Uber drivers are workers, UK supreme court rules

[garbon]

Are teachers underpaid?  Don't they usually make like $40-60k?

Many (most?) of my teacher's in high school had 2nd jobs during the school year.

That's a non-answer.  My mom drove buses.  Doesn't mean she didn't get paid.

I don't generally consider a full-time job to be paid decently if you need to work another on the side.

[Ideologue]

OK, but you didn't say they needed to.  Maybe they just liked blu-ray money.  Hell, I've often considered busing tables for 10 hours a week just for the exercise.

[garbon]

Well I don't know if they needed to our not but I think that there wouldn't have been so many if they were just doing it for extra cash. After all, they were already pulling pretty long hours just on teaching.

[Ideologue]

Teach smarter, not harder.

[MadImmortalMan]

Remember that Uber is just a middle-man. A go-between that connects customers with people offering services. I'm not sure it makes sense to blame them for the conduct of their customers.

Also, but only partly related, I think Uber will get much much bigger in the future. It won't just be cars. Their model can be used for anything. Offering to do peoples' laundry, mow lawns, anything. Them or someone like them might conceivably make up a significant portion of the economy sometime down the line.

[garbon]

I'm not sure it makes sense to blame them for the conduct of their customers.

I'm not sure I'd consider the people offering their services - to be customers.

[MadImmortalMan]

Why not?

[garbon]

Why not?

Because Uber pays them?

[Admiral Yi]

As Mimsy said it's a middle man, a brokering service.  Both the driver and the rider are arguably customers.

[garbon]

I think that absolves Uber of too much responsibility.

[Admiral Yi]

I think that absolves Uber of too much responsibility.

I think both are true.  Uber is a middle man, and as such bears a responsibility that neither side that Uber brought together is going to rape the other too much.

[Neil]

That was the argument that the torrent sites have been trying to make.  It isn't working.

[Martinus]

That was the argument that the torrent sites have been trying to make.  It isn't working.

Thats a bad analogy. There the activity was illegal in itself.

Would a broker normally be liable for breach of contract by one of the parties? I don't think so. It's a platform. It's like holding ebay liable because someone sold you a faulty product through their website.

[MadImmortalMan]

But Uber does at least try to vet the drivers. So it's not completely analogous. I don't know that they need to do that. The business model probably doesn't require it. I wouldn't say there is no responsibility either. Garbo's point is true. I would certainly hope Uber stops doing business with a rapist.

[Admiral Yi]

Disagree Mimsy.  If Uber customers start to think they're taking their chances with Uber drivers it will hurt business.