re: #254 Jay C

Yeah, but Uber’s business model also, seems to be based, in part, on utilizing misleading PR (advertising) to gloss over the negatives (what a surprise!). Here in the NY media market, we’ve been barraged with TV ads for Uber - all stressing nice looking, “ordinary” folks (women and POC) happy as clams to finally get ride service in their “outlying” areas - and specifically bashing Mayor Bill de Blasio for caving to his “millionaire taxi-owner donors” in (AFAICT) not letting Uber operate unchecked in NYC.

Now there’s certainly several grains of truth in their claims : prejudicial pickup practices, outer-borough unavailability, corruption in the industry: all of that stuff is old news to New Yorkers: but the Uber model is hardly a panacea. Yes, having to rely on yellow/green cabs or black car services for road transit is very often a PITA: but the notion that the best alternative is just some guy with a car and a cellphone app is dubious, to say the least.

Eventually there will be fleets of electric self driving cars. Until then better funded public transportation is the best option.