I wrote this as the Eugene City Council was debating whether to allow Uber and Lyft to operate in the city.

June, 2018.

I am not opposed to allowing Uber and Lyft into Eugene because finally one can hail a ride and have someone show up quickly. And I acknowledge that this should reduce the incentive for an impaired person to drive themselves home.

That said, we must not lose sight of the downsides.

First, for these companies to oppose the Oregon driver’s license requirement is nothing but a bullying tactic, considering they meet the requirement state-wide in California. Why do they bully? Because they can, and it shows their corporate behavior still has room for improvement.

Don’t try to make a career driving for Uber. Current and former drivers report working extremely long hours while wearing out their personal vehicles in short order.

Drivers also report that when they file their taxes as “independent contractors”, they report no net profit due to their high car expenses. This means they earn no Social Security credits. It’s the worst kind of dead-end job: low pay, long hours, no benefits, and no Social Security credits.

Let them in if you must. Just be sure to understand the whole picture.