[phlo]

The _actual_ sharing economy is great. Your beef is probably with corporations that masquerade as part of the sharing economy in order to exploit regulatory loopholes (e.g. Uber, Airbnb).

For an example of the actual sharing economy: I'm a member of a local cooperative that owns and maintains a fleet of ~3k cars, distributed across the country at most train stations and in many neighborhoods. For an initial deposit of $1k, "my car" is whatever I need it to be at that moment. If I need to transport furniture in the morning, it's a Mercedes Vito. For a leisurely drive in the countryside at lunch, it's an Audi convertible. And for a quick grocery run before stores close, a cheap Citroën C1 will do the trick. And because the whole thing is a cooperative, per-km prices are around what I'd pay if I owned any of the cars myself.

Sharing is great. Regulatory arbitrage masquerading as the sharing economy, less so.

[eulers_secret]

I know this is 9 hours old, but this is 100% not for me.

I want to leave items in my car for tomorrow: my face mask, (previously) CDs and tapes, etc.

I want to spend the extra money for 'grippy' tires on my car, or do other mods like use sticky notes on the dash. I want my seat to be in the same position I left it in: It can take a day or two to get it just right. I want to have the option to use a seat cover for comfort.

I want to eat my lunch in my car: I control the climate, I control the music, and I can vape or smoke to my hearts content. It's mine to do that with.

I want to put off unloading my vehicle after a long and arduous camping trip, It's already 8PM when I get home. It can wait for tomorrow, and doesn't cost me anything.

I want to let my muddy dog jump into the back seats, I don't care if they get 'ruined', that's my choice about my property. I don't want a cleaning fee.

Lastly, I want to know for sure my dog won't eat the used condom the last person left under the seat. People are animals, no amount of cleaning between uses can ensure cleanliness 100% of the time. But I can in my car.

[phlo]

That's fair. I can see the benefits in most of the things you listed. Chances are, this boils down to whether you regard your car as sort-of an extension to your home. I don't, so I'm perfectly happy to have _a_ car available to me at a moment's notice. I understand that many people do, and they'll prefer being able to own a car and really make it their own. The whole car sharing thing is also predicated on good availability of cars near where you need them. It works great for me, in an urban setting; it would be wholly useless if I lived somewhere out in the sticks.

The point I want to make: SaaS, RegArb and the sharing economy are different things. If VW tries to charge you per-hour to use the software installed on your car, then let's talk about abusive software licensing. If Uber skirts regulations to muscle into the transportation market, let's frame the discussion around employment law and transport regulations. RegArb startups make it a habit of framing their business model as something else; and we're all better off if we don't fall for that trap :)