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August 06, 2015 - Image 5

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Michigan Daily

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

E

ver since its creation in
2009, the for-hire ride ser-
vice, Uber, has faced count-

less criticisms.
Some regard-
ing the con-
duct of their
drivers — in
Dubai, women
claim one Uber
driver sexually assaulted them —
some about the way in which Uber
treats its drivers — who they con-
sider independent contractors, not
employees, and thus are ineligible
to receive benefits. Some criticism
has come from the community of
taxicab drivers. But banning ride
services, such as Uber, is not neces-
sarily the best answer.

These for-hire ride services were

made possible by technological
advances, as all rides are request-
ed through an app designed for
smartphones. Technology will only
keep advancing, and contemporary
issues raised by new businesses,
such as these, will only become
more prevalent. Rather than trying
to stop them, we need to create a
space for these new types of busi-

nesses in our society by working
them into our laws and regulations
because they are not going away
anytime soon.

Despite the problems Uber faces,

their business model poses inno-
vative solutions to old problems
that taxicabs could benefit from.
Before for-hire car services such
as Uber came along, I rarely used
taxicabs. They frequently took
over 30 minutes to arrive and were


very expensive.

However, Uber makes it easy for

the passenger in a few key ways.
Typically, I can get an Uber in less
than 10 minutes, making it infinite-
ly more reliable than a cab. I can
see where the driver is, what the
car looks like, the driver’s name,
what they look like and how other
riders have rated them in the past. I
can track where they are, so I don’t
have to stand outside and wait, and
there’s always a contact number in
case I need to communicate with
them. What’s more, Uber holds
payment information in an account
each rider sets up, so riders don’t
need payment in hand.

Finally, Uber can be much cheap-

5

Thursday,August 6 , 2015

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com OPINION

ters and arrangers. The thoughts
are irrational, may be genetic and
often occur simultaneously with
other mental health issues, espe-
cially anxiety.

Reading more

about OCD made
me realize how
often I, and sev-
eral
members

of
my
family,

perform
OCD-

like
behaviors.

I check to make
sure
my
keys

are in my pock-
et three times
before
shutting

my car door, I’m super-organized
at work and am irritated when
other employees put things in the
wrong place (it’s not just because
my boss wants me to be). I can’t
stand when my housemates use my
toothpaste because they don’t use
it the right way.

I asked my bipolar brother if he

ever experiences similar behaviors;
his keys have to be a certain way
in the ignition, he walks around
the house at night making sure all
of the doors are locked, his phone
always goes in a certain pocket.

When I was younger, watching

my dad perform obsessive-compul-

sive behaviors — such as walking
down three stairs, back up them
and then down — I thought he was
superstitious. Today, I realize these
behaviors are most likely an effect of

the anxiety and
depression he
suffers from.

Yet, psychol-

ogists
warn,

“Just
because

you have obses-
sive
thoughts

or
perform

compulsive
behaviors does
NOT mean that
you have obses-

sive-compulsive disorder.”

So, maybe we’re not technically

OCD.

Our behaviors don’t necessarily

disrupt the way we live our lives,
yet sometimes they’re still prob-
lematic. Listening to Eminem has
assured me that I am not alone and
has helped me finally recognize the
way I do things, and why I do the
“weird” things that I do. Accep-
tance is always the first step.

Eminem said it best: “I am nuts

for real, but I’m okay with that.”

—Aarica Marsh can be reached

at aaricama@umich.edu.

E-mail RachEl at Rdawson@umich.Edu
RACHEL DAWSON

ANNA
POLUMBO-
LEVY

It’s Uber complicated

Today, I realize these
behaviors are most
likely an effect of the
anxiety and depression

he suffers from.

er than a taxicab. A ride from the
Detroit Metropolitan Airport
to East Quad in an Amazing
Blue taxi is $55, compared to an
Uber ride, which can be as low
as $28 — depending on the size
of the vehicle and time of day.
Uber is also good at responding
to rider complaints. Once, I was
charged for a ride I didn’t take. I
contacted the company, and they
refunded my money without any


further questioning.

Not only is it easy to get a

ride with Uber, but there are
also a few safety measures it has
implemented. Although there
have been serious issues with
drivers themselves, which can-
not be undermined, Uber has
used its app to try and make
rides safer. Unlike cabs, Uber
riders get an invoice for the ride
sent to their e-mail, including a
map of their route and who the
driver was. Should a passenger
have any problems, they have
all the information they need.
Also, before even getting in the
car, passengers (and drivers) can
see each other’s overall ratings,
which places responsibility for
actions on the drivers and riders.
According to its website, Uber
drivers must undergo extensive
background checks before being
allowed to drive. If a driver or
rider is frequently getting nega-
tive feedback from others, they
will no longer be allowed to use
Uber. Although safety is still a
paramount issue, this is a very
good start.

It’s clear that Uber has a

model that is widely appealing.
However, there are certainly
important problems with the
company. One of the largest
issues surrounding Uber, at the
moment, is the treatment of their
drivers. According to the compa-
ny’s website, drivers make their
own schedules, use their own
cars and don’t report to a boss.
Thus, drivers are independent
contractors. By labeling them
as independent contractors, and
not as employees, Uber doesn’t
have to give drivers benefits that
labor laws guarantee to employ-
ees. One Uber driver had to go to
court to receive compensation
for business expenses. In that
case, the California Labor Com-
missioner’s Office ruled that that
particular Uber driver was an
employee, and thus Uber had to
compensate them. Yet, because
there’s no uniform classification
for Uber drivers right now, it’s
decided on a case-by-case basis
whether an Uber driver is an
employee or independent con-
tractor. In each case, the courts
will have to decide “whether a
worker is economically depen-
dent on the employer or in busi-
ness for him or herself.” To fairly
compensate drivers, there must
be a new category that blends
the laws and regulations that
enforce the treatment of tradi-
tional employees and indepen-
dent contractors.

Another concern that many

have raised with Uber is the ways
in which it’s affecting taxi ser-
vices. The taxi medallion system,

created in 1937 to cap the number
of taxicabs that could circulate
in New York City, reduced prob-
lems that resulted from too many
cabs and not enough passengers.
Today, there’s no cap on Uber and
other similar for-hire ride servic-
es, and it’s hurting cab drivers that
would rather drive a taxi because
they are unionized employees.
Some also argue that uncapped,
Uber and other for-hire ride ser-
vices congest traffic, increasing
environmental
problems
and

slowing economic growth.

The issue of Uber is widely

complex. Uber has a number
of great elements that make it
appealing to riders and, to an
extent, drivers that we would do
well to incorporate into our tradi-
tional transportation models. At
the same time, Uber undoubtedly
has problems to fix. Uber should
be forced to comply with regula-
tions providing drivers with what
they deserve to further ensure
the wellbeing of riders and driv-
ers and better synchronize Uber
with taxicab companies. These
changes only will come when we
demand new laws be put in place
to incorporate Uber and other for-
hire ride services, businesses that
are neither chauffeur or taxi ser-
vices and whose drivers do not fit
the traditional mold of employees
or independent contractors. We
must embrace innovative busi-
nesses, but continue to hold them
to important labor standards.

— Anna Polumbo-Levy can be
reached at annapl@umich.edu.

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