| Sure ... but ... what about the fact that consumers fucking LOVE to use Uber & Lyft? People also LOVE cheap clothes and electronics. And yet, we all seem to generally agree that sweatshops and child labour are maybe not worth it just to get a novelty t-shirt or an iPhone at low low prices. How popular will the politicians (e.g. state attorney generals) who push to destroy those businesses be with consumers/voters? I don't think you understand. These laws already exist. If Uber loses, and odds are pretty damn good they will, they'll lose in the courts. This doesn't require an attorney general or a politician. All this requires is a willing lawyer to launch a class action, which has already happened, and a court system willing to enforce the law even if it's unpopular. Boy, I can't imagine when that last happened... The only option, if they want to preserve their existing business model, is for Uber would then be to lobby the government to turn back the very labor laws that protect everyone from exploitation by their employers, while very fundamentally changing a key part of the tax code. All to ensure folks can get a cheap car ride. Good luck with that. In reality, the solution will almost certainly be for Uber to allow drivers to set their own rates, which might clear them (maybe... see https://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Emplo...). That'll almost certainly cause rate inflation and destroy one of Uber's key competitive advantages. It could also lead to uncontrolled surge pricing as drivers would naturally inflate their rates during rush periods. Could they survive that? Maybe. Assuming the taxi regulations don't kill them, as we're seeing overseas. |
Also, I'm not sure what would make you think that I do not understand that these laws already exist. I mentioned a state attorney general precisely because an attorney general enforces/ignores existing laws.
But, sure, you make an excellent point about the very real lawsuits which have already been filed.
Reading the rest of your response, your assessment seems to be that maybe Uber can survive. That's what I think too.