# NPR IS SURVEYING UBER DRIVERS ... 5/20/17 NPR



## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

*This survey is currently closed.*​
NPR has been interviewing Uber drivers about what it's like to work for the company. After talking with more than a hundred people, we realized: we need to do *a quick driver survey*.

*Here's the link: https://www.research.net/r/NPR_Uber*

It'll just take a few minutes. Please fill it out, and share it with friends who drive. We will be talking with Uber leadership about our findings, drivers' concerns -- but no naming names. It's totally confidential.

Best,
Aarti Shahani
Tech Reporter, NPR
http://www.npr.org/
https://www.facebook.com/messages/t/aarti.shahani/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aartishahani/


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## Disgusted Driver (Jan 9, 2015)

I did the survey. Unlikely that uber will listen but I applaud your effort. Please let the world know how ethically challenged they are and how exploited the driver's can be.


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## heynow321 (Sep 3, 2015)

2+ year driver here. Completed it


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Michael - Cleveland said:


> NPR has been interviewing Uber drivers about what it's like to work for the company. After talking with more than a hundred people, we realized: we need to do *a quick driver survey*.
> 
> *Here's the link: https://www.research.net/r/NPR_Uber*
> 
> ...


Also worth reading there
Mr. Biggles the BaSturd Cat.


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

Disgusted Driver said:


> I did the survey. Unlikely that uber will listen but I applaud your effort. Please let the world know how ethically challenged they are and how exploited the driver's can be.


I posted the above from an email I received from NPR.
The author has no idea I posted it here - so comments left here for the author will not be seen by him.

If you'd like to reach the author, use the link to her FB page.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Michael - Cleveland said:


> I posted the above from an email I received from NPR.
> The author has no idea I posted it here - so comments left here for the author will not be seen by him.
> 
> If you'd like to reach the author,use the link to his FB page.


The author should visit sometime.


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## dirtylee (Sep 2, 2015)

The same liberals that pretend to care upto the point they have to tip or pay more. :rolleyes 

batshit rightwing fundie conservatives make up 70% of the people that tip me with any regularity. 

Explain that one.


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## Veju (Apr 17, 2017)

dirtylee said:


> The same liberals that pretend to care upto the point they have to tip or pay more. :rolleyes
> 
> batshit rightwing fundie conservatives make up 70% of the people that tip me with any regularity.
> 
> Explain that one.


Is it your trump sticker perhaps? Maybe your NRA shirt?


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## Trump Economics (Jul 29, 2015)

Michael - Cleveland said:


> NPR has been interviewing Uber drivers about what it's like to work for the company. After talking with more than a hundred people, we realized: we need to do *a quick driver survey*.
> 
> *Here's the link: https://www.research.net/r/NPR_Uber*
> 
> ...


Why are Lyft drivers excluded from this survey? We're just as broke as Uber drivers, and I'm not over here creating a legal montage on my uberpeople.net profile for nothing.

Switching to Reuters.


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

Trump Economics said:


> Why are Lyft drivers excluded from this survey? We're just as broke as Uber drivers, and I'm not over here creating a legal montage on my uberpeople.net profile for nothing.


Maybe because Lyft doesn't have an Anti-Driver, sexist corporate culture and doesn't implement schemes to cheat drivers out of the small earnings they make or charge riders inflated fares?

Just guessing, of course.


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## Trump Economics (Jul 29, 2015)

Michael - Cleveland said:


> May be because Lyft doesn't have an Anti-Driver, sexist corporate culture and doesn't implement schemes to cheat drivers out of the small earnings they make or charge riders inflated fares?
> 
> Just guessing, of course.


Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, I love it when Lyft Payday Loan Reps reply to my posts.

I have more than enough evidence on my UP profile (Information section) to prove your statements are demonstrably inept, inclusive of less than minimum-wage earnings.

Cheers,

TE


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

Trump Economics said:


> Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, I love it when Lyft Payday Loan Reps reply to my posts.
> 
> I have more than enough evidence on my UP profile (Information section) to prove your statements are demonstrably inept, inclusive of less than minimum-wage earnings.
> 
> ...


I don't drive Lyft... are you saying they are just as bad as Uber?
If so, go the the email author's FB page and say as much, since you feel left out.

I'll add another 2 more possible reasons Lyft wasn't included:
1. Lyft is 1/10th the size of Uber.
2. Including both in the survey would allow each to claim the results are skewed by the other company's respondents.


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## Trump Economics (Jul 29, 2015)

No, I'm not saying that at all.










I'm saying that the Lyft Payday Loan app is WORSE, and since I've done 8,500 rides between the two, my opinion is that Lyft does everything identical to Uber, and then turns around and goes, "We're different."

Yes, they allow their drivers to get tips, which they then use against them in order to hedge their pay. Would they like a medal for acting like a sociopath, or should I just begin messaging their template email support with the phone numbers of psychotherapists in the SF area?

And I was being sarcastic -- I don't feel left out. Doing a survey of Uber drivers in 2017 is a pointless activity. What, you'd like to survey our satisfaction rates? Perhaps you should venture on over to the Rideshare Guy and get a paid quote that represents a thousand of us, when a million of us are hurting, too.

1/10 the size? Such a archaeic statistic. I hate when people reprint stats without giving credit to their meaning. On paper, Lyft is smaller, but when you hold that paper up to the sky in a city like Los Angeles, the numbers are 5/10, not 1/10, and I live in LA. And most drivers will tell you that they drive for both in order to neutralize their less than minimum-wage, Big Mac incomes, but tend to get more calls from Uber because Lyft calls are fewer and far between, which only adds to the inuendo. Well, that's because Lyft only gives you ping after ping if you stay exclusive to their platform. If they detect you going back and forth, they're not going to pepper you with calls as a thank you, and you should expect any calls you do receive to be calls that other full-time Lyft drivers didn't want. I CAN'T BELIEVE PEOPLE HAVEN'T FIGURED THIS OUT.

And any claims against the survey would further prove how pointless it was to begin with. To segregate an entire class of drivers means the survey was doomed to begin with, and I only commented because I expected more from such a neutral news organization -- I really did.



Michael - Cleveland said:


> I don't drive Lyft... are you saying they are just as bad as Uber?
> If so, go the the email author's FB page and say as much, since you feel left out.
> 
> I'll add another 2 more possible reasons Lyft wasn't included:
> ...


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## nomogmos (Feb 6, 2017)

Michael - Cleveland said:


> NPR has been interviewing Uber drivers about what it's like to work for the company. After talking with more than a hundred people, we realized: we need to do *a quick driver survey*.
> 
> *Here's the link: https://www.research.net/r/NPR_Uber*
> 
> ...


This survey is currently closed. Please contact the author of this survey for further assistance.


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

Trump Economics said:


> No, I'm not saying that at all.
> 
> View attachment 122339
> 
> ...


I understand what you're saying, but the point of it all eludes me. (sorry - I am trying)... It seems you think the writer's survey is about 'drivers'. It's not. It's about Uber. She is a tech writer - not a labor or lifestyle writer. That being the case, why would she 'survey' Lyft drivers? And who cares if those who respond to her survey request (which, as I stated above, was sent to me directly by email - so there's some manner of selection going on) is perfectly representative of ALL drivers? There's no such thing (as evidenced clearly by the disparity of opinion over the Seattle driver union proposal).

The best one can hope for is that a survey of drivers sheds light on the fact that drivers are not a monolithic demographic that shares the same needs, values and expectations.

Yeah - as to the 'We're Lyft, We're Different' stuff... yeah, I agree... with one caveat: everything 'bad' I've seen Lyft do has been in response to being forced to do it just to remain competitive with Uber. It's no excuse, and doesn't change things... but we all know where Lyft was coming from and the market in which they now have to survive. Oh - and regarding size... it doesn't matter how many drivers Lyft has, especially since, as you note, most Lyft drivers also drive Uber. What matter is the revenues. That's what 'size' mean in business terms - and in business, size matters. 

(btw - I really enjoy reading your posts)


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## Trump Economics (Jul 29, 2015)

Michael - Cleveland said:


> I understand what you're saying, but the point of it all eludes me. (sorry - I am trying)... It seems you think the writer's survey is about 'drivers'. It's not. It's about Uber. She is a tech writer - not a labor or lifestyle writer. That being the case, why would she 'survey' Lyft drivers? And who cares if those who respond to her survey request (which, as I stated above, was sent to me directly by email - so there's some manner of selection going on) is perfectly representative of ALL drivers? There's no such thing (as evidenced clearly by the disparity of opinion over the Seattle driver union proposal).
> 
> The best one can hope for is that a survey of drivers sheds light on the fact that drivers are not a monolithic demographic that shares the same needs, values and expectations.
> 
> ...


First of all, my posts are amazing, and I'm not being narcissistic. And if you were joking, that's OK, too -- I'm not on uberpeople.net to be liked, and I have my fair share of haters. The objective, then, is to continue increasing the amount of people who tell me to sit down and shut up, which tells me I'm on the right side of history.

Second, if I've made my intentions unclear in any way, please accept my apologies. I'm not omniscient, and I don't pretend to know the motivating factors behind every tech reporter, news source, story, etc. Further, the world is full of checks and balances -- "Here's my ten cents, my two cents is free. A nuisance, who sent? You sent for me?" - Eminem, Without Me

A comment from me can be a full on critique, or it can be an intermittent spurt of word vomit (venting) -- sometimes I choose to elaborate and defend a position, sometimes I don't. But my reply -- in this case -- was not meant to be taken as an attack, it was simply meant to say, "This article is inconclusive. And it doesn't need the feedback of every driver in order to fall into that catagory, it just needs to be telling the wrong story."
*
Every one of these articles, surveys, etc. consistently gets it's wrong. Every. Single. Time.*

It's not about Uber. It's not about Lyft. It's not about a union. It's about seeing things from a tapestry prospective -- not 2 hours into the movie. It's all connected. It's all a pyramid scheme (potentially).

Do you know what happens to tech companies who lose billions of dollars and remain unprofitable? They go out of business. Why are Uber and Lyft still here? And will anyone find the distinction when autonomy or AI is concerned? No. If anything, they'll choose a brand that hasn't assaulted them -- financially or otherwise.

"NPR once interviewed the late Travis Kalanick (pre-rehab), who compared all of this to a jitney, so what's changed? What's innovating? Are gypsy cabs pushing America forward? No. But data collection is. Surveillance is."

https://uberpeople.net/threads/pretty-sure-i-cracked-uber-lyfts-algorithm-the-reason-for-reduced-surge-prime-time.166941/

And in time, my information, your information, etc. will be sold to the highest bidder. I'm guessing Apple, who desperately needs a place to invest. And yes, Uber or Lyft will eventually be nothing more than a name that you used to know. Alas, I digress.

Realistically speaking, "Why are we doing more articles that no one will even remember?" Has any article ever changed the landscape of anything that's occurring? No. It just continues to get worse. And it would be arrogant of me to assume that most of the public isn't already aware of what's going on, because all of this has been regurgitated before. They know we're making minimum-wage (or less). They know they have the option to tip (cash or in-app). They know what their odds are of being attacked (by a background check that allows former prostitues to drive them around, etc.).

Fact: I went from making $1000 a week to sleeping in my car, and I've read thousands of articles on Uber and Lyft. Not one of them even remotely changes my circumstance -- only I can do that; either by quitting these apps and by choosing to sleep on the street ala EBT, or by driving until something better comes along. So the question remains, what can interested parties -- like this reporter -- do in order to have a meaningful impact on those who ARE listening? And should they stop writing articles in the meantime?

No.

However, they can start by following our lives in real time. And that means they might need to dig a little deeper by getting ALL OF THE FACTS, and Lyft -- like it or not -- is a huge piece of the puzzle. And, no, Lyft is not doing what they have to do in order to remain competitive. Every company has a choice, and I'm tired of the ones that shirk their responsibility and go, "This doesn't represent our brand." Really? Or it doesn't represent what you want us to believe about your brand? "Oh, God, he doesn't believe the double speak -- get PR on the line!"

*Off Topic*

I've been sexually assaulted on Lyft's platform (on dash cam) and they did nothing but give me robotic, perfunctory email apologies. The PTSD, the anxiety attacks, etc. -- all disguarded (one of 20 reasons for employee misclassification).

Did they do the right thing? No. The right thing would have been to admit that they have a responsibility to vet their passengers like they they do their drivers, otherwise you admit to valuing one life over another. "Oh, that's too expensive and unrealistic." Yea, and new tires and brakes every 4 months are, too, and since drivers are only required to get an inspection every 12 months, your next ride might be your last. But I could be wrong -- maybe the exhausted driver will just fall asleep at the wheel and a telephone pole will wreck the day.

*Back to competitiveness*

Lyft never upped their rates, which would have provided the superior service levels they lie about, so we have no comparison. You want to take their word for it? Go ahead. Let's plan our commute to the bankruptcy court together. Perhaps we can share a Lyft Line there?

Until then, Uber and Lyft continue to operate like a payday loan app, where the variable APR changes based on the current need of human suffering, and yet no one paints an accurate depiction of everything that's occurred.

This, then, is the point of my reply, and I'm not going to stop until every voice HAS been heard, because what you do for one driver, you must do for all. No, it's not socialism, it's called doing the right thing. And when you do the right thing, the right thing happens.

I've yet to see Uber or Lyft do either. Perhaps another article will help.










*Want more dirty deets on Lyft? Click on my Trump Economics Avatar and scroll to the Information/About me section of my uberpeople.net page.*


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

lol... is that you, Nietzsche.
Well, philosophize as you will (and no, I wasn't kidding - I enjoy your posts), reducing everything to '_what's the point_' (and judging everything before it happens) has its place - but it doesn't pay the bills today.


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## Trump Economics (Jul 29, 2015)

Michael - Cleveland said:


> lol... is that you, Nietzsche.
> Well, philosophize as you will (and no, I wasn't kidding - I enjoy your posts), reducing everything to '_what's the point_' (and judging everything before it happens) has its place - but it doesn't pay the bills today.


Neither does rideshare driving


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

Trump Economics said:


> Neither does rideshare driving


yeah I was thinking that as I typed it... but, still...


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## Trump Economics (Jul 29, 2015)

Michael - Cleveland said:


> yeah I was thinking that as I typed it... but, still...


But you had a position to defend (a need to be heard). I know it all too well.


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

Nonsense. I'm always happy to listen to other people's opinions thoughts, ideas and motives. But when they start describing my motives, I tune out.


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## nomogmos (Feb 6, 2017)

I, skeptically, hope they will be fair and comprehensive, but I'm not holding my breath. NPR is driven by its corporate funders, and the right-wing politicians in D.C. (some of them _Democrats_).

BTW, we just had a covert rate cut, here in Denver. How about you?


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

nomogmos said:


> NPR is driven by its corporate funders, and the right-wing politicians in D.C. (some of them _Democrats_).


_lmao!_


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## Veju (Apr 17, 2017)

Trumps posts are absolutely fantastic and the best posts, believe me.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Trump Economics said:


> Why are Lyft drivers excluded from this survey? We're just as broke as Uber drivers, and I'm not over here creating a legal montage on my uberpeople.net profile for nothing.
> 
> Switching to Reuters.


You NEVER hear about Lyft in the news.


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## Trump Economics (Jul 29, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> You NEVER hear about Lyft in the news.


I fight to change that every day.


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## Strange Fruit (Aug 10, 2016)

dirtylee said:


> The same liberals that pretend to care upto the point they have to tip or pay more. :rolleyes
> 
> batshit rightwing fundie conservatives make up 70% of the people that tip me with any regularity.
> 
> Explain that one.


Conservatives like tradition?


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> You NEVER hear about Lyft in the news.


Really?
*Google.com/news: Lyft*
About* 1,010,000* results (0.33 seconds)


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## Kay1661 (Sep 18, 2015)

Trump Economics said:


> First of all, my posts are amazing, and I'm not being narcissistic. And if you were joking, that's OK, too -- I'm not on uberpeople.net to be liked, and I have my fare share of haters. The objective, then, is to continue increasing the amount of people who tell me to sit down and shut up, which tells me I'm on the right side of history.
> 
> Second, if I've made my intentions unclear in any way, please accept my apologies. I'm not omniscient, and I don't pretend to know the motivating factors behind every tech reporter, news source, story, etc. Further, the world is full of checks and balances -- "Here's my ten cents, my two cents is free. A nuisance, who sent? You sent for me?" - Eminem, Without Me
> 
> ...


Long post 
Dog


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## Trump Economics (Jul 29, 2015)

Kay1661 said:


> Long post
> Dog


Here's hoping the fraud trails against Uber and Lyft are much, much longer.


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## JimKE (Oct 28, 2016)

Michael - Cleveland said:


> Maybe because Lyft doesn't have an Anti-Driver, sexist corporate culture and doesn't implement schemes to cheat drivers out of the small earnings they make or charge riders inflated fares?
> 
> Just guessing, of course.


Naw. It's because Lyft doesn't matter.

Neither does this NPR "survey" BTW.


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

JimKE said:


> Naw. It's because Lyft doesn't matter.
> Neither does this NPR "survey" BTW.


Lyft, yeah... but the survey? It matters to the author ( and maybe her mother).
And to be honest, after seeing her photos, it matters to me.


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