[JesseAldridge]

* They created a transportation network that enables a huge chunk of the world to get from point A to point B quickly, safely, and cheaply.

> something about Uber creating all these millionaires sickens me

This feeling is called envy.

[TAForObvReasons]

It's hard to explain to people without a strong sense of morality and fairness, but many of us were taught to do the right thing, that "ends don't always justify the means", and that people who cheat or lie or steal or engage in other dubious activities will eventually be punished. If you read the parent post, there's a strong sense that the author doesn't believe the ends justify the means. Your comment suggests that it's ok to do morally reprehensible things in the favor of profits, which is why it's difficult to empathize with the parent.

When you're taught to always do the right thing and not to engage in the profit-maximizing morality-disregarding behavior we see from companies like Uber, when you make the decision not to become employees of those companies, seeing that others did decide to work with those companies really forces you to re-evaluate how the world works. The first step in that process involves disgust reflecting on the bad actors.

[kitkatkid]

I have a strong sense of morality and fairness and want to do the right thing, which is why I love Uber (and Lyft, et al).

A single entity managed to smash apart the corrupt, racist and unaccountable taxi cartels in thousands of cities. No more taxis refusing to pick up dark skinned riders, no more taxis refusing to drive to neighborhoods where those same people live. No more apathetic dispatchers who don't care that the taxi driver was drunk or the car was being driven by someone other than the license holder. No more exploitative cartels bidding up taxi medallions and forcing low-skilled immigrants to work 14 hour days while preventing competition.

Ride sharing apps have fundamentally made the world a better place, especially for women and people of color. I feel far safer taking an Uber in an unfamiliar city than I ever did with the luck of a taxi, both in terms of physical safety and in terms of getting scammed.

[moorhosj]

Isn’t the point made that it’s “cheap-ness” is based on VC subsidization of each ride? People can critique things without being envious, no need for the snark.

[grandridge]

It's not envy he's correct. When Uber left Austin there was a ride hailing app up in about a month. It's a bunch of people that got bailed out in 08 with zero percent money thinking they are smart looking to be part of the next big thing. Uber will never be profitable. But all early investors will treat ipo as an ATM, complete opposite of what stock market is for

[hestefisk]

He has a fair point though. Uber make a lot of money and do not pay their fair share of taxes in the countries in which they operate. That’s not envy.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-uber-tax-britain-idUKKBN18...