Tag: rideshare

Winding down, starting up

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Looks like I’ll be doing some driving in June and maybe July as well although the Independence Day week I’ll likely stay parked.

New Federal Rules for Independent Contractors Will Destroy Freelancers’ Livelihoods

YES. NEXT QUESTION? Did NYC Just Kneecap Airbnb?

Want a nice short succinct definition of the slippery slope? This guy went viral for summarizing the slippery slope in 19 seconds flat

you’ll see this one again, but does this guy count as a self-employed hobbyist? ALEX, I’LL TAKE “IDIOT RULINGS THAT WON’T STAND ON APPEAL” FOR $400: NYC Man Convicted Over Gunsmithing Hobby After Judge Says 2nd Amendment ‘Doesn’t Exist in This Courtroom.’

Also in weaponry THE NEW YORK TIMES INFORMS ITS READERS OF MILITARY INTRICACIES: “The war has often revolved around artillery, which are large guns that armies use to fire explosive shells and hit targets from a great distance.”

and here’s the economy in which I’m marinating:

I’ll likely be driving a bit more this summer.

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The apps have changed a bit and if my reading is correct not for the better. I’ll focus on the bonuses and the streaks and leave the every day grind to the every day grinders. In the meantime the gig economy persists.

California raised the fast-food minimum wage so now Pizza Hut is laying off more than 1,200 delivery drivers

Uber and Traffic Fatalities

Brickbat: Union Dues

Teacher’s Union Sues to Stop New York Congestion Pricing Plan. And of course this also includes leftist autophagy.

The destination for rideshare drivers and gig workers

Labor Department’s New Regs Aim To Rescue Gig Workers From Their Own Preferences

This will pop up again, but it’s related: COLOR ME UNSURPRISED: Uncredentialed teachers do as well as normally trained teachers.

and related to the first link above, albeit a few weeks later: California’s Attack on Gig Work Predictably Drove Workers Out of Jobs

Did not drive much at ALL this summer (with about three weeks to go.)

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Just was not worth it. I drove when Lyfy offered streak bonuses. Uber didn’t offer much all summer. $10 for 10 rides? Nope. Not really worth it. Too many drivers chasing too few Px. Markets work. Meanwhile, in the news:

Not really Ride-share or gig economy topic but it fits as well here as most other places: Report: Electric vehicles damage roads twice as much as their gas counterparts

And the same for this. Fun nonetheless: GOODER AND HARDER, SAN FRAN: Driverless Cars Hit By ‘Coning’ Incidents As San Francisco Group Rebels

Ever hear of the Law of Unintended Consequences? Why the NYC congestion pricing plan is bad

More to the point: Brickbat: The Rising Cost of Getting By

It’s that time of year again

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Uncle Sugar confirming that he gets to keep what he took. And for those of you not paying attention, he’s getting ready to make – from EVERYBODY.

IRS Plans To Raid Workers’ Tip Jars. Yes, that means ride-share drivedrs too. I WAS gonna drive during spring break but income is steady and I picked up anough days that week to cover, so I won’t be back on the road until May or June.

5 promises Biden made in his State of the Union speech that should scare workers 2, 4 & 5 are the biggies, and as I approach 70 so is 3.

Defending Yourself While In Your Vehicle. Had a guy at a poker game a few years ago ask what I carried when driving. I said “First, Uber and Lyft don’t let you drive armed and second there’s only one way to find out and that wouldn’t be good for either of us.”

Biden Wants To Restrict Work and Flexibility for Freelancers And to say “Biden wants …” is really a misnomer. His handlers want.

The State are little laboratories of freedom. You go first: New York Floats a Crackdown on Independent Workers

The next Labor Secretary shouldn’t be an adversary of freelancers

They aren’t ALL daft: Ride-Share and Delivery Drivers Are Independent Contractors, Says Court

Just enough to merit a side-hustle post

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Still negotiating my sub arrangement with the school. Since their raise went into effect they’ve added a handful of regulars to the roster, which is good. For the school. But it means I’m not being used as much/often or well. I’ve proposed that I be allowed to pick up classes posted 24 hours in advance, thus putting me IN a classroom more often rather than covering Spec ed, study hall, coaches who need to leave early, vape patrol and cafeteria duty. Money’s the same, I would note. But it’s more about attitude. Figure next year I’ll relinquish the “building sub” title and go back to grabbing what I want and in the off chance I don’t have a gig I can STILL come in and they’ll plug me in to whatever they have. Time will tell.

This is ONE reason I stopped running food: Domino’s Delivery Driver Gets Car Stolen While Delivering A Customer’s Pizza

And fwiw I readily acknowledge that many of my “fellow drivers” are NOT among the most shining examples of humanity: Delivery Driver Tells Customer To Pickup Their Own Order After Asking For & Not Receiving A Tip

Perhaps the new Congress will look into these steps. The ’24 Senate will likely be on board as well. How To Empower Millions of Independent Workers

We HAVE gotten a small break from the Feds, however: The IRS Spares the Side‐​Hustlers (For Now)

Driving again soon

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and NOT optimistic. Turned the apps on recently coming home from school as the interwebs had some horror stories about the current state of the industry. Only got two rides worth accepting (roughly $1/mile) and midway through both of them the Px was switched to a pickup that required backtracking. I’ll try again Wednesday, Friday and perhaps Saturday. Hopefully Thursday was an anomaly.

The Biden administration, as per usual, is NOT helping. And by “helping” I mean staying out of the way.

DoL’s Independent Contracting Proposal Endangers Both Freedom and Prosperity

Thankfully most economists DO understand Give Gig Workers a Real Break

We’ll just have to defend ourselves. Uber Driver Cleverly Turns Tables On Backseat Thieves

At least we aren’t the ONLY employment he’s after:

  Fed-up US farmers tell why government will put them out of business.

But it’s okay guys. We’ll live on unicorn farts and bugs.  The would be aristos might want to remember they’re made of meat.

in other former employment news: An Empirical Analysis Of Racial Bias In The Uniform Bar Exam: A Law School’s First-Time Bar Pass Rate Decreases As Its Percentage Of Students Of Color Increases.

Done driving

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August was a little blah behind the wheel. I was pretty much done and had hit a slow streak. And was getting tired of most of my Px. Ready for the change to school. Spent a grand on gas this summer. That’ll eat up TWO of my bonuses. Ninety days. That’ll get me to Christmas so no “bonus” until NEXT year.

The rideshare revolution continues apace

IF IT MOVES, TAX IT: ‘Fee’ on deliveries a gut punch to Colorado.

Looming change in worker classification rules will cost small businesses big bucks.

Related: America’s elites are waging class war on workers and small biz.

GEICO closes all California offices, lays off workers. Y’see, Geico agents are IC’s. And we’re the new unwashed.

In other transportation news, something I’ve been bitching about for a generation: DRESSING LIKE SLOBS TO TRAVEL: “I do the boarding door, and we have people who come on barefoot,” a Delta flight attendant said last week at J.F.K. “I’m sure they have shoes somewhere.”

It’s about to get worse

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As one wag used to say “Things always seem darkest right before they go completely black.” Not sure we’re going total blackout or how close it is, but we ARE heading in that direction.

Have you heard ANYTHING about the port backups in California that are contributing to the pipeline disruption? Nope?? Nothing fore weeks. Because Secretary Chestfeed didn’t get it fixed so the media had to focus on something (anything) else.

But now there’s this. CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS SCREWING THE ENTIRE COUNTRY: Truckers Say California Law Likely to Make U.S. Supply Chain Crisis Even Worse.

A California Law Regulating Ride-Share Apps Leaves Truckers in Limbo

GOODER AND HARDER, CALIFORNIA: California law AB-5 is screwing over 75,000 truckers and will make inflation worse while Dems are tanking.

and from Reason: Truckers Shut Down California Port Fighting for the Right To Be Their Own Bosses

Resist we much: Protests Against California’s Anti-Independent Contractor Law Continue at Oakland Ports.

Related: VDH on California’s Brylcreemed governor: Gavin Newsom’s Weird Idea of ‘Freedom.’

FDA Finally Admits It Caused the Baby Formula Shortage

Massachusetts Fails to Learn the Lesson of the “Success” From California’s AB 5 – Pacific Research Institute

It’s going to get worse before it gets better

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That’s according to those of us in what used to be called the “reality based” community.

I’m A Twenty Year Truck Driver, I Will Tell You Why America’s “Shipping Crisis” Will Not End.

How a nationwide shortage of plow drivers, could make for a long winter.

Watch: Delivery driver pulls concealed pistol on would-be robbers who ambushed him outside his house

Related: And ICE officer and two local policemen came to MY house Friday night. Seems the last Px of my afternoon was an undocumented whatchamacallit who was suspected of drug trafficking. They tailed me for quite a while but I “managed” to lose them in heavy traffic. Answered all their questions. Provided all the data I had about the ride. Got to do some education on how ride-sharing works. It helped that the spouse of one of the officers teaches with me. Or rather I teach with her.

And since we’re speaking of subbing: Seriously folks, this is not rocket science: “School staff shortages nationwide could lead to changes in vaccine mandates.” Demand for subs is up (due to school COVID policies) while supply is down (due to fear-mongering and COVID policies) so our pay has gone up from %30 to 100% depending on the district.

These schemes dreamed up by the “elites” are proof that they are not smart or even average intelligence. So ask yourself: why trust them with anything at all. That these are the types attracted by a centralized, distant government is a good reason for minarchy. Lockdown wasn’t worth it. When they learn they can do anything they want if they declare an emergency they’ll declare an emergency in perpetuity do they can do anything they want. Don’t believe me? OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY IN TALKS TO MAKE MASK MANDATES PERMANENT. Gee whiz, who saw this coming?

Solution? To ALL of the above? THE TURN:

If you’ve lived through it yourself, you know that The Turn doesn’t happen overnight, that it isn’t easily distilled into one dramatic breakdown moment, that it happens hazily and over time—first a twitch, then a few more, stretching into a gnawing discomfort and then, eventually, a sense of panic.

Help our friends.

Still giggin’

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Just not as much. And fwiw I consider subbing as gig work. Early September several school boards voted to impose mask mandates. I informed those schools I would not be working there until that was lifted. Keep in mind NONE of these schools have ENOUGH subs. They’re shuttling kids into study halls when they’re understaffed. Teachers aren’t happy. Kids aren’t happy. Administrators aren’t happy. And the school boards don’t care because they’ve staved off the Evil Virus. Then the COUNTY implemented one. So I no longer go to those schools in Franklin County. And I’m still working every day. In Fairfield and Licking County. And they are HAPPY about it. So there’s that.

Not driving as much of course. An hour here or there after school. Even though it pays better! And Lyft has been throwing some HUGE streak bonuses. And lots of them. Of course they have their hands full as well. Prop. 22, the gig worker exemption for Uber and Lyft, is ruled unconstitutional by Alameda County Superior Court judge.

California’s ‘Landmark’ Labor Law Is Still Wreaking Economic Havoc