forth with your head resting near his collarbone.

“Thank you for getting me,” you whisper to him, before leaving a soft kiss on his jaw.

“You don’t have to thank me, baby. you can call me, day or night, no matter what I’m doing. I’ll drop it for you if you need me,” he tells you as he brushes a piece of your hair behind your ear.

You lean up and give him a gentle peck on the lips, and he kisses back just as softly. After you both reluctantly part, Matt walks over to his dresser. He grabs out a pair of sweats and a T-shirt for you to wear to bed. You thank him with a smile and you get changed while he also changes into a pair of flannel pj pants, opting out of wearing a shirt.

You sit down on his bed and watch as he takes off his chain and the couple rings he had worn that day. He surprises you when he turns around and walks over with a package in his hand.

Makeup removing wipes, the specific brand and scent you buy too. He’s always surprising you with his thoughtfulness.

“Here, let me get your makeup off baby,” he says as he comes to sit next to you. You smile as he begins to wipe your makeup off. He’s so gentle and thorough, his eyebrows creasing a little in the middle with focus. In a few moments he’s done, throwing away the used wipes in a nearby trash can and tossing the pack to land over on his desk.

You both pull the covers back and climb into his bed, you move to lay on your side as Matt rests behind you on his side as well. His arms snake their way around your waist, hand going under your shirt to rest on your bare tummy as he soothingly rubs the skin there. Your legs tangle together under the sheets and you feel a kiss pressed against the side of your head.

“Love you, baby,” Matt whispers to you, voice getting deeper as he gets sleepy.

“Love you too, Matty,” you whisper back, drifting off to sleep in the safety and comfort of his arms.

[girlmostlikely]

I saw a video where someone mentioned a prolific issue with the green checkered cabs in Nashville, TN and that male drivers lock women in cabs and take them to any area except their original destination by threat in order to get more money or far worse. Women have filed countless police reports because of the duress they were subjected to and even both Uber and Lyft have ongoing class action lawsuits for sexual assault spanning years. I come from a very rural background so the concept of taxis and any modern ride service in general are forever outlandish to me. But the fact that there is virtually no safety for women whatsoever be it in public transportation or the taxicab and rideshare industries or just any stop made outside of these vehicles along the way. To think of the women who were unable to see the other side of these last minute rides especially those who just needed a safe and responsible way home after a night out with a few drinks incredibly depresses me. Truly a society beyond repair and redemption.

[pandemichub]

If Tumblr prompts you to sign in use read mode/reader mode and it will display the post as text.

Please advocate for evacuation of incarcerated people, homeless people, disabled people, those in care settings, immigrants and animals (pets, wild life and farm animals). Don't leave people behind ❤️

ID: The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies @disasterstrat

Disability and Disaster Hotline 800-626-4959 linktr.ee/disasterstrat

Disability-Led Response Supporting @FightForRightUA

disasterstrategies.org

ID: New Disabled South@DisabledSouth

Working to achieve liberation and justice for disabled people in the U.S. South | 501c3 nonprofit | Check out our 501c4 arm @DisSouthRising newdisabledsouth.org

Also visit hcbssouth.org

Fight for prisoners to evacuate:

Insta caption screenshot

anthony.depice @arianajasmine__: Thank you @fighttoxicprisons for all of this information - please give them a follow.

Jails Not Evacuating-

Manatee County Central Jail- Mandatory Evac Zone A Ran by Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells-

**Twitter- @ ManateeSheriff

**Instagram - @manateecountysheriff

Phone- **General Line- (941)-747-3011

****Extension 2222 - Office of the Sheriff ****Extension 2915 - Central Jail Information ****Extension 1549 - Public Safety Communications Center

Lee County Jail- Mandatory Evac Zone A

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno-

**Twitter- @ SheriffLeeFL Llll

**Instagram- leesherif

Phone- **Main Headquarters - (239) 477-1350 **Main Jail - (239) 477-1500

Tweet elicia donze @eliciadonze. 28m

FREE SHUTTLES TO SHELTERS IN THE TAMPA EVAC ZONE.

CALL 800-729-3413 FOR ASSISTANCE. FL Division of Emergency M... • 18h

Tomorrow, 10/8, there will be free shuttles operating in Pinellas, Pasco & Hillsborough counties assisting with #Milton evacuations to shelters.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 FREE EVACUATION SHUTTLES Free shelters and free transport assistance available

PINELLAS PASCO HILLSBOROUGH

Call 800-729-3413, 7 am - 7pm for Evacuation Assistance

Visit FloridaDisaster.org/Updates for times & locations

Tweet Art Candee @ArtCandee

It's sad how many people don't know that there are shuttles that will pick you up from your home and take you to a free shelter during Hurricane Milton. The fact that people still push the "poor people can't afford to evacuate" line is really sad.

Please help combat this and spread the phone number to request a shuttle, and let people know Uber and Lyft are also offering free or discounted rides to evacuate the storm and get to a shelter.

Also important to note that there are shelters who are specially equipped for people with special needs.

UBER AND LYFT TO PROMO CODE: miltonrelief

SHUTTLE #FOR EVERYONE EVACUATION ZONES: 1 (800) 729-3413

UBER AND LYFT TO EVACUATE CODE: miltonrelief SHUTTLE

#FOR EVERYONE EVACUATION ZONES 1 (800)729-3413

ID: Erin Regan Animal Sanctuary IF YOU ARE EVACUATING FROM FLORIDA AND HAVE NOWHERE TO GO OR CANNOT AFFORD A HOTEL...

We have 40 acres in Picayune, Mississippi where you, your horses, farm animals, and pets can ride out the storm. We are about 9 hours from Tampa.

Tents and RVs welcome.

Please email tracypaula@erinregananimalsanctuary.com for assistance.

Tweet elicia donze @eliciadonze

PET FRIENDLY SHELTERS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TELL YOUR FRIENDS Hillsborough County @HillsboroughFL.

Quoted tweet

Hillsborough County will open nine emergency storm shelters at 2:30 p.m., today, Oct. 7 for residents in evacuation Zones A and B, and those whose homes are vulnerable to storm surge, flooding, and wind damage....

Hillsborough County Florida EST. 1834 Hillsborough County to open the following emergency storm shelters at 2:30 p.m., today, Oct.7:

Hillsboro county Florida graphic.

Hillsborough county to open the following emergency storm at two therapy today, October 7

Burnett middle school 1010 N. Kingsway Rd., Seffner, FL 33584 pet friendly

Middleton high school 4801 N. 22nd St., Tampa, FL 33610 pet friendly.

Durant High school 4748 Cougar Path city, FL 33567 pet friendly.

Sickles high school 7950 Gunn Highway, Tampa, FL 33626, pet friendly

Shields middle school 15732 Shields Way, Tampa, FL 33626 pet friendly

Pizzo elementary school 11701 Bull Run Drive, Tampa, FL 33617 general population, not pet friendly

Erwin technical College 2010 Hillsborough Ave., Tampa, FL 33610 special needs only, pet friendly

Sumner high school 106050 County Rd. 672 Riverview, FL 33579 special meets only, pet friendly

Strawberry crest high school 4691 Gallagher Rd., Dover, FL 33527 special needs only, pet friendly

hcl.gov/stay safe

Dr. Serena Arnold

You don't necessarily need to leave the state or drive hundreds of miles. Sometimes 5 or 10 mile difference will make all the difference.

Deadliest part of a hurricane is the storm surge.

If you live 20 feet of elevation or lower these are the people who need to evacuate.

Find out your elevation if you don't know it at WhatIsMyElevation.com. Compare it with the storm surge forecast at NHC.NOAA.gov.

Summary

"Number 1, shelters cannot and should not ask for your ID in order to access them. You have a right to seek shelter regardless of your immigration status, regardless of your citizenship status and regardless of whether or not you have a government ID on you.

Number 2, well undocumented immigrants may not qualify for FEMA assistance, their children with citizenship do.

Number 3, ICE should not be operating at this time as it is a state of emergency.

Absolutely nobody should be deterred from being safe during a natural disaster."

[iww-gnv]

Thousands of rideshare app drivers are going on strike on Valentine’s Day across 10 U.S. cities to protest low wages and poor safety standards, alongside expressing their concerns about job security. Uber, Lyft, Doordash and other drivers will not be offering rides to or from the airport in Austin, Chicago, Hartford, Miami, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Rhode Island, and Tampa, Fla. on Feb. 14. Justice for App Workers, the union representing more than 130,000 rideshare drivers and delivery workers, said drivers will be striking all day. “Uber and Lyft pay rideshare drivers poverty wages so low they’re below the minimum wage in some states, forcing drivers to work up to 60-80 hours a week in mobile-sweatshop conditions just to be able to pay their bills,” the union said in a statement to TIME. “Drivers are striking to transform our industry, and to upend Uber and Lyft’s systems of exploitation to create instead a more just future, where our labor and humanity are treated with dignity.” Drivers at these companies are independent contractors, not employees. That designation means that drivers do not get the same legal protections other full-time employees do under federal labor law.

[disgracefulthings]

So I've had 2 very different interactions with Uber and Lyft, and I have experienced that Uber does way too little for their customers, while Lyft might do a little too much for theirs.

On my last Uber ride, my driver was texting and driving (which is very obviously a crime!), so I asked them to stop. My exact words were "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't text while driving", trying to be polite even though they shouldn't have been doing it in the first place. My driver said their texting was related to their work, which was apparently more important than my safety and the safety of others, so I repeated myself. They said if I didn't like it then I could get a different driver, and they pulled over, so I got out because I didn't feel like dying. I just have to point out that this person felt entitled to commit a crime, and not just any crime but a crime that could end up with people dying! How do people think like that?! Anyway, I was in a place I didn't know and was kinda freaking out. Thankfully there was a restaurant nearby and the workers allowed me to chill there while I waited for a Lyft driver. However the bullshit didn't end there. I called Uber support and had a chat about what happened, and I was told I would get a refund, but guess what? A week passed and my ride wasn't refunded, and in fact I received an email from Uber about MY BEHAVIOR!

WTF! I had to contact Uber again, tell them that not only was the driver texting and driving, but the ride wasn't even finished! It was like 2 minutes long. I got a refund and I heard nothing about this incident from them ever since. So you know, I don't use Uber anymore.

Now I only use Lyft, but recently I had a weird experience with their support team. The other day I had an Lyft driver ask me who I was voting for, and me being socially awkward and not down to talk about politics with a stranger, I said I didn't want to discuss it. The driver then told me who they were voting for and the conversation ended there. It was a bit annoying for them to not let the conversations go, so I left a note to Lyft support and proceeded to forget about it. I got a message from them this morning asking if I was safe (which if I wasn't, this happened a day ago so too little too late, but I never said anything about feeling unsafe so ???). I said I was and they asked me what happened and I told them. And holy shit, this thing ended up being blown out of proportion. They made sure to let me know that they will deal with the driver and refunded my ride. I hope I didn't get the driver fired! They just need to be told 'if a rider doesn't want to talk about something, then don't talk about it', I gave them 4/5 stars, it wasn't that big of a deal. This was an overcorrection, but when I tried to tell this to Lyft support they just told me they were taking this VERY SERIOUSLY. Either I was talking to an AI, or someone who cares too much about awkward conversations.

Anyway just wanted to rant about my experiences with these two apps. Don't use Uber, and if you use Lyft, know that they take things very seriously. If someone on here is a Lyft driver, please let me know if this is something a driver could be fired over or if they will just get a reprimand. I seriously hope I didn't get someone in too much trouble just because I'm socially awkward

[leaves-lilies-and-esther]

The pay gap/female choices debate

I was watching this Youtube video the other day, and it pissed me off, but the main point of it was that there were these two men discussing how the pay gap isn't real because it all comes down to women's choices, citing really crappy examples as evidence. They clearly thought they were "owning the libs" too. They did this with 0 contextual analysis on why women make the decisions they do.

The first example they used was the Uber driver 7% pay gap, and how it's completely explained by three factors: (a) that women tend to be less experienced, (b) that men tend to drive faster, and (c) men drive in more lucrative locations. (This paper is Cook et al 20 by the way if you want to fact check me).

And yes, when you put it that way and remove all context for women's decisions, it certainly looks like that sort of moment. But think critically for like two seconds here:

Those more lucrative locations? The paper directly states that it's due to men's willingness to "drive in areas with higher crime and more drinking establishments". Of course men are more willing to do this! Your average woman is significantly more scared of being sexually assaulted, murdered, etc than your average man. She's going to avoid high crime areas because she's already in a vulnerable position (letting strangers into her car).

The fact that women have less experience? The attrition rate for female Uber drivers is substantially higher- 76.5% of women leave after six months, as opposed to 65% of male Uber drivers. I did found an article explaining why women self-select out of being in Uber or Lyft in the first place from Forbes. Quote, "...the job still involves driving alone and picking up strangers, often at night- situations that many women feel are dangerous. In interviews with eight female on-demand drivers, FORBES found that they usually feel safe but sometimes have doubts after troubling experiences and holes in safety policies." The article goes on to describe the experience of a female Uber driver in Atlanta, whose male customer tried to assault her. The company didn't handle the incident appropriately, and she never drove for Uber again. I'm willing to bet that this is the case for other female drivers too. The other women they interviewed (even those who are presumably still driving) described multiple similar experiences.

So, if you were a female Uber driver, you would probably leave around the six-month mark too. And as a result of this high attrition rate, the average female Uber driver will have less experience as compared to men.

And you know what? These other "gotcha" responses about the pay gap can probably be explained by outside factors too. Even in totally automated systems like Uber, where it does come down to female choices, those choices aren't being made in a freaking vacuum. It isn't just "haha pink lady brain can't drive as well", it's women don't feel safe and therefore make less money.

There's other scenarios where this is true as well. Women aren't climbing the corporate ladder as quickly as men? What else is going on? The Harvard Business Review found that more than half of men expect their careers to take precedence in a marriage- so if his is being prioritized always, what's happening to hers? When children get sick, women are ten times more likely to stay home from work to care for them (Kaiser Family Foundation). What does she miss in that lost time? When female scientists write papers, they are less likely than men to describe their accomplishments as *outstanding* or *unprecedented*, with the end result that their papers are cited less often. But it's because when women are socialized to be caretakers and to perform without complaint, this is the end result (Professional Development at Harvard). Worse, women who don't do this, and ask for raises/bonuses/etc, are more likely to be penalized than men (same source).

Yes, women sometimes make "decisions" which negatively impact their careers, but take it altogether. What makes men expect precedence of their wives? Misogyny. What makes men expect that their wives, regardless of their careers, will always nurse their sick kid? Misogyny. What makes women and their employers view female accomplishments as less valuable? You know the answer.

PS: two last things. The first is that I'm not trying to reduce the value of traditional "women's work". It isn't bad that women are taking care of their sick children, it's bad that men aren't doing it in equal numbers.

Secondly, if you're curious, there's this amazing professor named Claudia Goldin who I stumbled across while googling for this. She basically believes that the issue isn't direct discrimination from employers, but that the labor market encourages women to work differently. (And she's like 1000% more nuanced and career-specific than anything I just wrote). I put a link to an article about her below:

[allthecanadianpolitics]

British Columbia’s labour minister plans to soon pass new laws guaranteeing basic pay, rights and protections for tens of thousands of gig workers. Harry Bains’s office has launched a call for proposals that could see new requirements placed on companies like Uber, DoorDash and Lyft, whose drivers and delivery workers work without minimum pay, sick leave or other basic benefits. Bains says new legislation may come as soon as this fall, following years of government promises and months of consultations. “The goal here is that these workers, like any other workers, they need basic protection when it comes to minimum wage, when it comes to health and safety, and how they are protected when they are injured at the workplace,” Bains said.

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

[lesbiansgoal]

For drinks

Keep this saved to your cellphone so you know what to look out for.

My advice is to call a friend you trust to see if they can pick you up, or even a co-worker of relative to have a safe backup plan. Stay close to employees when eating or drinking.

If you get up to leave (bathroom for example) DO NOT take a sip of the same drink, ask for a new one (even if it's water, tea, soda, etc. etc).

Get to know the layout of where you're going. Know where the exits are.

Carry a personal alarm, pepper spray with UV ink so its easier to see for the authorities or anyone that has a blacklight / UV detector, and a taser (if it's legal and you don't need a permit for it)

Go for the throat (punch) if you need to defend yourself (if you don't have any of the above) it will knock the wind out of them and give you enough time to get to safety. Twisting their arm roughly and quickly to the right with your dominant hand will make them be in pain. Kicking girls / women between the legs hurts just as much as kicking guys / men between the legs. (Self defense only)

DO NOT turn your cellphone off for any reason. Carry a charger or power bank with you.

Make sure people you trust know where you are and can come get you if you need them to.

Don't drink more than one alcoholic beverage if you're driving there.

If you're taking an Uber, Lyft, Taxi, etc. etc. Make sure you look at them to see their facial features and ALWAYS make sure you feel safe with the person driving.

If your gut / sixth sense tells you something is wrong, listen to it.

DO NOT let anyone buy you a drink.

Wear flats or sneakers (or have them as backup if you don't want to wear them there).

Take hand sanitizer with you.

I hope all of these help.

Thanks!

[emmie-time]

Hey gamers, guess who was in a car wreck with my gf? This gal! Don't worry, nothing was broken, I am bruised up and my left shoulder is sprained I guess (haven't been to a dr yet cause the pain hasn't increased and I can never afford a hospital visit.

The car was totaled, rear axle cracked and the lower frame got mangled because a road sign got under the car and wrapped around part of the wheel, and we need to find a new car, we're kinda fucked money wise though because im trying to get disability and my gf is on disability. We were able to get it towed to my girlfriends parents' house thanks to a friend. I hate to ask this but the average cost of a used 2004 or newer minivan is close to 5k this includes paperwork and the insurance payment for the month plus an Uber or lyft ride to the location of the vehicle.

The reason we're going for a minivan is the cargo space and safety features, we are trying to get a vehicle with all wheel drive and more airbags than the Ford windstar she had before the accident.

I'm gonna post my venmo, but please don't feel pressured to donate any little bit is a godsend and so helpful. The money sent will be used to try to find an all wheel drive van with slightly better gas mileage than the van we had before.

Thank you all again, no matter what!

[harrywblog]

What Are Some of the Major Challenges That Uber Faces Today?

There are many challenges facing Uber today, some ranging from safety to legal problems. Now, let's see some of the major challenges in the path ahead of Uber.

Safety Concerns for Riders and Drivers

Safety is a big concern. Both riders and drivers worry about getting safe. Cases of crimes in Uber cars have come. Drivers are attacked by passengers. Riders, on the other hand, are harassed. But Uber worked with these problems. They now have an emergency button inside the app. Drivers undergo safety training and background checks. However, accidents still happen. How to improve safety remains a challenge for Uber.

Legal and Regulatory Issues

They've fought legal battles throughout their entire time. Cities have attempted to regulate its business time and time again. Some have even banned Uber over safety concerns. Other cities believe that drivers should be classified as employees rather than contractors. This changes Uber's way of working and increases the cost. Also, legal problems have been held against Uber's reputation. Very recently, for example, it lost a court case over driver pay. These legal problems cost Uber both time and money.

Competition and Market Saturation

There is a lot of competition in the ride-sharing business. In fact, other companies, such as Lyft and smaller local startups, are currently rising to challenge Uber. Some come with more competitive perks than others; hence, many riders opt to use those services. Another obstacle is market saturation. In some markets, there are too many drivers and not enough rides, which means lower earnings for driver partners and makes differentiation harder for Uber. If Uber wants to stay ahead, it has to change the business of thinking. They are now entering new businesses: food delivery and self-driving cars. But competition will continue to keep them on their toes.

These challenges make Uber's future tough. There are big hurdles in safety, legal issues, and competition. How it addresses them will determine the future for Uber.

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[wolfliving]

Self-driving urban taxis finding a market niche here and there, sort of

https://www.cbinsights.com/research/autonomous-vehicle-resurgence-transportation-mobility-opportunities/

Autonomous vehicles are back in the spotlight.

Equity funding to the AV space has tripled to $7.5B this year thanks to Waymo and Wayve (with a combined ~90% of funding).

Below, we highlight 3 key takeaways on the autonomous vehicle landscape.

1) Developers are targeting multiple autonomous driving use cases, with robotaxis in the spotlight

This year’s largest funding recipients are targeting multiple use cases.

Waymo (Alphabet subsidiary) is focused on robotaxis — where it’s seeing commercial momentum. The company is now considering expanding into the personal car use case by licensing its technology. Notably, one area it is not investing in is autonomous trucking, which it exited in 2023.

Wayve formed early partnerships with UK grocery retailers ASDA and Ocado, focused on home delivery of groceries. The company is now pushing deeper into robotaxis, including via a partnership with Uber. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai framed Waymo's approach as “multiple paths to market” on the company’s latest earnings call. Waymo hit 150K paid rides per week in October.

2) OEMs are keeping their loss-making self-driving units afloat with fresh capital injections

Despite challenges like safety and delayed commercialization, GM and Hyundai have injected a combined $1.4B into their self-driving units this year.

Tech-native OEMs such as Tesla and BYD are amping up their efforts as well.

Tesla for example is gunning for a robotaxi, although the timing of the Tesla Cybercab launch remains uncertain.

OEMs keep their loss-making self-driving units afloat

3) In China, autonomous driving players IPO at discounted valuations

Chinese autonomous driving companies are leading an exit wave.

Horizon Robotics and WeRide went public in October, and Pony.ai, Momenta, and Minieye all recently filed to do the same.

An AV funding crunch in China (down 90% since 2021) is pushing many of these companies to go public at a discount to their last private valuations.

More broadly, China is also seeing growing adoption of robotaxis.

Baidu‘s Apollo Go service, for example, averaged 75K fully driverless rides per week in Q2’24 (up 26% YoY).

The bottom line

Autonomous driving has arrived gradually, then suddenly.

Robotaxi adoption is pushing some mobility players (like Uber and Lyft) and OEMs to reassess their strategies and recommit after reducing their exposure to the space.

CB Insights customers can dive into implications for transportation leaders in the full brief here....