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0 pointsSpicyLemonZest6y ago0 comments

But Uber's opponents seem to be arguing that $21/hr is too low, and it'd give drivers a worse deal than passing the law. If that's true, passing the law will kill Uber's competition even more effectively.

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enlyth6y ago

Considering a 40 hour work week, $21 hour comes out to about $3350 before tax monthly, is that really too low for driving around a car?

boring_twenties6y ago

It's $42k annually and that's before the insurance, maintenance, depreciation and fuel, so down to the mid-to-high 30's. That seems like it would be poverty level in many California cities.

pushpop6y ago

Not to mention most of those hypothetical 40hrs a week (assuming they can get that much work) would be unsociable hours because that’s when demand is at its greatest (eg people leaving the pub).

vadym9096y ago

Family health insurance costs $24K/yr. Rent is atleast $24K/hr. Those 2 alone will kill you...

boring_twenties6y ago

> Rent is atleast $24K/hr

Heh. I heard it was bad in CA but wow.

enlyth6y ago

That's a fair point I didn't think about the car maintenance too much.

erobbins6y ago

Neither do most of the drivers, unfortunately. They are going to be the ones holding the bag at the end.

tootahe456y ago

..take a different job then?

badfrog6y ago

> is that really too low for driving around a car?

Depends how you look at it. If you're looking purely at supply and demand of drivers, it's fine. If you think people working 40 hours a week should be able to afford decent housing and health insurance it's probably too low.

enlyth6y ago

I'm not familiar with US salaries I guess it greatly depends on the state/city you're in. But in the UK I don't think this amount is uncommon for some doctors or software developers, especially outside of London.

whamlastxmas6y ago

After tax it's probably closer to $2800, and health insurance is around $600/month for a pretty average plan. For a family of three this leaves you $1000 left over, and even the crappiest one bedrooms in California in small towns start around $1300/month.

TuringNYC6y ago

Comparing different countries’ wages just isn’t a good comparison. Consider the typical health insurance premium and student loan burden for US workers and you’ll already see why a UK comparison would be apples and oranges.

nefitty6y ago

A 30 minute ride already costs me about $18. I assume an hour ride would be around $40 or so. As a rider I would seriously wonder where those other $19 are going... Not to mention I would still feel the standard pressure to tip.

baddox6y ago

A 30 minute ride in the Bay Area can be close to $40 (with no peak pricing increases).

Jommi6y ago

You're assuming cab drivers only work 40 hours. That's wildly off base.

munk-a6y ago

I don't follow, is this a "perfect is the enemy of the good" situation where they think the minimum wage should be higher and are opposing a half-step toward that?

For political reasons that can make sense, it's hard to push for a minimum wage bump right after a different one, but I am unaware of other cab companies advocating for a higher minimum wage prior to this.

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enlyth6y ago

Considering a 40 hour work week, $21 hour comes out to about $3350 before tax monthly, is that really too low for driving around a car?

boring_twenties6y ago

It's $42k annually and that's before the insurance, maintenance, depreciation and fuel, so down to the mid-to-high 30's. That seems like it would be poverty level in many California cities.

pushpop6y ago

Not to mention most of those hypothetical 40hrs a week (assuming they can get that much work) would be unsociable hours because that’s when demand is at its greatest (eg people leaving the pub).

vadym9096y ago

Family health insurance costs $24K/yr. Rent is atleast $24K/hr. Those 2 alone will kill you...

boring_twenties6y ago

> Rent is atleast $24K/hr

Heh. I heard it was bad in CA but wow.

enlyth6y ago

That's a fair point I didn't think about the car maintenance too much.

erobbins6y ago

Neither do most of the drivers, unfortunately. They are going to be the ones holding the bag at the end.

tootahe456y ago

..take a different job then?

badfrog6y ago

> is that really too low for driving around a car?

enlyth6y ago

whamlastxmas6y ago

TuringNYC6y ago

nefitty6y ago

baddox6y ago

A 30 minute ride in the Bay Area can be close to $40 (with no peak pricing increases).

Jommi6y ago

You're assuming cab drivers only work 40 hours. That's wildly off base.

munk-a6y ago

I don't follow, is this a "perfect is the enemy of the good" situation where they think the minimum wage should be higher and are opposing a half-step toward that?

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse