Sidecar Shutting Down Ride And Delivery Service

Sidecar, the on-demand car service in competition with Lyft and Uber, has announced that it is shutting down at the end of this year.  

Last August, Sidecar announced that it was focusing on less ride share services while increasing its efforts to deliver food, flowers and goods to patrons of Eat24 and other on demand product sellers that its network of drivers can transport from store to front door. 

On December 31 at 2pm PT, Sidecar will officially stop offering rides and deliveries.

This may not be the end of Sidecar as in its email to partners the company plans to "pursue other strategic opportunities."  

Drivers interested in being contacted regarding future driving opportunities with our shipping partners, click here. 

Drivers were also provided this email address for addition questions: support@side.cr. 

LAX pick ups becomes a reality for LYFT drivers

LA Mayor Garcetti announced yesterday that LYFT ride service may begin picking up travelers at LAX as of Dec 23 at 8:00 AM

Airport pick ups may only be done in the DEPARTURES area and only 40 LYFT cars will be permitted on the grounds at any one time, according to a Dec 23, 2015 article by the LA Times.

The LA Times reported, "The biggest loser in the rise of ride-hailing could be Southern California taxi companies, which view the airport as their last remaining revenue stronghold." 

Considering there is a far greater selection of taxis permitted in the airport facility people may be more reluctant to wait for an ride-share when they can hail a cab from the curb. 

Drivers are encouraged to know the rules of the airports while conducting business there. Rule violations often result in heavy fines and impound of vehicle.

Not all rider requests may come from LAX.  Drivers may find lots of long rides hanging around the major hotels, car rentals and metro station.

Media bias: "Cab driver pounds on UberX car, dragged 20 metres in Toronto protest"

This video has gone viral on the Web and shows a protesting taxi driver slamming on a Uber driver's car. He is clearly displaying aggression towards the driver yet the media reports he is dragged 20 meters by the driver.

If the protester let go of the door handle he would not have been dragged as the driver was attempting to flee for his safety.


http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/taxi-driver-dragged-video-1.3357166

This week's board question: Should Uber pay us $15 an hour?

David in Denver posted this in a Uber drivers group on Facebook, "I think us Uber drivers should be paid $15/hr minimum."

My response to this was:
"I make over twice that driving for these TNC services. Maybe you are not driving the right areas. Concentrate on areas which will bring you longer rides like train stations, airport hotels, and cruise ship terminals."

The Uber marketing concept if TNC is short rides around the neighborhood, which sounds perfect for bar hoppers. The last thing a driver needs is an angry incoherent drunk who ends up getting pepper sprayed on YouTube because he refuses to exit the car after not cooperating with the driver.  Also, we don't take kindly to people who drink like pigs and puke in our nice cars.

A driver can make 4 or 5 runs an hour doing short runs about $2.50 each or find a place where longer runs are requested for a much better pay off.

The solution to this is to find a high traffic area with a higher caliber of clients. Los Angeles and Orange Counties are full of these areas.

Union station is good, so are areas near greyhounds terminals and metro stations. For the most part you are going to pick up passengers who are commuting to and from work.  Los Angeles has a cruise ship terminal in San Pedro. When I sit at the Carnival Cruise terminal in Long Beach I am often pinged from across the harbor because there are no drivers there.

These cruise ships often are fully booked and let out the 2000 passengers, one third at a time, for US Customs. So you can expect about 3 hours of service at the Princess Cruise terminal. Many want to go to LAX or Glendale.

Check the San Pedro Cruise ship info site for arrivals:
http://www.sanpedro.com/spcom/cruiscal.htm

Places to avoid, Frat houses, college campuses after 6PM,

Another tip is know the addresses of the good quality hotels where you drive. Park in an area somewhere between 2 or 3 of these and that could earn you a long trip across town.

OC areas to avoid, are CSU Fullerton after 6PM. In my experience CSU Fullerton students are the rudest and worst behaved children you could have in your car.

Places to watch out for:
Inglewood Forum has a UBER/LYFT pick up and drop off area. If you stop anywhere else in the lot you could find a ticket in your mail box.

John Wayne airport has cops that are very eager to fine TNC drivers. Know the rules and make sure you do not pick anyone up in the departures area. Do not park inside the airport but there area lots across MacArthur where you can wait for your pings

National Uber Driver Strike - a "modest kick off "

Many Drivers who belong to the Uber Drivers Facebook site have heard about Abe Hussein's plan to organize a driver walk out during the weekend of October 16 - 18.

Hussein is a former driver, possibly deactivated by Uber, who has taken on a passion to increase fares and include tipping in the Uber rider app.

Many drivers agree that fees need to be increased and tipping should be added but not many drivers seemed to climb on board with the walk off.

In San Francisco there was a handful of drivers who showed up to to the Bay Area Uber office to protest but consumers never really notices a drop in the availability of cars or an increase (surge) in prices.   This according to a Oct 16, 2015 article by Fortune.

I am working this weekend and in my travels around the Los Angeles area found many drivers between the LAX area and Long Beach. Last night I even took an Uber home from my other job and the driver knew nothing about the strike.  There were a few dozen cars in my area and I only had to wait a few minutes for my ride home.

Photo take Friday 10/16/15

Photo Take Saturday 10/17/15

If drivers want tipping in the app they should alert every passenger to request that Uber includes that in the app. Uber does listen to criticism from riders, considering how easy it is to for them to deactivate drivers who perform less than 4.6 star service. Perhaps that should be the vehicle divers should use to modify the system.

Uber Raises Safe Ride Fee

This came in over the weekend:

What this means is that the passengers will be paying the new increased fee and it will not affect the driver's income.

Uber driver assessed $2,500 fine for ride solicitation

A word to new drivers, especially in large metropolitan areas. The police are out to get you with under cover tactics. Knowledge, understanding and following the rules in the area where you work is vital.

In LA cops are posing a frantic parents in need of a ride to get to the hospital. They flag and offer the driver cash and then bust him for accepting the cash.  NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED!

Source: LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

By Richard N. Velotta
Las Vegas Review-Journal

The first transportation network company driver to be disciplined by the Nevada Transportation Authority was assessed a $2,500 fine at a hearing Tuesday for offering a ride to a plainclothes enforcement officer while not operating on the Uber platform.

Transportation Authority Commissioner Keith Sakelhide, serving as hearing officer in the matter, assessed the fine to Kelil Ebrahim, who spoke through an interpreter for most of the hourlong hearing.

Earlier, Ebrahim had asked Sakelhide for a delay in the vehicle impoundment hearing so that he could hire an attorney to represent him, but he reconsidered that Tuesday morning request and appeared without an attorney later in the afternoon.

Sakelhide could have assessed a fine as high as $10,000, but issued the fine of $2,500 recommended by Deputy Attorney General David Newton. Ebrahim asked for a lower fine, but Sakelhide left it at $2,500 because he said he felt he should have known the regulations for transportation network companies. Ebrahim also has worked as a taxicab driver for the Frias Transportation Group for seven months.

The Tuesday hearing was for the violation of regulation for the unauthorized use of a vehicle as a limousine and had to be conducted within 48 working hours of the incident because the vehicle was impounded. Ebrahim will have a second hearing and could face more fines on Oct. 21 for allegedly violating a regulation for operating as a common carrier without a certificate.

When Ebrahim was cited Friday, it was the Transportation Authority enforcement staff's first time out looking for drivers working off the platform.

According to a report filed by enforcement investigator Rachel Martines, Ebrahim's gray Toyota Prius was spotted in a bus loading zone at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood just before noon Friday. The driver asked the officer, "You looking for a ride?"

After acknowledging he was an Uber driver, the officer said she didn't have the Uber app on her smartphone and had no credit card.

The driver responded, "Well, that's OK, I can still take you." When asked what the cost would be, the driver responded, "I can do it for $20. Get in."

In testimony Tuesday, Ebrahim said he had received a ride hail on the Uber app and was trying to confirm whether the woman was his customer.

He also testified that he did not realize that he could not operate off the platform.

In a telephone interview late Tuesday, Uber spokeswoman Kayla Whaling said after the action by the Transportation Authority, the driver would not be allowed back on the Uber platform.

She said based on the number of rides Ebrahim had performed while on the Uber platform, it was clear that he understood the procedures. In addition, all of Uber's contracted drivers are required to accept the terms and conditions of the application in an emailed check-off box accompanying those terms.

The Transportation Authority has a database of drivers working for transportation network companies that can be used to prevent violators for working for other companies.

Ebrahim, an 11-year resident of Las Vegas, speaks Oromo, an Ethiopian dialect. An interpreter translated his testimony in the Tuesday hearings.

Friday Night Surge

Found this on a Facebook group:


Here's another complaint. They have no choice ! Yeah you do don't go out and drink ! Attention everyone be aware off uber. They're taking advantage of people who go out and drink. After 1:30 they're price is sky high. Friday October 2nd around 1:40 am they had charged me 3 times more what I usually pay same distance same time. Next day October 3 I took taxi and taxi was cheaper. Uber are taking advantage for whom are out and drinking so they don't have choice. Be aware and God bless


My response to this:
This is called a surge and it is because most smart drivers are in bed at that time. Surge is based on supply and demand. Many seasoned Uber drivers are tried of picking up drunks late at night and having to stop for the rest of their shifts get their cars professionally cleaned after drunks puke in them.

If you don't like the surge you are most welcome to take a yellow cab and puke in there.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Uber and Lyft set their rates and increase them where the requests are greater than the drivers available in the area. Sidecar does not have a surge system but the drivers are allowed to charge as much as 2 times the Sidecar rates, if they have driven the required amount of rides (15 - 25) after signing up.

Below is what the driver app looks like when there is a surge.

Some driver will actually drive to the red areas on the map if they are near. They should not do that. This results in more divers in the area and a reduction of the surge price. Drivers should stay put and let the surge come to them.

Seasoned riders have multiple rideshare apps and they can decide which one to take or even take a Yellow cab.

Dealing with Rowdy Drunken College Students

Salman Mukaty posted this in a Lyft Drivers Facebook page:

This is not worth the $4 or $5 you will make driving rowdy drunken students so here is what I do:

If I get a request from a Frat house or a college party I cancel the ride and drive off. 

Let the little drunken brats puke in a Yellow Cab!

We are no obligation to accept every ride and to ensure you are not picking up drunks who will only make your ride a living hell, simply call them up first to confirm the address where you are picking them up. If it sounds rowdy or they sound drunk, cancel the ride.

If you live in a college town, find a better location to wait for rides. Train stations, bus depots, airport hotels are great places to pick up weary travelers who appreciate our services and clean cars.

Post of the week- a driver calls it quits

Saw this on one of the Uber/Lyft Facebook pages:

Well, fellow lyft/uber drivers it's been fun. I'm gonna call it quits with this gig. This was the final straw...they only paid me $50 for a puker. It cost me twice that for clean up fees. Best of luck to you all.

My response was, "If you hang out near nice hotels, train stations, and airports you improve your chances of not picking up drunks. At night if I get a request I usually call the pax to tell them I am on the way and if they sound drunk or rowdy, I cancel the ride."

Allow me to elaborate.

There is absolutely no contract stipulation with any of the TNC companies that force drivers to pick up drunks. Personally, I do not tolerate drunkenness around me, let alone in my car.

If you are going to drive professionally you can not risk ending a night if some drunken fool pukes in your car so just say "NO!" and let the cheap drunken fools puke in a Yellow cab. 

Uber's Tipping Policy

Many drivers do not like how Uber handles tipping advice to riders.

Here is an idea Uber. Why not add a section at the end of the ride in the app to allow for a tip so if the passengers would like to give one they can just charge it to the transaction.

Your competitor, LYFT, does it.

Also, when a driver does a Sidecar deliver service, a tip is added to the transaction.

Post of the week: Brainless Drivers

Found this on Facebook:

I got pulled over for a noise ordinance violation the other night. I was driving a bunch of college students from their fraternity house to a bar off campus. One of them asked for the aux cord. Ok no problem. He then proceeds to crank up his hip hop music at full blast. I didn't say anything but a couple of minutes later I got pulled over. Cop said he could hear me almost 2 blocks away. So on top of open containers and trying to jam more than 4 pax in my vehicle now I have to deal with not letting them play the music too loud.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With School being back in session maybe I should address some key points and solutions for certain situations.

1 - If you live in a college town and plan to pick up students on weekend maintain situation awareness. Partying students have no regard for the law nor care for your well being. They are just out to have a good time.  Spot check the back seat for open containers. If you see them sneaking in beers CANCEL the ride and kick them out of the car. A ride cancellation will prevent the driver from getting a low star rating.

2 -  If you reluctant to control the volume of the car stereo because you fear a low rating, tell them your Aux system and radio are broken. 

3 - Never allow more passengers in the car than what you are legally permitted to carry. ONE SEAT BELT per PAX is the rule.  If they have more people ask if anyone has never used your ride service, give them your PROMO CODE and tell them to down load the app and request a second car on you.

4 - SAFETY FIRST. You are running a business, not a party boat. If the passengers are load, pull over and tell them you will cancel the ride if they do not settle down. If they do not comply cancel the ride and kick them out. This is nonsense is not worth the $4 you make to take them from campus to a bar. Give them the phone number to a local cab company.

LAX Pick Ups - It is still the customer's choice

With the news of LA law makers agreeing to allow Uber and Lyft type companies into the arrivals area at LAX there comes another issue, the rising cost of the fare. Also, will the city of Los Angeles hold TNC companies to the fire for only using contact workers and not employees?

Some drivers are speculating that travelers will not be willing to pay the additional $4 to be picked up at the white zone. Instead, they may opt to how things have been going on for quite sometime and working quite well.

For the past few years that TNC operators have been operating near the airport, parking on side streets near La Cienega and Century. Seasoned travelers have been using Uber, Lyft and Sidecar by hopping on the shuttles or the free bus to the transit mall and requesting their ride shares outside the airport.
 
Perhaps the powers that be at LAX should take a drive down to John Wayne and see how it is working quite well.  Drivers park outside of the airport and are not permitted into the airport unless they are delivering a passenger or picking up someone in arrivals. When the driver gets a request, they call the passenger to find out what terminal they are waiting and what number column they are standing by. LAX does not have column numbers but they do have an arrivals area for every airline. That should work quite nicely.

We will see in the weeks ahead how they plan to make this happen.

Los Angeles lawmakers approve plan that would allow Uber and Lyft pickups at LAX

Source LA TIMES


In a nod to consumer demands and the realities of disruptive technology, Los Angeles became the largest city in the nation Tuesday to open the door for ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft to fully operate alongside taxis at its airport.

After weeks of debate over the potential risks of app-based ride companies, the L.A. City Council approved a policy that would allow Uber and Lyft to apply for permits to pick up passengers at Los Angeles International Aiport, a service they’re currently barred from providing.

“People are baffled that they can take ride share to the airport but can’t take one home,” said Councilman Mike Bonin, a vocal advocate of Uber and Lyft whose Westside district includes the airport. He said the policy will improve the LAX experience for passengers who have “suffered too long with too few choices.”

Fueled by lobbying spending by taxi companies and their new, rapidly growing competitors, lawmakers discussed for weeks whether the background checks used by Uber and Lyft to screen their tens of thousands of drivers put customers at risk.

Taxi companies have complained that the start-ups have an unfair competitive advantage because their drivers are held to less stringent standards than licensed cabbies.

Council members Gil Cedillo, Mitch O’Farrell, Nury Martinez, Paul Krekorian, Paul Koretz and Curren Price voted against allowing the permit policy to move ahead. All but Price voiced concerns with the background checks that Uber and Lyft currently perform. The final vote was 9-6.

“I see no reason whatsoever why the rush,” O’Farrell said, urging his colleagues to send the permit policy back to the airport with requests for changes. “What we have on the table, in my view, is a series of inequalities, and a double standard. I can’t in good conscience support that.”

The City Council agreed to ask the California Public Utilities Commission, the state agency that regulates Uber and Lyft, to add fingerprinting as a part of the required background check process for all for-hire drivers, including those operating limousines, shuttles and ride-hail cars. L.A. cabbies already are fingerprinted and checked against FBI criminal databases.

Airport officials have said that Uber and Lyft operate less like taxi services and more like shuttle or limousine companies, whose drivers do not undergo background checks to work at LAX.

In a last-minute amendment, council members instructed the city attorney to explore the city’s legal authority to require fingerprint background checks for ride-hailing services if state regulators fail to act.

“Yes, no system is perfect — I can accept that — but that doesn’t equalize the two systems,” Cedillo said, urging a fingerprinting requirement. “In fact, one is better.”

The last remaining hurdle will be finalizing the contracts between the companies and the city.

The companies must be able to prove that their apps can provide data the city seeks, including the number of trips that their drivers take onto airport property and how many cars are inside the terminal area at any given time.

If that process goes as smoothly as Mayor Eric Garcetti and other proponents hope, Uber and Lyft could be operating at LAX in a matter of weeks.

The City Council action is a major setback for the taxi industry. LAX, the busiest airport on the West Coast, is viewed as one the last strongholds of lucrative fares for Southern California's struggling cabbies.

Representatives for Uber and Lyft argued during the City Hall debate that their background checks are as good as the fingerprint-based FBI screenings they are being pressured to adopt.

Concerns intensified last week when the top prosecutors for Los Angeles and San Francisco said they had found 25 Uber drivers with serious criminal records, including murder, assault and driving under the influence.

Interested in the stories shaping California? Sign up for the free Essential California newsletter >>

“It is incredibly unfair to demonize the hundreds of thousands of people who drive for Uber and Lyft as criminals and rapists,” Bonin said during Tuesday's meeting. He added that some features of the background checks that the companies already use could be stronger than screenings used for taxi drivers.

Several council members, citing the popularity of the services and some consumer information features built into the services' apps, said they were satisfied with the background checks and other security features that the companies currently use, including a rating system for drivers and passengers.

“Safety is a complicated issue,” Councilman Bob Blumenfield said. “It’s not as simple as background check, no background check.”

Question of the week: Chasing Surges

Joe from San Diego posted this on a LYFT Drivers Facebook Group:

 Why is it every time I reach a primetime area primetime disappears and goes back to normal?

Never chase a surge. It is based on supply and demand. When drivers show up to the area it causes the surge to go down.

Note the areas you want to work in where surges are high on certain days, drive there and put it in park.

Driver weekly feedback - LOL!

This just goes to show that you can not please everyone.

Some dumb son of a bitch though my car could fly over the flow of traffic.

At least I got his dumb ass to his destination alive and he is alive to complain about it!

Plan for Uber, Lyft service at LAX clears key City Hall hurdle

Source:  Los Angles Times

The odds that Uber and Lyft will soon be fully operational at Los Angeles International Airport appear to be increasing, despite some political hesitation at City Hall and calls for tighter screening of the ride-hailing services’ drivers.

A City Council committee heard hours of testimony Tuesday from warring sides in the latest local battle over the economic disruption being caused by rapidly growing start-ups in the so-called sharing economy.

In the end, lawmakers voted 3-2 to support a policy that would allow Uber and Lyft to seek permits to pick up airport passengers, a service they currently are banned from providing.


The prospect of ride-sharing companies such as Uber or Lyft is being debated in City Hall.
The city’s airport commission approved such a permitting plan last month, subject to final contract negotiations with the ride services. But council members intervened in the process and chose to conduct their own review. The matter now moves to the full council, where it will be voted on later this summer.

The council will consider a series of recommendations adopted by the committee. Those include creating a simple complaint system that would be available to passengers of the ride-hailing services who take trips to or from LAX. Lawmakers also suggested the full council ask state regulators to mandate fingerprint-based background checks on Uber and Lyft drivers.

The airport is the most lucrative and closely guarded piece of the traditional taxi industry's stronghold in Southern California. Taxi leaders have fought to keep Uber and similar companies from operating there, saying they have a competitive advantage because their drivers are held to less stringent screening standards than licensed cabbies.

Prospective Uber and Lyft drivers do not submit fingerprints as part of state-required background checks. By contrast, L.A. taxi drivers have their prints checked through federal criminal databases.

During Tuesday's five-hour hearing, lawmakers focused on whether drivers for taxi companies and ride-hailing companies should be held to the same standards.

Uber and Lyft have argued their driver screening processes are as effective as those used for cab drivers, and fingerprint checks would be redundant.

The Times recently reported that four Uber drivers cited at LAX had criminal convictions, including manslaughter, that would have barred them from driving a taxi in Los Angeles.

Council members have expressed a desire to level the playing field for limo drivers, cabbies and their start-up counterparts at the West Coast’s largest airport. But the difficulties of accomplishing that became clearer Tuesday.

The airport’s proposed licensing agreements with Uber and Lyft, which are regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission, follow the state agency’s requirements for background checks, which do not include fingerprinting, Los Angeles World Airports Executive Director Deborah Flint said.

Uber and Lyft operate less like airport taxi services and more like shuttle or limousine companies, she said, and should be held to the state regulatory standards.

“We don’t impose additional requirements,” Flint said. “The airport has taken the position of being consistent.”

A PUC representative said the agency is considering amending its regulations to require fingerprinting as part of background checks for Uber and Lyft drivers.

Councilman Paul Krekorian expressed concern over Uber’s record of compliance, citing a California administrative law judge's recommendation to fine the company $7.3 million for failing to provide the state required reports on its operations.

The PUC’s Denise Tyrrell told the committee that as of Monday Uber was “in full compliance” with its reporting requirements. However, she added, that does not negate the recommended penalty for past reporting problems. Uber has said it is appealing the proposed fine.

With or without tighter background checks, LAX’s pending operating rules would be among “the most restrictive agreements we’ve agreed to around the country,” said Joe Okpaku, Lyft’s director of public affairs.

Dealing with Feedback

People react to criticism differently.

I personally don't take these seriously, especially from LYFT.  Uber drivers can get deactivated if ratings dip below 4.6 but for the most part these are tabulate from an average of 500 rides.

If a new Uber driver dips below a 4.6 this can be bad news.  Reactivation usually involves a $60 class and a 30 day trial period to get those ratings back up over 4.7

Educating riders on the importance of the rating system helps to keep those numbers up. Tell your rider that you rate them too and you are giving them five stars when the ride is over.

If a rider ratings dip drivers may not so eager to pick them up.

Here is how I react to ratings:

If this driver was "Awesome" then why the heck didn't you give the driver 5 stars? 

12 five star rides and one not?  Get with the program!

Bernie Sanders Says He Has "Serious Problems" With Uber Because It's "Unregulated"

Source: Reason Magazine article dated August 7, 2015

Bernie Sanders Says He Has "Serious Problems" With Uber Because It's "Unregulated"

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the self-described democratic socialist currently running for the Democratic presidential nomination, says he has "serious problems" with car service company Uber because it's "unregulated." 

Sanders made the remark in an interview with Bloomberg News. There doesn't appear to be any additional context to the quote. But for Sanders, there probably doesn't need to be. The fact that Uber is big, successful—it was recently valued at $51 billion—and relatively innovative is problem enough. The only way to solve that problem with regulation. 

Or, perhaps, more regulation. Sanders seems to be wrong to say that Uber is unregulated. A spokesperson for the company told The Hill that 54 different jurisdictions already have regulations for ride-hailing services in place. That's just what's in place already. Cities like New York and states like California have proposed and debated a slew of additional regulations over the last year or so. Uber, in other words, is already regulated—and, sadly, likely to grow more regulated over time. 

Read Reason's Brian Doherty on the various regulations faced by Uber and other ride-sharing companies here, here, and here. 

Drive for Uber and get a sign in bonus!

Earn extra cash driving people around with your 4 door vehicle.

Work your own hours.
Be your own boss.

Uber Drivers are independent contractors who work where and when they want.

Apply today and get $150 sign in bonus!

Use this link:  https://get.uber.com/drive/?invite_code=rouhg

Uber drivers encouraged to drive for LYFT as well!

Uber has a very high bar for drivers and deactivation can become a reality after ratings dip below 4.6 stars.

Don't take a chance on losing income by driving for LYFT.  

Uber drivers are independent contractors and under no obligation to only driver for Uber.

Bringing on an additional TNC app is like fishing with two baited hooks.


Sign up today by going to this link:

https://www.lyft.com/drivers/TONY083870

Free Ride Code for LYFT - for new riders only

Tony gave you $20 in Lyft credit towards your first ride!


You must be new to Lyft and in an eligible market to qualify.

Use this link: https://www.lyft.com/invited/TONY083870

Try Uber Code - Free Ride for new riders

YOU GOT A FREE RIDE

Welcome to Uber, the easiest way to get around at the tap of a button.

Claim your free ride from Tony, worth up to $20!

https://get.uber.com/invite/rouhg

Driver post of the week: Dealing with rude drunks

A very upset driver posted a complaint on the facebook page.

A very drunk passenger requested a ride from a night club. The driver called to locate him and when she arrived at the club ended up having to wait from him. She called him once again to find out that he took another Uber home.

We are under no obligation to pick up rude and drunk customers.

Picking up drunks for $4 rides only lowers your rating and puts your interior at risk.

Reporting the rude passenger to Uber is futile as well because all it does is generate a form email from Uber telling drivers that not all of our riders are the best and we have to deal with it.

My suggestion to seasoned drivers is avoid driving late nights but if you have no other alternative the best tip is to hang out near airport hotels, train stations or locations where weary travelers tend to request a ride. Travelers appreciate our services better, request longer rides and give five star ratings because they are happy to climbing into a car where they are going to get a safe and courteous ride.

At night when I drive I often call the passenger to tell them I am on my way and if they appear to be drunk I simply cancel the ride and ignore a repeat request.

The hassle is not worth a $4 ride, not even in a surge.

John Wayne Airport Rules for TNC Drivers

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department Airport Police Services and Airport Operations Personnel administer and enforce the provisions of the Airport Rules and Regulations. 

It is the driver's responsibility to know them.

Best practice when picking up a rider is wait at the IHOP parking lot across the street from the airport and wait for your ride request. When you get a request call the passenger and ask for the column number they are next to. If there is no column number it is a good indication they are at the departures.  Ask if they are upstairs and if they are request that they walk downstairs and text you with the column number. 

Every column at the arrivals section has a number for riders to notify their drivers.  This makes it very quick and easy.

Posted at:

http://www.ocair.com/aboutjwa/rulesandregulations/

TNC drivers # 1 big mistake

I take an Uber or a Lyft to work about 4 times a week and often get new drivers.

Many new drivers have one thing in common, they hold their cell phones while driving. Some like to place their phones on their knees or between their legs while they drive.

Holding cell phones while driving is against the law in some states, and drivers could get pulled over. 

The best solution is to have cell phones mounted and set so drivers can operated them, for the most part, hands free.

Some ride share companies send new drivers a windshield mounts, a suction cup that attaches to glass with universal type of holder. These never seem to work for me. 

What works best for me are the mounts that attach to an A/C vent and hold the device within arms reach from the steering wheel.

I got mine at Radio Shack but they are available at Fry's, Best Buy, Wall-mart and  Amazon.com.

Uber Driver Turns Away Blind Passenger

Note to fellow TNC drivers- Large service dogs are usually trained ride on the floor of the back seat of cars.

My wife and I both drive for ride share apps and we keep a blanket in the trunk of the car for service dogs.


Source: NBC

 Uber Driver Turns Away Blind Passenger  
A blind Wisconsin man claims a driver affiliate with the car service Uber denied him a ride because he uses a service dog.

David Tolmie said his Uber driver turned him away last Thursday because the driver did not want the dog, Divit, to scratch his leather seats, NBC station WMTV reported.

Tolmie told the station that it was his first time using the car service. He said he made sure to check the ride-sharing website to ensure that it follows Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards before requesting a ride. He had planned to take Divit to the veterinarian.

"It clearly states that they've educated all of their drivers that service dogs are allowed in all vehicles," Tolmie told the station.

Related: Uber, Lyft Face Questions From Massachusetts Over Disability Access

In a statement to NBC News, Uber said all drivers with the company are expected to comply with ADA requirements.

"We provide our driver community with information on best practices for accommodating riders with disabilities. Our Code of Conduct specifically prohibits any type of discrimination in serving riders with disabilities," Uber said. "Uber also requires driver partners to accommodate service animals in compliance with accessibility laws."

An Uber spokeswoman also noted that they have been praised by the National Federation of the Blind in the past.

Uber told NBC News that the driver has since been deactivated and that the company does not tolerate discrimination of any kind.

The station reported that after Tolmie was turned away, he purportedly informed the driver of the law. But the driver allegedly disregarded Tolmie and left. He then allegedly canceled Tolmie's ride, charging him a cancellation fee.

"It was very shocking," Tolmie said. "I can't say I've ever... I mean, it's clear discrimination."

Tolmie, who has been with his seeing eye dog for nearly six years, has filed a complaint with the Equal Opportunities Commission and the City of Madison.

Tolmie did not respond to requests for comment from NBC News.

Uber as a Millennial Teaching Tool - by Rush Limbaugh

Source: Rush Limbaugh radio program July 27, 2015

RUSH:  Okay, I'll just give you an example of de Blasio and this Uber business.  I'm telling you this is just a forerunner, just a little tease because you've got city governments all over this country trying to shut Uber down and they're all liberal government.  I want to quote de Blasio.  This is the new mayor New York City, and this guy has unwittingly just -- in his own words -- explained why liberalism is at odds with the US Constitution.  Ready?  "The people..." This is what he said:

"The people of our cities do not like the notion of those who are particularly wealthy and powerful dictating the terms to a government elected by the people.  As a multibillion-dollar company, Uber thinks it can dictate to government."  He's got it 180 degrees out of phase.  Uber is American citizens!  Uber is a couple of entrepreneurs who thought they had a new way of beating what happened to be taxi cartels in major cities, and they came up with a way to provide people a better way of getting around in automobiles at much less money.

So the mayor of New York comes along and says, 'The people of our cities don't like the notion of those who are particularly wealthy and powerful dictating the terms to a government elected by the people."  The United States Constitution does not limit Uber.  The United States Constitution limits Bill de Blasio.  The US Constitution is written specifically to limit the power of government over people, and this guy is making it patently obvious why liberals are at odds with the US Constitution.

This is what's the teachable moment for young Millennials and low-information voters who happen to love Uber.  They think Uber is a "progressive" company because they use smartphones and high-tech to do their business.  They just naturally assume that Uber is a bunch of leftists -- and personally, they may be.  I have no idea.  But they're being targeted to be put out of business by liberal city governments.  And once this is explained to them, you can see the light go off.

I've had a bunch of people who teach college kids tell me this.  They explain this Uber situation to them, and they love Uber.  A lot of people love Uber.  In fact, that's where de Blasio was wrong because the problem is what people don't like when they found out it's happening is politicians taking things away from them that they like and are voting for with their pocketbooks, and forcing them to spend is more money than necessary to satisfy some cabal that exists between government and, in this case, a taxi cartel in New York City.

Anyway, that's just it is forerunner of it.  But I think it's just classic. If young people can be made to understand that it is government that is supposed to be limited, government reach, it's what the US Constitution's all about, and that's not taught. You know what's taught about the US Constitution today?  You know what's taught about it?  It's taught that it doesn't go far enough.  It's taught that the Constitution needs to be changed, amended, reanalyzed, because it doesn't grant government enough power.

This Uber example is a way of illustrating the folly and the fallacy of that.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH:Here's Steven in Dallas.  He's an Uber driver.  Steven, great to have you on the program.  Hello.

CALLER:  Wow.  It's an honor, Rush.  Longtime listener, first-time caller, retired military.  I drive for Uber here in Dallas.  You know, we talk about these towns that have really kind of closed down Uber, and I think it's gotta be, you know, money under the table. Because anybody that's used Uber not only swears by it, but do not absolutely want to go back to the cab companies.  I think the cab companies here in Dallas in particular, if they were terrible, they'd be an improvement.  The service that I provide as an Uber driver is unmatched by any cabdriver here in Dallas. So we have municipalities here in Texas that have closed Uber done.  San Antonio is one of those instances.  But the cities that have embraced Uber are creating a service.

RUSH:  I know people love it and swear by it.  It's just that I'm too famous to be able to use Uber.  I can't. You know, it's one of the many problems of fame is you can't do all kinds of things that other people can.  I just can't do it.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Now, back to this Uber story 'cause all I did on that was give you the de Blasio quote, and this story is rich.  The Wall Street Journal: "Progressive New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Socialist Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo found common cause on a shared threat while attending a recent climate-change conference at the Vatican."  Stop and think of this: Here these two socialist wackos are at a climate change conference at the Vatican and they get all fired up about Uber.

"'The people of our cities don't like the notion of those who are particularly wealthy and powerful dictating the terms to a government elected by the people,' Mr. de Blasio declared. 'As a multibillion-dollar company, Uber thinks it can dictate to government.'"  Mr. de Blasio, you've got it all wrong. The people in New York and elsewhere see your association with the taxi cartel as exactly what you are claiming: "particularly wealthy and powerful dictating the terms to a government."

But the big point for me here is, "What what de Blasio is actually saying..."

Here it is.  That's right.  Talking Points Memo.  "DOJ:  No, We Were Not Asked to Launch a Criminal Probe into Hillary Clinton's E-mails."  This is what it is.  This is exactly what I saw.  The date of this thing is Friday. It's late Friday when this thing hit.  They were not asked to launch a criminal probe into Clinton's e-mails.  The story was that these two inspectors general did and demanded and wanted, and that story ran all weekend.  Okay.  So now you know that I did see it.

But the point about this de Blasio thing is, this is rich, because here he obviously believes that government is the center of everybody's life and that citizens don't like anybody dictating to government what government has.  No! (summarized) "If there's gonna be any dictating, the government's gonna be doing it.  Not the people.  The people don't get to tell government what to do."  That's how screwed up this guy is.  But that's what modern day liberalism is.  This is what they all believe.

Constitution shmonstitution, balderdash.  There is dictating! The government gets to dictate.  People elect the government to tell other people what they can and can't do.  It's not the other way around.  It's not governed by and for the American people or what have you.  But as the Journal writes (it's an L. Gordon Crovitz piece), "But before Mr. de Blasio could return from Rome, he learned that people really don't like when politicians try to take away their favorite app for getting around the government's taxi cartel.

"The mayor was forced to drop his plan to limit Uber to a 1% annual increase in cars, far below the current rate.  It's hard to see why Mr. de Blasio thought that would be good politics. Two million New Yorkers have downloaded the Uber app onto their mobile devices -- a quarter of the city's population and more than twice the number of citizens who voted for Mr. de Blasio." So more people have the Uber app than voted for this clown. "But it's easy to understand why he views Uber as an ideological threat.

"A tipping point is in sight where big-government politicians can no longer deprive consumers of new choice made possible by technology -- whether for car rides, car sharing or home rentals. Mr. de Blasio's experience should encourage other politicians to sign up for innovation."  This is so, so on point.  Technology does hold the key to overrunning these libs.  What's fascinating about this, folks...

If you look at, say, Millennials as a group that you would want to teach and open their eyes about the perils of big government, the problems of big government -- and how big government impairs them and limits their freedom -- this is it. This is the story. This is the case.  Uber.  Because they love Uber.  Now, most of them probably think Uber is a nice, progressive liberal company because it's young and hip just like they are.  And they don't understand government going after it.

All they know is that Uber is there when they want it.  Uber gets 'em where they wanted to go, they get to use their phone to get it all done. It's just whenever they want to do it, they don't have to stand around and wait for a cab that's dirty being driven by somebody they can't understand and may stink in there. They don't have to put up with any of that, and they can be in touch with the driver. He can say, "I'm five minutes away. Meet me wherever. You be at the corner." It's simple, it really, really works.

And here come big-government mayors trying to shut it down. With that story in the right teacher's hands, a whole bunch of people can be shown what they have not been taught elsewhere in school: What big government liberalism does to individual liberty and freedom.  Think about this: "Uber has become a wedge issue. The Conservative mayor of London, Boris Johnson, took the opposite approach from Mr. de Blasio.

"'You are dealing with a huge economic force which is consumer choice, and the taxi trade needs to recognize that,' he said recently. He told a gathering of taxi drivers in London: 'I'm afraid it is a tragic fact that there are now more than a million people in this city who have the Uber app.' When cabbies objected that Uber drivers were undercutting their prices, Mr. Johnson replied: 'Yes, they are. It's called the free market,'" and that's and that's what competition does.

Competition lowers prices for the consumer while giving them more choice, and liberal big city mayors want to deny that choice and keep prices high because they are in bed with the existing taxi cartel.  "Presidential candidates are divided as well. Hillary Clinton implicitly criticized Uber in her campaign speech on economic policy, saying the 'so-called "gig economy"' is 'raising hard questions about workplace protections and what a good job will look like.'"

Now, the "gig economy" is another way of talking about independent contractors.  Your job is a series of gigs rather than being an employee, and the government wants you to be an employee.  You know why they want you to be an employee?  Because then they get to withhold your taxes from you. They get to withhold your Social Security, and they get to demand that you have health care.  When you're an employee, they have total control over most of your money.  When you're an independent contractor, they don't.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH:  Here you go.  Here you go.  Marco Rubio has a chapter in his presidential campaign book called "American Dreams," and the chapter in his campaign book is called, "An America Safe for Uber."  He describes, explaining to a college class that he taught, how Miami had banned Uber cars.  "As my progressive young students listened to me explain why government was preventing them from using their cell phones to get home from the bars on Saturday night, I could see their minds change.  Before I knew it, I was talking to a bunch of 20- and 21-year-old anti-government activists."

So, it's a big deal.  Government endorsed cartels, like New York City has with the cab industry.  You know what the price of a medallion is to have a cab? They limit the number of cabs in the city, obviously. And they limit... That's part of the protection scheme. They limit the number of medallions, and there's not one medallion per cab.  A medallion owner could have a fleet of 20 cabs. It just depends on who's able to make what deal.  But there is a finite, total number of cabs that gets increased every year based on a formula so forth, but they're in bed with the city government. It's protectionism, and they try to keep competitors out, protect the prices of the cabs, the fares.

And Gordon Crovitz with the Wall Street Journal says these "government-enforced cartels are the ones that fall faster and harder to disruptive innovation than most businesses. When change comes, it's more dramatic than in industries that already have competition."  But if you have a business that is protected by government -- city government, state government, town council, federal government, whatever -- then you don't face competition.  And if you do face competition, it's really hard on the competitors.

It's made nearly impossible.  So you do not learn the rigors, and when change comes along that they can't control, and this kind of technologically driven innovative change in the hands of millions of people, a government like de Blasio, he can try, but he can't stop anything.  He's gonna be overpowered by the numbers.  And those people, those cartels fall faster and harder because the change is dramatic and they're not prepared to deal with it.  "The fate of taxis is a warning to other regulated industries that new technologies always give customers more choice and better price.

"Citizens can always make choice to vote for candidates who embrace innovation" and those who don't.

END TRANSCRIPT

Bill protects new travel options for California state workers

Bill protects new travel options for California state workers

AB 229 shields use of services such as Uber, Airbnb for state business
Internet group says ‘sharing economy’ aligns with state cost-saving policies

Source: Sacramento Bee

BY JON ORTIZ
jortiz@sacbee.com
California law would catch up with the “sharing economy” under terms of a bill that requires state government allow ride-sharing services and Airbnb-type rentals for state business.

While nothing prohibits the state from reimbursing employees for those expenses, the advent of web-based alternatives to taxis, car rentals and hotel rooms is not specifically addressed anywhere in the law or labor contracts.

For example, state rules and labor agreements say that employees must stay in “commercial lodging establishments” for the state to pick up the tab.

The measure written by Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang, R-Diamond Bar, says departments couldn’t refuse reimbursement for short-term room rentals or rides on services including Lyft and Uber. (Currently, the state doesn’t require receipts for rides that cost less than $10.)

The Internet Association, whose members include ride-sharing, web retailers and search engine mammoth Google, “recognizes the value of the emerging sharing economy and how it could be used to reduce state costs relating to travel.”

The Senate Governmental Organization Committee approved the measure earlier this month, 11-1 with one member not voting. The lone dissent: Sen. Ben Hueso, D-San Diego, whose family owns a taxi company.

Notice to Riders about Lyft Line and Uber Pool

A recent incident at 1:45 in the morning in the San Francisco Bay area might want to make you consider requesting a private ride instead of sharing your ride with other passengers.


Source: CBS - San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) – A Bay Area couple said their experience with Lyft became a nightmare when they were attacked by two men sharing a ride with them in San Francisco early Wednesday morning.

The couple, who asked not to be identified, told KPIX 5 that the incident took place about a quarter to two in the morning. They were near the corner of 15th Street and Valencia when the two men in the SUV with them became crude.

“They just were talking really derogatorily about women and about dating apps and their co-workers and just saying really nasty things that were not comfortable,” the woman told KPIX 5.
When the couple asked the men to stop, things exploded.

“He says to me, ‘You need to control your woman.’ And since it’s not 1850, I took offense to that,” the man said.

“Before I knew it, he was just throwing punches, he hit me in the head like five or six times,” the woman said.

Her boyfriend has knot on his forehead from the punches. She said the driver didn’t stop the ride until she yelled for help. That’s when the two men took off and San Francisco police was called.

“There was little they could do because they just didn’t have the data that Lyft just has, who these people were, what their address is, what their phone number is,” the man said.

According to the couple, the driver tried and failed to get ahold of Lyft.

“They should know what to do if things arise. There should be protocol if the cops need to be called,” the woman said. “I mean, the driver just stood there like a deer in the headlights.”

Two hours later, safely home, the couple said Lyft called with an offer for $5 and a restaurant certificate.

That’s when the couple took to their laptops and lit up Lyft on social media, and Lyft got back to them…with a better explanation, but little help.

“‘Incidents like this help us how to do better in the future,’ which basically sounded to me like, we have to figure out how unsafe people are before we figure out how to make them safe,” the woman said.

Both said they’ll never ride Lyft again.

“They always talk about fist bumps, but I guess we didn’t expect that one,” the man said.
“I just hope that nobody else has to experience this,” the woman said.

The SFPD said they are investigating and are working with Lyft to find the two men involved.
In an email to CBS San Francisco Thursday, Lyft spokeswoman Paige Thelen said “We take all matters involving safety extremely seriously and we immediately disabled the passenger’s account upon receiving this report. Our Trust and Safety team has been in touch with the victims and will continue to be available to help in any way we can, as well as support the authorities in the ongoing investigation.”

How To Get An Uber Airport Ride

Some airports allow pick ups, some do not. Know the rules of the airports you work at.

This is a very informative video for both drivers and riders by The Rideshare Guy.

Can I Uber or Lyft after I land? It's complicated. Here's your airport cheat sheet

Source: LA TIMES

By BRIAN SUMERS Uber Travel Los Angeles International Airport Dulles International Airport London Heathrow Airport O'Hare International Airport BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport

If all goes as planned, travelers soon may be able to summon ride-share providers such as UberX and Lyft to take them home after they deplane at Los Angeles International Airport.

For passengers, that’s great news—at least, financially speaking. A cab from LAX to downtown can cost $50 or more without tip.

Ride-share market leaders Uber and Lyft charge closer to $30 for the same trip, except during periods of high demand when they cost more, sometimes considerably more, a phenomenon Uber calls “surge pricing.”

But ride sharing, becoming an an issue in the presidential campaign along with other sharing economy issues, is not such great news for cab drivers and taxi companies, which now have a near-monopoly at LAX, van-shared rides aside.

The change could occur as soon as September.

For now, drivers can drop off passengers anywhere at LAX, but they can’t pick up passengers.

Under current LAX rules, only professional taxi and livery drivers can collect passengers for money.

Uber does have a business segment that dispatches professional drivers, but that service is more expensive than UberX.

But what about elsewhere? Here’s a quick guide for airports in the Southland, elsewhere in the U.S. and a few overseas. Below the chart are details from each of those airports that explain why the rules and regulations are as they are.

For the rest of the article and an airport guide click here.

JUDGE RULES CAB COMPANIES CAN SUE UBER FOR SAFETY ADS

Source: ABC NEWS
http://abc7news.com/business/judge-rules-cab-companies-can-sue-uber-for-safety-ads/861633/

Saturday, July 18, 2015 10:17AM
SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal judge has ruled California taxicab companies can sue competitor Uber over advertising statements that it offers the safest rides on the road.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports taxicab companies accused the ride-hailing company of false advertising for stating in ads and online postings that its background checks were the most thorough and its services the safest in the business. The statements implied, and sometimes explicitly declared, that conventional taxis were less safe.

Taxi companies say their review of prospective drivers is far more thorough. They say they use fingerprint checks and government criminal records that Uber does not employ and require their drivers to take a driver safety course and a written exam.

U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar of San Francisco rejected Uber's attempt to dismiss the suit Friday and said much of it could proceed.

Keep ridesharing at California airports – Support transportation choice.

I support the authorization of ridesharing platforms such as Lyft, Uber, and Sidecar at major airports throughout our state, including Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, Sonoma, and John Wayne.

Airport parking and traffic congestion are big problems, and convenient, sustainable ridesharing options can reduce congestion while helping the environment.

As a frequent business traveler, I travel several times a month in and out of LAX and other California airports – but right now, I don’t have quick, affordable options to get me to and from the airport when I’m trying to catch a flight or arriving home late at night.

I use ridesharing apps in LA and cities throughout the state to travel between meetings and appointments on busy days. And I encourage my college-age daughters to use these platforms to request safe rides home, because they have rigorous safety and accountability standards and are approved throughout California under CPUC rules.

Major California airports are dragging their feet when it comes to approving ridesharing or resisting it altogether, and travelers like me are paying the price. California residents and visitors alike deserve to have access to convenient, affordable ridesharing options at our airports, just as we do throughout the rest of the state.

San Francisco, Denver, and Nashville International airports recently announced permits approving ridesharing platforms for airport pickups and dropoffs. Other California airports should agree to the same.

LETTER TO

President, Los Angeles Airport Board of Commissioners Sean O. Burton

Chair, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority Robert H. Gleason

Chair, Mineta San Jose International Airport Commission Andrés Quintero

and 2 others

Chairman, Sonoma County Aviation Commission Marlon Young

Chair, Orange County Airport Commission David Bailey

Support transportation choice and reduce congestion at California airports – Approve ridesharing!

Sign the petition by clicking the link below:

https://www.change.org/p/keep-ridesharing-at-california-airports-support-transportation-choice-2?recruiter=344119948&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_page&utm_term=mob-xs-no_src-no_msg&sharecordion_display=control&fb_ref=Default

Uber should be suspended in California and fined $7.3 million, judge says

Source:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-uber-suspended-20150715-story.html

By LAURA J. NELSON, ANDREA CHANG AND PARESH DAVEcontact the reporters

 

Uber — plagued by problems with regulators, drivers and taxi unions around the world — took a big blow in its home state Wednesday when an administrative judge recommended that the ride-sharing giant be fined $7.3 million and be suspended from operating in California.

In her decision, chief administrative law judge Karen V. Clopton of the California Public Utilities Commission contended that Uber has not complied with state laws designed to ensure that drivers are doling out rides fairly to all passengers, regardless of where they live or who they are. She said Uber's months-long refusal to provide such data is in violation of the 2013 law that legalized ride-hailing firms.

Uber said it would appeal. Whether the fine and suspension are enforced will depend on the appeals process, which could take several months.

“They had a year to comply with these regulations, and didn't do it,” CPUC spokeswoman Constance Gordon said.

Uber competes with the taxi industry by contracting with drivers and connecting them with passengers through a smartphone app.

Clopton wrote that her proposed ban would remain in effect until Uber “complies fully with the outstanding requirements.”

The reporting requirements include the number of requests for rides from people with service animals or wheelchairs; how many such rides were completed; and other ride-logging information such as date, time, Zip Code and fare paid. For Uber, which has raised $5.9 billion in venture capital investment, a $7.3-million fine would amount to less than 1% of that. A suspension, however, is another matter.

In a prepared statement, an Uber spokeswoman called the decision “deeply disappointing.”

lRelated

BUSINESS

Should Uber be suspended in California? Readers weigh in

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“We will appeal the decision as Uber has already provided substantial amounts of data to the California Public Utilities Commission, information we have provided elsewhere with no complaints,” spokeswoman Eva Behrend said. “Going further risks compromising the privacy of individual riders as well as driver-partners.”

The decision was applauded by Marilyn Golden, senior policy analyst at
the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund in Berkeley.

“This industry has done everything it can to avoid, dismiss and coerce themselves out of regulation, and this decision is welcome from that standpoint,” she said. “They've been scofflaws. They take every advantage and avoid every requirement.”

Juan Matute, associate director of the UCLA Lewis Center and the Institute of Transportation Studies, said though Uber plans to appeal, he expects the company to pay the fine and comply quickly with the ruling.

“The $7.3-million fine and the data they are asking to provide is not that significant in the grand scheme of things,” Matute said. “Especially in California, I think Uber wants to be seen as a team player because of the recent labor board decision and how that could affect their business. This would seem like a small consolation to improve their chance of success with other regulatory issues that could have a bigger impact on them.”

If the San Francisco company is suspended in its own backyard, it doesn't bode well for the litany of issues it faces worldwide. The company has faced repeated pushback from taxi operators and regulators as it has expanded into more than 300 cities across six continents. In an attempt to win over skeptical local authorities, the company has touted its potential to create jobs, reduce congestion and boost tax revenue.

With California as Uber's home market, Matute said the company is forced to take the fine and judgment seriously.

cComments

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“It's not a market they would want to jeopardize their existence in over not handing over some spreadsheets,” he said.

Wednesday's decision was the latest run-in that Uber has had with government regulators. The company has become known for aggressively barreling into new regions without much consideration for existing rules and norms, and has subsequently faced widespread pushback.

Last month, hundreds of French taxi drivers took to the streets in a massive protest against Uber, blocking access to major airports and train stations, and attacking vehicles suspected of working for the popular car service, which they accuse of stealing their livelihoods. This month, Uber suspended its UberPop service in France following those riots.

Uber Chief Executive Travis Kalanick made the case in January that many taxis in Europe operate “off-grid” and that Uber could be a way to bring them into compliance with local safety regulations and tax obligations. 

The argument, however, does not appear to have swayed many European governments or taxi companies. More than a dozen lawsuits have been filed in recent months in countries across the continent, where some analysts say the company is in danger of being shut down or becoming so entangled in legislation as to be neutered.

As part of the 2013 law that legalized ride-hailing in California, companies are required to prepare an annual report with data about rides provided through the app.

Uber's 2014 report did not include hard numbers on customers who requested cars to accommodate service animals or wheelchairs, nor how often those requests were fulfilled, the judge said. The company also didn't provide raw numbers on requests for rides tabulated by ZIP Code, and how many of those rides were fulfilled, instead providing “aggregates, averages and percentages,” and a heat map showing which ZIP Codes generally saw the most requests.

Uber also failed to submit complete information on drivers who have been suspended or committed a violation, the judge said. The company did not provide the “cause of the incident reported,” or the amount paid out by any insurance company other than Uber's.

Michael Pachter, managing director of equities research at Wedbush Securities, said Uber should start complying now.

“No amount of bluster is going to get the CPUC off their case,” Pachter said. “You don't pick a fight with someone who can kick your butt. Uber needs to restrain its hubris.”