rideshare apps turn cities into a giant elementary school drop-off/pick-up line (hexbear.net)

submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by culpritus@hexbear.net to c/urbanism@hexbear.net

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I try to avoid driving in the city generally because sicko-biker

But occasionally I have to operate a car in the city during rush hour, and it seems like every 2 blocks some rideshare is stopping in a travel lane to do pick-up/drop-off.

I can understand it to some degree if there is truly a complete gridlock of traffic (no harm no foul), but seems like people just be putting on emergency flashers and stopping about anywhere now.

Anyway, just another reason to avoid getting in a car when inside a city.

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[-] ProletarianDictator@hexbear.net 23 points 2 months ago

"Rideshare apps" implies some sort of sharing is occurring. Are cab drivers sharing their cars too? Gives the impression that the intended service is organizing carpools, not turning cabbies into part time contractors.

[-] Chronicon@hexbear.net 16 points 2 months ago

iirc that was the pitch, very very very early on. The reason they could just operate an unlicensed cab was because it was just random people freely choosing to share their ride (for gas money)

[-] ProletarianDictator@hexbear.net 3 points 2 months ago

Part of me wants to say

astronaut-1

about it always being this cynical capitalist ploy, but I am hesitant to discount the incredible power of bazingas trying to shoehorn technological solutions to social problems. Bazingas + VC money is the synthesis of this

[-] Chronicon@hexbear.net 3 points 2 months ago

oh it was absolutely always fake. They wanted to replace taxis from the very beginning (although they started out with luxury black cars that weren't particularly price competitive)

[-] culpritus@hexbear.net 13 points 2 months ago

:yea: the whole concept is bazinga galaxy-brain in a multitude of ways, very much an example of car ideology preventing the consideration of serious solutions

[-] RNAi@hexbear.net 19 points 2 months ago

Remember the Las Vegas Loop station animation with cars clipping on pedestrians?

[-] VILenin@hexbear.net 17 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Does the city actually enforce parking regulations? It doesn’t matter whether or not you have your flashers on, and it doesn’t matter whether or not you’re in the car, and it doesn’t matter if it’s “just for a minute”, and it doesn’t matter if you take off once they get your license plate.

Any decently sized city has passenger loading zones. That’s what they’re there for. But god forbid you have to walk a minute to your destination. Of course, people park there too with the park anywhere lights.

An eternity ago, I was a meter maid (no, not part of the PD), and, well, putting your flashers on not only doesn’t exempt you from parking rules, it also shows that you know you’re breaking them and consequently your chances of being let off with a warning go way down.

And as for being in the car, that’s called standing, which is still prohibited in the middle of the street and at red curbs etc. Carbrain chuds like to get back with “but doesn’t that mean it’s illegal to stop for a red light”? Yeah genius, that’s one of the few instances where stopping in the street is allowed.

[-] Tankiedesantski@hexbear.net 12 points 2 months ago

Idea for a struggle session: is it praxis to snitch on an illegally parked driver?

[-] RyanGosling@hexbear.net 16 points 2 months ago

Depends. How expensive is the car?

[-] VILenin@hexbear.net 10 points 2 months ago

I mean, for anyone sufficiently rich, the fine is just a VIP parking fee. Doesn’t Jeff Bezos rack up 5 figures in parking tickets every year?

[-] Tankiedesantski@hexbear.net 8 points 2 months ago

Something something warrent buffet and bill gates drive shitboxes.

[-] VILenin@hexbear.net 13 points 2 months ago

Well, uh, I’m not sure it’s possible to snitch on an illegally parked driver, cops won’t show up unless there’s a dog they can shoot. What are you gonna do, flag down a meter maid? They’re not stopping and leaving their assigned area for some guy that’ll be gone when they get there.

You can always print fake parking tickets that link to a payment portal that funnels money directly to you. Seems to happen every few months!

[-] Tankiedesantski@hexbear.net 12 points 2 months ago

Doesn't NYC have that app where you can take photos of people parked illegally and if they end up getting fined you get a cut of the fine?

[-] VILenin@hexbear.net 10 points 2 months ago

three-heads-thinking Well I hadn’t heard of this before. But from what I hear NYC is where Uber/Lyft drivers have free reign to do whatever they want and everyone parks illegally all the time, especially the cops, so I’m not sure if the underpaid intern that’s reviewing all the photos will issue a violation.

[-] Tankiedesantski@hexbear.net 7 points 2 months ago

So I was mixing up two things. There's an existing initiative where you can report idling trucks and busses (not cars) for air pollution violations and a bill going through (as of 2023) which would allow people to report cars and other vehicles for parking in a way that blocks cycle lanes, traffic, or footpaths.