from the Hey-bud-Louie-De-Palma-sent-me-from-Manhattan... dept.
Pando Daily has a report on assaults on Uber drivers and the associated allegation that these attacks may be linked to the existing taxi industry:
The nature of the attacks — which seem to be about preventing drivers from working — has lead some drivers to allege the involvement of members of the LA taxi industry. Sources at the LAPD confirm that there have been numerous incidents of attacks on Uber drivers in recent months, but say that they have yet to find any concrete evidence of a taxi industry connection — though many within the police department also subscribe to this theory.
However this may also come down to criminals using the Uber application to target cell phone thefts and to the generally dangerous nature of the job: From a linked Seattle PI article:
Since 1980, 1,030 taxicab drivers died on the job. They suffer the highest homicide rate of all occupations.
...
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration reported in 2000 that 183.8 taxicab drivers per 1,000 were injured from assaults or other violent acts.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 23 2014, @09:20PM
The idea that it is taxi on taxi violence makes for a good story, but it doesn't pass the smell test because of Uber's ability to connect the assault with the phone used to order a ride in the first place. That seems like a major piece of evidence that would make it hard to get away with.
I'm more inclined to believe that thieves who stole a phone are using the stolen phone to summon another victim to rob.
(Score: 2) by opinionated_science on Saturday August 23 2014, @09:58PM
As you are an AC I will point out that trying to divine intent from identity, is essentially a major problem with society....
So you authenticate your phone, so that Uber knows who you are. In principle the same is true for the "user".
So if thieves steal a device , it is essentially no difference than identity theft, although perhaps with physical consequences.
But, and this is going to sound strange, the thief has just outed themselves as the device knows where they are, even if not who....
Am i missing something here?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 23 2014, @10:42PM
As you are an AC I will point out that trying to divine intent from identity, is essentially a major problem with society....
So you authenticate your phone, so that Uber knows who you are. In principle the same is true for the "user".
I'm sure that made sense in your head, but it does not in mine.
(Score: 2) by khchung on Sunday August 24 2014, @03:06AM
So if thieves steal a device
So in order to make this into a taxi on uber assault, you now have to accuse the taxi drivers of stealing phones also? How about also accusing them of hiring outside help if the culprit were found not to be a taxi driver?
I guess it is the same logic of if you add enough epicycles on epicycles, you can eventually make the Earth-centric model match the planet orbits.
(Score: 3, Funny) by frojack on Sunday August 24 2014, @12:06AM
What percentage of those other violent acts were the cabbie's own driving?
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday August 24 2014, @12:49AM
No surprise, L.A. is easily the most fucked-up cities in the U.S. It's the only place I've seen a person happy at work because of a big raise and promotion he just got, then he came to work the next day with a black eye and saying that he wanted to quit his job.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 24 2014, @04:19AM
If all the people you see are unhappy, then maybe you should finally connect the dots of what/who the common factor is (Hint: it's you). Kidding aside, the food is worth being there and the traffic isn't that bad once you get used to it.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Common Joe on Sunday August 24 2014, @07:45AM
I can't comment about L.A. traffic from a personal perspective as I've only been there once and can't make a good judgement. However, digging a little deeper, I can say that the logic you present is not sound. You need to present solid numbers [census.gov]. In 2011, the average commute is 29.4 minutes each way. 11.9% of people L.A. (8.1% nationally) commute over an hour each way. I used to live in Houston and there were people I worked with (plural) who did 1 1/2 hour drive each way each day to work and thought that was perfectly normal.
That is not normal even if so many in society do it. Spending so much time traveling to work can only be described as insane. There are better things to do in life than spending your time staring up someone's tail pipe. If we as society are condoning this, then I can only conclude that we, as a society, are insane.
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Sunday August 24 2014, @01:44AM
Do you think organized crime could be involved? Assisting a poorer section of the working class by protecting their income from encroachment by discouraging new entrants in a less traceable way?
(Score: 2) by CirclesInSand on Sunday August 24 2014, @01:48AM
You are supposed to buy medallion legislation and get the cops to beat up the competition.
(Score: 2) by jasassin on Sunday August 24 2014, @10:17AM
If they are so Uber, why are they getting their asses kicked?
jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
(Score: 2) by TheLink on Sunday August 24 2014, @08:21PM
Since 1980, 1,030 taxicab drivers died on the job. They suffer the highest homicide rate of all occupations.
All occupations? "President of the USA" is more dangerous- 9% homicide rate.