[marmaduke]

> I think Uber drivers/couriers are freelancers

yep so they should be compensated more, not less, in sight of the precarity of their job

> When you factor in that many (probably most) Uber drivers are only working part-time, that's significant income from a super flexible job

super flexible for whom? the drivers? or for Uber?

There are two sides to the gig style work, one side is a corp that's got teams of PhDs and a cloud calculating its optimal risk-reward strategy, and the other side some poor people trying to make money. How this can possibly turn out well for the latter is a pipe dream.

[cocobongo]

Freelancers are compensated whatever the market values them at. If they can get better pay/work elsewhere, then they do.

Driving for Uber is as flexible job as it gets. I don't see how it's flexible for Uber - Uber can only offer a ride if a driver decides out of their own free will to accept a ride.

For many people (2+ Million), driving for Uber is worth the money. They decided that it's a better gig than their other options. If they decide that it's not worth it, then they stop. And because it's such a flexible job, they don't even need to give two weeks notice.

Even though you think that driving for Uber isn't worth the money, millions of people around the world do.

[marmaduke]

Begging for money in the street is even more flexible — no car required — but I doubt you’d say those doing so are satisfied.

> free will to accept a ride

Whenever money is involved, free will goes out the window. It’s naive to think of all these people as rational actors.