In this assignment, I want you to think about how inequality has effects on work and labor. One of the most marked characteristics of rising inequality is the the increased precarization of stable, well-paid employment. Tied to an extensive financialization of the economy (whereby profits are primarily derived from financial markets rather than production), contemporary inequality is lived as much in the household as in the workplace, wherever it may be. Here, you will see one example in the form of work in the gig economy.
You will start this assignment by reading the paper by Alexandrea Ravenelle (“Sharing economy workers: selling, not sharing
(link in files attached) then want you to read the following texts in the sequence given here.
Text #1, from marcfreccero.com:
DECEMBER 7, 2016•
As a former Uber and Lyft driver, I constantly get asked if driving for Uber & Lyft is a good idea. Personally, I think it is, especially for entrepreneurs, musicians, actors, etc – basically anyone with a side hustle.
As a result of being asked about Uber & Lyft so many times, I decided to write this post for people interested in driving. I’m going to talk about the 10 things that I wish I knew BEFORE driving for Uber & Lyft – things that I think you should know before starting to drive.
One quick side note: I want to say that this post isn’t a smooth way of having you sign up through my links. I’ve seen tons of blog posts and videos with horrible content, and it’s obvious that they only created it with the hopes that you would sign up with their links. All the content in this post I’ve learned through experience, and even though I do have my sign up links listed in this post, I made sure to make this information in this post really helpful (regardless if you use my links or not).
- Sign up with Both Apps
This is absolutely critical to getting the best of both worlds. Both Lyft and Uber will regularly run bonuses and specials, and by driving for both, you can pick which one is best. Especially on holiday/eventful weekends, the apps will even compete to “outbid” each other on which one is paying more that weekend.
As I’ll talk about more in this post, you can easily drive for one app for 3 months, not drive for the other one, and then starting driving without notifying them. You have a tremendous amount of flexibility, so I highly suggest - Only drive during the Surge Hours
The main periods where you can make the most amount of money is morning & evening commutes (7-9am and 5-7pm), Friday and Saturday Nights, and Saturday and Sunday during the day. The truth is, with Uber & Lyft, I don’t think you can make a lot of money if you drive in the non-surge hours.
For example, if you can only drive Monday – Friday 11am-1pm, I personally don’t think it’s worth it because you’ll make such little money. Then, combine that with all the expenses of driving, and it can get difficult. Don’t get me wrong though – if you drive during surge hours you can make a lot of money. - People are Nice
I constantly get asked my aspiring drivers if people are rude or difficult when driving. The truth is, I’ve done hundreds of rides, and I’ve truly only ever had 1 rude passenger – and they weren’t even that bad. Even on Friday and Saturday nights, people are usually really respectful and won’t be rude or obnoxious.
If anything, they usually either encourage conversation or are on their phone. And if they’re in a group, they’ll usually just talk amongst themselves. - You DON’T Need Snacks or Goodies
When Lyft first started one big selling point was that the drivers had candy, snacks, water and more. Now, however, that expectation doesn’t exist anymore. If you’re considering driving, don’t worry about having to get candy and water all the time, as that’s a thing of the past.
The one thing I will suggest is napkins however, as you should have some in your car regardless if you’re driving or not. - No planning ahead
Everyone knows that Uber & Lyft is flexible and you can drive whenever you want, but I have tons of people ask me if I have to “schedule” my hours. The truth is, you can turn on the app whenever you want, drive for as long (or as short) as you want, and go about your day.
The best part about driving is that it’s completely flexible, and not only that, there’s no scheduling required. Pretty awesome. - Daily Pay
This didn’t exist when I first started driving, but now daily pay is available via both apps. This means that you can drive for a certain period of time, hit a button, and get paid instantly. With both apps all they do is charge you $0.50 to cash out, which is amazing that you can literally work and get paid within a few hours. - There’s a lot of hidden expenses
Now this is a negative thing unfortunately, but there are a lot of hidden expenses with Lyft and Uber. Obviously everyone knows that you have to spend more in gas, but you also have more oil changes, more depreciation on your car, you need more maintenance (tires, engine, etc).
In addition, you’re an independent contractor – meaning taxes don’t get taken out, and you have to deal with that at the end of the year. Huge pro tip too: Always consult with a tax accountant, because they can help with you with certain deductions and tax situations. - You DON’T Need a Car
You read that right. Both apps now have programs where you can rent/loan a car from them and drive. This makes it a lot easier for people who either don’t have a car or simply can’t afford one. In addition, Lyft even has a program where if you do a certain amount of rides in a week you can have the car for free (as long as you hit their quota every week). - Fun, yet Tiring
This might or might not be surprising, but driving is extremely fun and the hours absolutely fly by. You’re picking up people, having really interesting conversations, dropping them off, and then repeating that process. To be honest, out of any job I’ve ever done, the hours fly by faster with driving than anything else.
On the flip side it’s insane how tiring it can be. This probably isn’t surprising to anyone who’s done distance drives, but it’s insane how dead you can be after driving for hours. - NO Quota
This is a very overlooked benefit of driving: You don’t have a quota. If you want to do 2 rides in a month, go for it. If you want to do 200, knock yourself out. There are no quotas with either app, making this a huge benefit as you can drive for either for as long as you want, and simply ignore the other one until they have a special bonus.
As a result of this, I highly suggest bouncing between both apps to see which one works best for you and which one pays more. Then, stick with that app, and only use the other one when they have a special deal, or when you think the other one is starting to pay more.
Overall, those are the 10 things that I wish I knew about Uber & Lyft before driving. I really hoped this post was helpful, as I sat down and thought of the most important points for any aspiring driver. Good luck out there!
Text #2, from marcfreccero.com:
A while back I wrote a post about the 10 things I wish I knew before driving for Uber & Lyft, and both the blog post and video received a lot of attention. When I now tell people that I don’t drive for them anymore, the inevitable next question is always: Why?
Now the main reason is that everything I have going on with DJing/Music Production is taking up so much time, and supporting me financially, so I decided to put 100% of my energy into those endeavors. However, there are still other reasons that factored into the equation, which may have lead me to quit regardless.
- Decreased Pay
Out of any of the seven, this is definitely the biggest (and for an obvious reason). Lyft and Uber don’t pay anywhere close to what they used to. I remember, roughly 2-3 years ago, you could make 60/hour in Boston during snow storms. Now it’s nothing close to that.
Especially with the introduction of Lyft Line and Uber Pool, which batch passengers together, you make significantly less than before. - Zero Upwards Mobility
Uber & Lyft is excellent part time, but there’s a glass ceiling on where it can take you. You don’t get raises, or extra incentives to stay longer as a driver. Although Uber & Lyft are not the only jobs that have this, it’s still frustrating as you can’t go anywhere driving for them (no pun intended). If you drive for 5 years you make the same exact amount as someone that just started today. - Taxes are a Nightmare
Now in my personal situation my taxes have only gotten more complicated. But if you’re not used to itemizing your dedications, or saving receipts, or tracking miles, or doing everything else related to filing taxes, it’s going to be a new area for you. You’re an independent contractor with Uber & Lyft, so you don’t pay taxes in a paycheck – you pay during filling time, which means you give money as oppose to getting money back. - You can’t drive anytime
Well, technically. The truth is, you can drive whenever you want, but I wouldn’t advise it. The best times to drive are commuting hours, weekend nights, and weekend days. The truth is, if you drive at 1pm on a random Tuesday, you’re going to make close to nothing. This can be really tricky for people, because if you can’t drive during those times that I mentioned, it’s probably not worth it for you. - Car logistics
This is just a part of being a driver. You’re sitting for hours at a time, which isn’t good for you health wise. In addition, going to the bathroom is extremely tricky – especially when you’re stuck in traffic in the middle of the city. It’s also a bit tough to eat, because you don’t want your car to smell like food, so you have to plan all your meals around driving. The list goes on…there’s a lot of aspects that get more difficult when it comes to driving. - Legal aspects
When it comes to car insurance, it gets a lotttttt more tricky when you add Uber & Lyft into the mix. Every company is different, and there could be a chance that your insurance will go up or they will change your policies. In addition, just based of statistics, you’re more likely to get in an accident when on the road (it’s just math). I never had an accident while driving, but the chance is always increased the more time you’re on the road, which makes the legal aspects a lot more difficult (this is why numerous drivers are now getting dash cams - Zero Money to pick someone up
Last, but far from least, is the fact that you make nothing driving to pick someone up. You only make money while someone is in your car. What’s even more frustrating about this is there’s been times where I drove 10 minutes to pick someone up, only to have them cancel on me last second. Although there is a cancelation fee, sometimes you don’t receive it, and it’s usually just $5.
Even though this list has a pessismstic spin on Uber & Lyft, I do think that it can be a great source of side cash for people. My biggest advice is to only drive part time, and use my techniquesLinks to an external site. to maximize your earnings
- In these two blog posts, Marc Freccero shows both the promises and pitfalls of the gig economy. Using quotes from the two materials, I want you to write a brief 500 word essay that addresses the following questions:
-
- What were Freccero’s initial expectations about being an Uber/Lyft driver?
- How was the gig economy ‘framed’?
- After some experience driving for Uber/Lyft, what was Freccero’s experience like? Did it match his expectations?
- Did he manage to make a living out of being an Uber/Lyft driver?
- Were his working conditions adequate?
- Was this actually ‘a good hustle’?
