
Uber’s march across America’s regulatory landscape - DaveWalk
http://qz.com/589041/uber-pulled-off-a-spectacular-political-coup-and-hardly-anyone-noticed/
======
joshuaellinger
That's a misleading article.

For example, in Austin, Ann Kitchen's proposal passed 9-2 and fingerprints are
required. Austin already had horse-and-buggy rides for the tourists so
relabeling it was a funny tactic but not substantive. What's more, Uber/Lyft
lost the fight over fingerprints in Houston and San Antonio.

Overall, it looks less like a giant coup and more like responsible regulation
change to protect public safety.

Uber/Lyft are effectively saying is that so many of their drivers lie about
their names because they have minor criminal records that Uber/Lyft can't
recruit enough drivers if they have to do effective background checks. That's
not going to fly.

[http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/local/whats-next-for-
ub...](http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/local/whats-next-for-uber-lyft-
and-austins-fingerprint-c/npnLg/)

~~~
Karunamon
So I signed up for Uber as a partner a while ago and had to submit to a
background check from some third party data broker (hell if I can remember the
name of the company, though).

What is an "effective" background check? Either the broker has criminal
records for you, or they do not.

~~~
pmorici
There are hundreds if not thousands of courts and government offices that keep
the relevant records. Each has a different way of making those records
available. If the background check service doesn't get all or them then it
won't be effective because a person with a serious criminal record could just
go to a different jurisdiction to escape their record.

------
egypturnash
I suspect the next legal battle for Uber will be the drivers forming unions.
It's happened here in Seattle
([http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/15/technology/seattle-
clears-...](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/15/technology/seattle-clears-the-
way-for-uber-drivers-to-form-a-union.html)) and is already being challenged
([http://www.geekwire.com/2016/u-s-chamber-of-commerce-
calls-s...](http://www.geekwire.com/2016/u-s-chamber-of-commerce-calls-
seattles-uber-union-law-illegal-hints-at-lawsuit/)).

Personally I'm all for them unionizing so they can get a fair wage and have
some bargaining power, rather than being a bunch of individuals who have to
take every change Uber makes, or leave.

~~~
tomjen3
Those unions aren't going to be very effective, unless they somehow get a
monopoly on being able to drive for uber, which I doubt they can get.

~~~
jeremyjh
Perhaps they could get it if their members were not permitted to drive for
competing services at the same time.

~~~
hueving
No, I think the parent is referring to the fact that anyone can easily become
an Uber driver. The incentives would be good because a big chunk of drivers
striking would create high surge pricing.

------
kauffj
That map seems highly inaccurate. Two of the cities I've worked in over the
past year have anti-Uber legislation or enforcement and neither is on the map.

Portsmouth, NH made Uber illegal and even went so far as to have the police
charge the most vocal critic of this policy for felony wiretapping
([http://www.seacoastonline.com/article/20151106/NEWS/15110936...](http://www.seacoastonline.com/article/20151106/NEWS/151109368)).

In Philadelphia, the Parking Authority has gone after Uber, stopped/seized
cars, and issued hundreds of thousands of dollars of fines.

------
UK-AL
Their most effective lobbyists are their customers who really prefer the
modern approach.

~~~
barney54
This point is the real key. If you have enough users who like your product it
is possible to beat intrenched interests.

~~~
Karunamon
But they'd never have gotten to that point without ignoring the laws, which is
the one thing everybody likes to give them a hard time about.

So very many people can't tell the difference between "x is wrong, therefore
illegal" and its converse.

~~~
erichocean
Oh they can, just only on issues they personally care about.

------
dmschulman
Side observation: what is with the recent trend in clickbait headlines
utilizing this notion of "hardly anyone noticed". I've certainly noticed an
uptick in this phrase on a few stories just this week in the news cycle.

Did the reporter go door to door and ask if anyone noticed X? There have been
many stories in the last year regarding Uber's regulatory woes and how the
company is fighting back. Out of all the many recurring clickbait tactics,
"hardly anyone noticed" has to be one that immediately raises the most red
flags for me, not to mention how insulting it is.

~~~
dang
Presumably they have to keep coming up with new ones because readers get
acclimated to the old ones.

Submitters: please remember that the HN guidelines ask you to change the
original title when it is linkbait. We changed this one to a representative
phrase from the article.

------
MistahKoala
Were Quartz holed up in Antarctica throughout 2015? Even on my side of the
Pond, Uber's regulatory battles were well-reported, to say nothing of the
stink from London's cab drivers and Transport for London.

A slightly disingenuous piece, IMO, considering the role of consumers in
Uber's proactive approach to challenging the status quo.

------
codecamper
Anyone know if this legislation is specifically allowing just Uber & Lyft? Or
dose the legislation just make ridesharing legit?

------
kitwalker12
what if Uber starts charging a tax on its competitors like Pablo Escobar
charged his associates for getting rid of the extradition laws...plata o plomo

(I've been watching too much narcos)

