
Paul Graham on Uber and Lift Ban in Austin - hartator
https://twitter.com/paulg/status/731871426056065028
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spamlord
Uber and Lyft were not 'banned', they are refusing to follow regulations
approved by actual VOTERS.
[http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2016-04-22/chronicle-
end...](http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2016-04-22/chronicle-
endorsements/)

~~~
ryan-c
Just because a vote went a particular way neither means that it is fair/good,
or that it is the will of the people.

Voters have, in multiple instances, voted to deprive minorities of civil
rights.

There is also a strong bias in what sorts of people vote. This "special
election" had no other ballot items. Few people voted, probably because not a
lot of people cared enough to go to a polling place. One of the demographics
most likely to use uber/lyft is also least likely to vote.

On a personal note, I moved to Austin from the SF Bay Area a few months ago so
that my spouse could pursue a PhD, and did vote on the issue. I don't really
care about politics. I just don't want to have to wake up a loved one at 5am
to get a ride to the airport (which I had to do Friday). I don't know who's
more to blame, but I wish the city council and uber/lyft would stop their
petty bickering and come to an agreement.

Edit: Also note that the vote result was actually "change nothing" \- the
rules uber/lyft don't like were passed by the city months ago, but aren't in
effect yet.

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flubert
>I just don't want to have to wake up a loved one at 5am to get a ride to the
airport (which I had to do Friday).

For next time...

[https://www.google.com/#q=austin%20tx%20taxi&rflfq=1&rlha=0&...](https://www.google.com/#q=austin%20tx%20taxi&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=30357936,-97729147,11460&tbm=lcl&tbs=lf:1,lf_ui:2&fll=30.295702499999987,-97.73880020000001&fspn=1.307576286097948,2.3636602327767378&fz=9&oll=30.295702500000004,-97.73880020000001&ospn=0.5266116949786763,0.8269422496560992&oz=9&qop=1&rlfi=hd:;si):

~~~
ng12
I would love to know where people get the impression that taxis are a
reliable, cost-effective service in the USA. Having lived in several major
cities that were not NYC I've certainly never experienced it.

~~~
Justsignedup
In many parts of Brooklyn, NY the car service companies are great. Some are
reliable, some not. I have had so far positive experiences with companies I
know are good. However Lift Line makes a very competitive price with these car
service companies. The airport is a perfect example of when I use them. But
service quality varies greatly -- some are always massively late and don't
communicate, some are fantastic and cheap. Lyft has a more consistent
experience feel, and that is valuable.

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brianbarker
I just want uber and lyft back. The alternatives are awful. My friends have
changed their weekend habits. I tried GetMe but it really sucks. Even the
drivers were complaining the software had several bugs about billing, payment
and mapping.

I don't think uber and lyft should have left over background checking and
fingerprints. Idk which side will acquiesce first, I just hope someone does.

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ef4
If somebody suggested a new preventative drug for a rare disease, and offered
zero studies to back it up, and suggested everyone should be required to
receive it, they would get laughed out of the room.

Yet we still make public safety decisions on that kind of flimsy thinking all
the time.

Either new regulations improve outcomes or they don't. But we'll never find
out by yelling at each other, or by taking a poll. Governments could conduct
science-based regulation if they wanted to, especially when it comes to public
health and safety -- areas where there is broad agreement on the desired
outcomes, just disagreement on what will actually achieve those ends.

Do these new regulations really improve safety? That's a testable hypothesis.

(It seems unlikely that they do, given the low background rate of rideshare-
driver crime. But I'm open to evidence.)

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bluesilver07
I'm curious - Why does the Govt. have such a hard time regulating Uber in the
US? In India, the state governments quite easily crack the whip whenever they
deem it necessary.
[http://tech.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/internet/karna...](http://tech.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/internet/karnataka-
may-ban-surge-pricing-by-uber-ola-to-level-the-playing-field-for-cab-
operators/50939743) [http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/yes-we-ll-do-it-
arvind-k...](http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/yes-we-ll-do-it-arvind-
kejriwal-on-suspending-surge-pricing-by-ola-uber/story-
QUfbtCoggUmY9qqu4WU5mI.html)

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EliRivers
PG, Jeff Atwood, various others; at some point they all start believing their
own hype and become actors playing themselves.

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GFK_of_xmaspast
In what kind of universe is "you must do actual background checks on drivers"
a "ban".

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dragonwriter
In the kind of universe where "ban" means "anything that imposes a requirement
on how we do business that we don't like".

