The GIG Economy Podcast
Talks about our Gig Economy adventures and breaking down the Gig Economy News
The GIG Economy Podcast
Ep. #159 Uber/Lyft might leave Minneapolis, Gig workers are tracking tip baiters
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Ever wondered how self-driving cars could handle drunk passengers or what the implications of a minimum wage are from a driver's perspective? We tackle these questions head-on as we dissect the complexities of the modern gig economy. We look at the challenges and rewards of maintaining high ratings as we delve into the life of DoorDash drivers aiming for the elusive 'platinum' level.
The concluding part of our conversation veers from pet store orders to Mark Cuban's missed investment opportunity in Uber. We debate on whether gig apps are mere gap-fillers or capable of sustaining full-time work. Prepare to be enlightened, entertained, and engaged in this roller-coaster ride into the gig economy.
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Hi guys, welcome to the gig economy podcast.
Speaker 1:Yes, sir, you idiot, you ruined my intro. Welcome to the B side. Welcome to the we should have had Larry on and we could have called it welcome to the B plus side, the people. Yeah, so we didn't have a guest lined up for tonight, either a creator and or a Nobody a gig worker.
Speaker 1:So if you are out there and listening to this, it would love to come on the show as a fan, as a gig worker, as a gig creator. We would love to have you. We're trying to get a list of people together so we're able to just get it all set up between here and to the end of the year. I know there's a ton of people out there that would. That would be awesome to be on the show. So, definitely, if you're hearing this, you know, send an email, we would love to have you on.
Speaker 2:And you don't have to think you have something to add, because almost all the time people has something to add, even if you don't think.
Speaker 1:I mean, unless you're a mute or don't work in the gig economy, you can come on the show. We would love to have you correct. We would love to have you if you are a mute or Not in the gig economy, but that's a different show.
Speaker 2:What show is that?
Speaker 1:I don't know, gig economy after dark. Anyways, any way to make a buck.
Speaker 2:Any way to wait make up. But I don't know that. I don't think your wife appreciates.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she probably doesn't.
Speaker 1:If you could go to Apple Podcasts and or Spotify to rate us. Spotify is the easiest place to do it. Just go to our podcast listing and Spotify, click five stars and then Apple. If you I mean, I can walk you through it. But if you're an Apple podcast user, it's very easy to leave a five star review and a comment. We can't thank you enough if you do that. And if you do do that and Send us a screenshot, you know we might send you something. I will send you something. I'm not telling you what it is, but I will send you something. You know, I think we did get a review that we never talked about, I think now that.
Speaker 1:I think about it. It was better than and please bear with me as I I don't use the Apple podcast app Regularly, so give me a second to bring it up we got a 4.6. That's not good. How the fuck do you find reviews on this?
Speaker 2:yes, I don't know, I don't use that.
Speaker 1:I know I don't either why.
Speaker 2:You're fine in the app, I will talk about how, please you know when, when, when, when you're done doing your review, we want you all to go to patreoncom Slash part and part no, not not part slash geek econ podcast. That's what I was trying to say. I'll just search for the geek economy podcast and support us there. You can do. We have two levels. We have a five and a ten dollars here and either way you support us. We appreciate it super much. And then, apparently, by told by one of our, one of our commoners right now, that we are in the process of starting an OF and page as well For the after dark content.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah yeah. I don't know what I mean. Who wants to see that, like all these women that make money on feet pictures? Like that's insane. I mean more power to them if you can make money at showing pictures of your feet or Rubbing them together. I mean, I can't.
Speaker 2:I can't so. Janet is. He's gonna be here in the studio on the 20th of September. That's right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's gonna be awesome. Let's see, the review was June 13. Now I'm gonna read it verbatim and then we should. I will clean it up. The five-star Duval Uber driver I learned to you guys all the time I think it's listen, listen. I'm a driver from Jacksonville Florida market. I also am a merchant seaman. Well, if you're listening to this, we want you on the show where you go where you go.
Speaker 2:No, no, there you go.
Speaker 1:I thought you said where you go.
Speaker 2:Oh.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that is the most recent review. Basically, you just go to I know I said it was so hard you go to the the gig County podcast, you scroll down and then I'll say oh, ratings and review, tap to rate five stars and then write a review. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.
Speaker 2:And then if we don't reach out to you which we don't always do, or whatever go to gig economy, show calm and Contact us. You sing the contact form oh, one of the many ways of doing a contact and let us know you want to be on the show.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yes, we're talked about our patreon members. I want to thank Larry Samson, steve, chris, bud, tom, omar, delivery cats, jamie Frank and Joe, all from all over the world and Can't thank enough for supporting the show. Again, like, yes, we said, if you would love to support the show, send us a donation of five or ten dollars a month. You get awesome perks. Check it out the gig econ podcast at patreoncom telegram group. It's Doing okay. It's about the same as it was last week, and so if you would like to join that and chat with us for people around the world.
Speaker 2:I think I'm gonna be out chatting, chatting with people this weekend.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I definitely do some gig work this weekend. You know I'm back to school for driving bus and it's been exhausting week because I have to do warning and mid at noon I have to do that bring the kindergarten home, because they have half days and then I have to go back, or then I have to go work at the school and then I have to go back in the afternoon. So I've been like running my ass off. So I'm exhausted, but I think I will still do some gig work this week probably.
Speaker 1:Yeah and any stories from the road. Yes, sir, you've been off for almost a month.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, no stories in the road. Thank you, john. So we we were actually. I went up to the great UP this weekend. We dropped my kid off for college and I must be I was pretty impressed. I saw a couple of lift vehicles up in Houghton, michigan. Okay that was. That was actually there, were they look to be working?
Speaker 1:They gotta be. It's a cow, it's a college town, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I don't think lift is active in Houghton Michigan. Sorry, uber is active in Houghton Michigan. I.
Speaker 1:Would imagine it's not.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so, but lifts seem to be. There's a couple up there. I saw a couple drivers, but it's a small. It's a very, very small communities. I don't think there's a ton Okay of cars up there, obviously, but it's a cool car. It's sorry, it's a cool city and and, as I said, my, my, my, my kid is definitely excited and he seemed to be doing well. So that was my weekend. I still drove 1100 miles.
Speaker 1:Oh my god, I didn't holy shit that. Oh my gosh, that's so many miles 550 miles each way. My gosh, I bet you were ready to get out of the car when you got done with that well, we did it over four days, so it was not that true.
Speaker 1:True, I mean, I did work over the weekend, but I actually got another part-time job I don't know if I've talked about it. I work for a senior community and I work, I drive some mostly independent living and then Some people that have some memory care issues and stuff, but over the weekend I went to a fish boil. Do you know what a fish boil is? Yes, sir.
Speaker 2:I do know what a fish boil is.
Speaker 1:That's exciting, I did not know, so it was my first fish boil. I had to Google what a fish boil is.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it was really good. It was fun to watch them do it and and yeah, it was pretty cool.
Speaker 2:I've never been to one, but I know what it is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's, it's pretty popular and from from Dore County in Wisconsin. So yeah, it was kind of fun. But yeah, I got to Move some elderly people that independent living that drank wine at the fish boil, who are a little tipsy, so I was basically their.
Speaker 2:DT. What else would they do? I mean, I hope I drink wine when I get old.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, I know, I know there's no there's. There's nothing else to do while you're waiting for the Lord John Jason looks like a gun tooting right winger, but has the patience of God when it comes. A student to see her, exactly.
Speaker 2:He does not have any patience at all.
Speaker 1:I do too. I want to got fired by now. You know, john, it's funny you bring that up because when I had my other show threads everyone I mean I do I look like a Gun tooting right winger, and I'm far from that, but I love that line. I feel like I need to put that on my bio somewhere. My pieces work my pastes were thin today on the bus, so I'll tell you that it was a 160 degrees in there and I had one kid spit on another kid and I was like oh god now.
Speaker 1:I got to write you up like it's day three.
Speaker 2:So you just a welcome.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I wish it was a first grader, no loss like it wasn't even.
Speaker 2:Oh, I know, but he's bad. Anyways, alright, giggy, kind of.
Speaker 1:Where we at gig economy news. Let's just jump in. First article is how ciph self-driving cars could impact gig workers. Like it's kind of a isn't that self-explanatory?
Speaker 1:I mean yeah it has literally four paragraphs. So the California Public Utilities Commission will decide Thursday whether autonomous vehicle companies cruise and Waymo I didn't know about cruise can expand operation in San Francisco, one of the first big cities to pilot this tech. So the question how are the six million or so uber drivers feeling about the prospect of robot competition? Karen has been driving Corsair names Karen for Uber and lived in San Antonio for about seven years. Even if robot cars could deal with tourists going the wrong way down a one-way street or scooters recklessly zipping into traffic, she wonders what are they gonna do with drunk passengers? They leave phones, they leave keys. They get sick in the car. She said how? How's the driverless car to know? Okay, karen, I mean they have cameras, they're gonna be able to figure it out and sensors.
Speaker 1:I mean yeah beyond the ex Ex existential question of who will clean up the vomit. Vomit. For now, human drivers are just a cheaper option. Sergio, who we've had on that? We, you know we need to get him on the show. Before a senior contributed to the rides. Your guy. Uber does not own the cars, the driver does. They maintain the cars by the gas insurance Depreciation, all these things. So there is zero asset business models. So they're gonna want to have us more than a Autonomous cars anyways.
Speaker 2:It cost them so much money, right well, yes, but here's the thing, though if you stop having people that bitches out there all the time and all you have is assets, yeah, but that it's an asset that depreciates though. Well, of course, but even after it's done, appreciate, depreciate.
Speaker 1:That's a hard word. I struggled with it too. The cost of works? Yeah, I mean it does.
Speaker 2:I mean, it's just, you know the cost of works after it's been depreciated, so it's it's. I obviously understand what Sergio is saying.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But it's a different model. But if you don't have to pay anybody, if you don't have to deal with all the bullshit politics anywhere, Well, you're still going to deal with the politics.
Speaker 1:You're going to have to deal with the red tape with the government to get autonomous vehicles in there. It's never going to work in a city.
Speaker 2:But you don't have all the people that yell and scream that they want benefits and they want this and they want this and all this stuff.
Speaker 1:True, they don't have any of that. I think it's still. I don't think it's possible, it's too expensive. It's too expensive. I mean one of those, I disagree.
Speaker 2:I disagree. I think it's very possible.
Speaker 1:It has the money. But my point is is like are they going to have 6 million let's just say that number 6 million drivers? I think I have a 6 million autonomous vehicles.
Speaker 2:Well, how many just look at do this math. How much money have you made on Uber or Lyft over the last five years?
Speaker 1:Oh, God A lot.
Speaker 2:And you haven't driven full time, right, right, and you would think that in one vehicle you should be. At least get three years out of.
Speaker 1:Oh, so that's a good point. So you're saying you're not paying somebody, so you get to keep all that revenue.
Speaker 2:You keep all of it. You don't pay anybody. Yeah, I mean, yeah, you got to have some people to maintain the fleet, of course, of cars or whatever, but there's so many more revenue streams, right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, we'll see. I don't know. I'm still kind of skeptical about it.
Speaker 2:Oh, I am too. I'm just saying, I think it's very possible yeah.
Speaker 1:But how do you feel, though? Like in a city like that snows and stuff, I mean that's not going to be possible. Like Grand Rapids in the winter, you're not going to be. I mean, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Not right now, but in five, 10 years, Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Oh shut the fuck up, five 10 years They've been saying that we're going to have autonomous cars.
Speaker 2:Five 10 years ago for 10 years and Waymo is doing it right now.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Right In all the cities, or can do it in the cities, for that don't necessarily have all the ice and the bad conditions of the road.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 2:So give it three to five years, and then they're there.
Speaker 1:You're no, no, you disagree. Huh, I do disagree. Let's see Reviews and how to is I wonder if self-driving car commercial insurance would be cheaper for Uber versus humans? I mean they, probably. I mean I don't know it, probably I don't know. That's a good question actually.
Speaker 2:But there's no doubt that once they become more common, there's going to be a lot more problems, a lot more people, because they jump in front of them and doing stupid things, and it'll be in the news.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I don't know, I don't think it's that close, but we'll see. All right, you're up, buddy.
Speaker 2:I'm up, buddy, I'm up Robot taxis. Robot taxis in San Francisco is used for no boundaries sex. So this is interesting, too right and brings up. We were just talking about, you know, robo, we were just talking about autonomous vehicles, and so basically in San Francisco they have been.
Speaker 2:This article is all about how that they have seen an increasing interest in utilizing robot taxis for sexual, for sexual favors or whatever. And what the article goes, which is pretty interesting, is that several clients of the cruise robot taxis startup told the San Francisco start that they have had several sexual experiences while hitching and riding the tech companies autonomous vehicles. They're growing increasingly popular. It was really fun because they got quite hot and fogged up to the point that the windshield was completely fogged over, and in any other context, in any other vehicle, that would be an actual problem, except in this one, of course. So yeah, so there's no one to tell you you can't. And if you get to the point where you are more and more and more comfortable, and if you're with someone like more serious partner, it can escalate to other activities.
Speaker 1:This guy says Alex, a man in his 30s, told the publication that he estimates he has performed at least six separate sex acts. Say that six times fast, spread out over the course of three different rides. So six acts in three different rides. He said the romps range from make out sessions to full odd sex, no boundaries activities.
Speaker 2:So then brings up a next question. And so do we think that this is something that, instead of hotel rooms rental, buddy hour, now you can do this. Yeah, come inside the heat and get it Come inside the heat.
Speaker 1:I see what you did there. So here's a question, though I'm pretty sure that's a Chevy Bolt there in that picture. Yeah, it is yeah, it is. Here's the question. He's done it three different times. How is it that this guy was able to rent this car again? I mean they have cameras in there. How did no one stop him from doing it? You know what I mean Continuing to rent.
Speaker 2:Because they probably don't care.
Speaker 1:That's gross.
Speaker 2:It doesn't ruin the vehicle. You know, I don't know, maybe, yeah, maybe they don't care yet. So basically, and this is the other thing, cruiser and Waymore collectively have more than 500 autonomous vehicles in operation.
Speaker 1:I'm just reading. Of course, this is New York Post, but it's like Megan, a woman in her 20s who described her first experience in a robotex. He escalated into something more.
Speaker 1:We got in and just got straight to making out, said Megan, who got in the cruise car wearing nothing but a robe. One thing led to another what is this like penthouse? And one thing led to another and he made sure that I was taken care of, if you will. She told the standard. I was like I have no underwear on, I'm ready to go in this. Oh, that ad just popped up right over that.
Speaker 2:In this kimono. She said yeah, yeah, there we go. And I was using it in slippers that were like five sizes too big.
Speaker 1:Anyways, I mean is there any? Place that a human being won't have sex on if they have an opportunity? Clearly not.
Speaker 2:Absolutely not, clearly not.
Speaker 1:It won't be me, but 50 shades of Uber.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, All right Moving on. That's funny 50 shades of Uber, I like it let's see that's the title of the episode, so I'm not sure which app this is, it doesn't matter.
Speaker 1:Text conversation that says well, it's the apartment number 162. Thank you, you're welcome. The customer said the boy made a mistake and gave you that money thinking he was paying for the food. The driver okay, I can bring it back or I can send you the 20 on Zell. I'm sorry for asking, but can you bring it back? So this is a conversation of like, are you Well? He?
Speaker 2:obviously thought he was paying and tipping yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, do you bring it back or do you just like sorry, disconnected number.
Speaker 2:No, I would bring it back?
Speaker 1:I wouldn't. No, you handed me. I mean, why would I have to drive back? I'm sorry you tip me, like what if I was? Already on to another order. I.
Speaker 2:Mean right and and honestly, honestly, you should. If all you had is 20 bucks, you shouldn't be using over anyways. Well or whatever you should. You should be taking your ass down to the store and buy 20.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, I mean.
Speaker 2:It's gonna last longer, but that's a different discussion. I would bring it back, yeah that's fair.
Speaker 1:I I understand why you wouldn't yeah it's just, it's very weird for them to ask. I mean they didn't say it was their last $20, but I mean it's like I would just be embarrassed to ask for it back, Like I mean it's 20 bucks, it's not like it's $200, like correct give the guy a tip, you fucked up. He had a. He's gonna have a great night because of that and you live on, you live on. Yeah, I mean, if you if you, if you can't, you can't have.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly if you think that's what I, that's what I put into it. Well, if she's really going to ask for that money back, she must really needed more than I do. That was my hair.
Speaker 1:I mean yeah, I, I don't care that you would bring it back, it doesn't really matter to me.
Speaker 2:So no, no, no no.
Speaker 1:I Understand body fluids. Yeah, Janet.
Speaker 2:Every time.
Speaker 1:I always forget she's listening and then I say something terrible and then I mean I know she's an adult, but like it's just you know. It's just kind of like a.
Speaker 2:I just actually this little close my line up, so hang on one second okay.
Speaker 1:I can read it. I can read it.
Speaker 2:Thank you All. Right, there we go.
Speaker 1:Uber lift drivers. My car is being worked on so I took a lift home. Get in and the guy seems nice enough. About five minutes Into the ride he says I need to stop real quick and drop some of the groceries. I said okay. He said he was in the middle of doing an instacard order when my ping came in because he forgot to turn off the app and he could not take it because or couldn't take it because he likes to keep his air at a 99 must have been. He couldn't cancel it. I had not at this point told him I was a driver. He drops off the grocery and takes me to my destination. I tell him I appreciate the hustle but a one from a regular customer would be way worse than a dip in your AR and if someone who he dropped the order off or Saw me in the car, he could be deactivated. I still tipped him again Dumbass and decided not to rate him double dumbass didn't think five was appropriate.
Speaker 1:Just didn't want to go, want to go lower. He got me to where I needed and I wasn't a hurry. Like I said, I appreciate the hustle, but come on.
Speaker 2:I yeah, I think I think we all need to hold each other to a higher standard.
Speaker 1:Yes, I.
Speaker 2:Mean. I think that's what it comes down to, and you can feel bad for him or whatever, but but there's so many people out here doing the gig work that we have to hold each other to a higher standard.
Speaker 1:Meaning what, like he should have rated and reviewed, or yeah, he shouldn't have tipped and he shouldn't have.
Speaker 2:He should have given a one-star the whatever the driver was in the wrong, of course Of course I've taken it.
Speaker 1:Well, the bottom line is like yeah, higher standard. I see what you're saying about that, but still like do you want this dumbass driving around like what he's? Doing he's worrying about his AR. Take a dip, because he's trying to be gold or platinum or diamond or whatever I'm like just cancel the fucking thing. It's like that's the point of the cancel. Use it very sparingly, but in those situations oops, I left the app on. I'm just gonna cancel this ride and deliver my groceries because it looks way worse.
Speaker 2:And right, and we all know that there's easy ways for not to get into these situations, right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, turn the app off.
Speaker 2:Well, you can use one of one of Gary's apps.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you can do that too.
Speaker 2:Exactly. There's options out there. You don't have to do this. Do it manually. If you want a multi app, use a tool.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure I appreciate the hustle like I like the the writer said of that post. I like I appreciate his hustling and and getting shit done, because that's what you need to do it today. It's gay. Absolutely I can't stick with one app, but but do it right, yeah, tell me.
Speaker 1:All right, this is an interesting article about. I'm gonna move this one over so I can look straight ahead and read it. Lift uber says it'll stop rides here in Minneapolis passes ordinance. Now uber and looks has threatened this before. It's never come to fruition. But so rides? Your drivers have been pressing the minute lapist A Minneapolis city council.
Speaker 1:The past legislation that would set a minimum minimum Compensation for drivers and create a process for them to appeal deactivation, which that I like. The proposed ordinance would impart ensure the driver who has a ride that originates in Minneapolis would make the equivalent to a city's minimum wage of $15 per hour. There was some article oh no, I have a second one here. I was, it said. Okay, let me look at this one. It had some more stats on it. Sorry about this. Oh, if the bill went through, it would mandate a minimum wage of 51 cents a minute and a dollar 40 a mile for for, for For gig workers, which would in line with $15 an hour. But if the bill goes through, uber says it'll remove cheaper X options for riders, leaving only its premium rides like black, uber black and uber SUV. They've said it would exit Minneapolis January 1st if the bill passes the ride the ride. This says the new minimum wage would double its fare prices in the city. So Same old, same old. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah it didn't this start like that in California and then they said, oh no, that was more, that was more benefits. This doesn't talk about benefits, it's not gonna.
Speaker 2:I mean there's no doubt that's gonna be changes. Yeah, they're coming. Changes are coming. You know everything is getting cleaned up, it's getting less messy, but yeah, I don't see. I don't see lift or uber leaving.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't understand. It's so weird. Do you think it's gonna pass though?
Speaker 2:Who knows these days, who knows I?
Speaker 1:mean I guess it all depends on what the governor I mean. I mean it basically goes down to plot a poll or polit Politics. Thank you if you're right or left. I mean that's unfortunately what happens, but I didn't know. The city had a, so that's a city $15 an hour, not like a state. You know, like most states have a minimum wage, but this is apparently a city minimum wage.
Speaker 2:But the thing that drives me crazy is, I mean, I, I Make way more than $15 an hour, and we ain't a smaller city.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh yeah, I don't yeah.
Speaker 2:Even a prop. It makes no, makes no promos, no sense that this would be an issue.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and in most those times that have the minimum wage, you still it only pays you when your work, when you're rolling, it doesn't pay you to sit at the airport for no, no. I wonder if people don't realize that and they're just like yeah, we need $15 an hour. It's like Okay, like if you, if you drive a passenger for one hour and make $15 for that one hour, I mean you got fucked.
Speaker 1:Like right you could make more than $15 an hour. He did 499. You don't need it. 499, steve. You had to do 501. Steve's that right. Steve is at the podcast conference that I've gone to for the last two years. Unfortunately I couldn't go Because school started this week and I can't really take the first week of school off being a bus driver. But so does, says Uber, doesn't require acceptance. You get points for every order, and that's not true.
Speaker 2:You have.
Speaker 1:You do get points. There's some time during the day where you don't get points, but you're right right, you're right, you do get points, but I mean I don't, you can't be a diamond status and have a 2% this acceptance rate, can you? I Mean I know that I know blood works like a maniac, so he would know. But I mean, I'm pretty sure you can't Be diamond and have a 5% acceptance rate. But If anyone wants to, but it doesn't matter though no, it doesn't.
Speaker 2:I mean that's the thing, and you don't have to, you don't have to drive. I mean you don't have to have that high of a rate, you don't have to be diamond to be a smart driver.
Speaker 1:Oh, so Bud says he's a diamond in under 50%. I mean you would think, do you wonder if it's area specific? It could very well could be. I mean, I knew you made points regardless of what your AR was.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:I thought you had to be a certain percentage of a fucking. Ar Like they usually send me that stuff, Like if you want to be gold or whatever, you have to up your AR.
Speaker 2:but I don't know, oh, I do too. I mean, yeah, you have, your acceptance rate has to be high enough for.
Speaker 1:Well, he's under 50,.
Speaker 2:he says Well, but again, it could be, it could be.
Speaker 1:Market specific.
Speaker 2:Market specific.
Speaker 1:Could be.
Speaker 2:Hmm.
Speaker 1:I don't know.
Speaker 2:So I forget how much it is to be here. But yeah, I mean, I also don't care.
Speaker 1:I need to bring my work phone down with me when we have this show, because I'm active now again, so I can actually look. I'll move on to the next one. See if you can pull it up. I just be super curious on that. So basically, lyft and Uber could ditch Minneapolis. They won't leave. I mean why would they?
Speaker 2:They're not gonna leave. So to be gold, you accept it in Grand Abbot you have to have an acceptance rate of 85% or more.
Speaker 1:Just to be gold, and that's just a step up above blue right.
Speaker 2:Yes, One to unlock gold. My acceptance rate has to be 85% or more.
Speaker 1:Yeah, see, that's what I mean. Oh, he's in a small market, watertown, new York. See, that's what I mean. Yeah, so clearly in your market, it didn't matter. Or you hit diamond and then your acceptance rate, job Cause you get that period right, you get three months at that, diamond, gold or whatever.
Speaker 2:But it falls off, though. It falls off Once you stay below for long enough, it falls off.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but for that three months you'd be diamond, no matter what?
Speaker 2:Oh no, they drop you down. Yeah, if you go below that for too long, you are no longer gold and you're no longer diamond. Yeah, that happened to me. Yeah, I fell from gold down to blue.
Speaker 1:Huh, that's interesting. Well, so I guess it is market specific.
Speaker 2:My cancellation rate is only 3%. But also, I haven't driven for Uber since May, since April.
Speaker 1:That's oh my gosh, You're going to be so excited when you.
Speaker 2:What's my special design now? I mean, you're really happy to be here, yeah, but you might as well tell everyone what you're going to make this weekend.
Speaker 1:if you're going to do it, I'm not going to drive.
Speaker 2:Well, I might.
Speaker 1:Oh, they want you back, oh they want me back.
Speaker 2:They offered me $235.
Speaker 1:For what? 60 rides?
Speaker 2:For 70. Yeah. No, hang on 235 for 60, but if I do all 70, I make 300 bucks Okay.
Speaker 1:You're not. I mean, I know college is back, so you may be able to do that this weekend, but I have to drive 20 hours if I do that.
Speaker 2:I don't want to do that? Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1:No, Bud says Steve, we have way too many drivers right, You're drivers here and too many each drivers because there's spillover. Uber still has a $300. $300 incentive.
Speaker 2:Holy cow 300?. Here we get 40 bucks. I think we got 20.
Speaker 1:40 bucks.
Speaker 2:Oh no, it's nothing for Uber.
Speaker 1:What is like $25 or something like that yeah, it's something insane, it's literally nothing.
Speaker 2:It's like doesn't matter at all All right.
Speaker 1:Moving on Our new sponsor, rmi Inspections, an on-demand inspection for Uber and Lyft drivers. Obviously, that's something that we have to do, unless you have a three year old or newer car. I believe that's usually the cutoff on that. Basically, when you use these guides, it's a virtual inspection. You don't have to go to the mechanic shop, you're not oversold on stuff that you absolutely don't need. You choose a suitable time. One of their certified mechanics will call you on a video chat app of your choice and conduct a 15 minute inspection, guiding you through the process. You receive your inspection port via email upon passing, ready to be uploaded to the apps, and, of course, you do not pay until if you don't pass. They don't make you pay, but it's only 19 bucks, like you can't beat the price for that.
Speaker 2:So I got a proven track record.
Speaker 1:They do it right in your driveway and I myself and looks like Steve has used them too I used it for my Honda last year. Now I did get a new vehicle so I didn't need an inspection, so yeah, check them out. The link is in the description.
Speaker 2:I'll be using as well when the time for mine. I'm still a year out, so yep.
Speaker 1:Yeah, bud's like 70 short rides, boom, what's? 20 hours in two days. We're not all like heroes, you're like a war hero, but in the gig space, like Bud uses, does so many, I don't even know when do you go poop?
Speaker 2:I have driven six hours straight before and not even gonna, and not Pete or anything.
Speaker 1:Uh-huh. Oh my gosh, it wasn't your ass, so sore.
Speaker 2:Of course. Oh yeah, I was gonna say six hours Good. God, oh yeah, it is possible, but yeah, so are you gonna load the next one?
Speaker 1:I'm gonna try if I can figure out what the hell I'm doing. I like you, you don't even give me like a little like you're just like. Are you gonna load it, like give me a little like hint that you're headed that way?
Speaker 2:Dude took 23 minutes 23 minutes point of the to pick my order, but he's saying it took him quite a lot longer than expected. What was he expecting?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 2:I'll be there in 15 minutes with your groceries. Extra tips always appreciated. This order took me quite a lot longer than expected In some debt now and plus I've lost my tooth, but I'm paced this morning.
Speaker 1:What People shut if I ever get like a, I don't give a shit. Just like I know it's just like why? Like I know you're trying to be funny, but we're not friends, we are in a business transaction. Like I might say that to you like oh my God, I lost my toothbrush and toothpaste.
Speaker 2:I don't know where it went, but not to your Instacart person Like I would say go, put a 99 cent toothbrush on the order and there you go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they should get buddy. Put it on me. There you go, I'll buy it for you.
Speaker 2:But the other thing is like it took him 23 minutes. I mean, unless it was just like one or two things, what was he expecting? Yeah, I know, 23 minutes is not that long.
Speaker 1:No, I mean, you barely get rolling and you got 10 minutes in Ass. What is this? Pete comes in and just JFKs me. I don't even know what the fuck that's about. Jason doesn't know what he's doing. Surprise, surprise. Like what?
Speaker 2:the hell.
Speaker 1:Steve says, I'd respond tooth care is overrated as I'm going to the dentist on Monday cause I got some pain. You got pain, I got pain. Okay, this next one I'm interested to talk about. So it's a little lengthy in reading and we know that's my struggle point, but this is actually from a local what's interesting, a local group. But it wasn't a gig group, this was a like neighborhood inform group that this guy posted on there. So Yep.
Speaker 2:Was it neighborly.
Speaker 1:It was. I cut that out. It was actually Ben's neighborhood.
Speaker 1:I'm not sure if this is relevant here. No, if it's not, I just need to rant. I'm currently a DoorDash driver and I am gold for the rating. It's taken me so many months to get gold. Being on gold doesn't mean anything, but once you get to platinum you can dash whenever you want. In order to get to platinum rating, you have to keep all your ratings up and have done 100 orders every 30 days. That is correct. This is where I'm going to go off. For all the people who are platinum already, you make it almost impossible for anyone else to get any orders. I've seen one person with three orders at once when I can't even get one single order. I can't pay my bills like this. I can barely pay for gas in my car, let alone rent. How am I ever gonna get to platinum when the system is made to make the rich get richer? So let's break that down first, and then I have someone commented on that, so he's not multi-apping for one.
Speaker 2:And why?
Speaker 1:does he think that the platinum people are richer? They're gonna be the rich people? It's like he's talking like a political system like the lower, middle and upper class. So I don't know, I don't know what to tell you.
Speaker 1:I can empathize with his frustration as I talked about with Pedro that I can't even get on the fucking app. I'm done. If it's super busy I might get one or two orders, but you're right, if you are not a top-dash or you're not getting on that app anymore, they have changed the game, so pick another app. Well, yeah, exactly. Why aren't you multi-apping? You don't fuck. Okay, so this is the comments.
Speaker 1:Uber, doordash, lyft these are not full-time jobs unless you choose to work hard to be a full-time driver. These jobs are meant to fill in the gaps. That's fine. If you want to do this full-time and you want to make this a living and support yourself, you need to try all time slots Morning, noon and evening night, document where the pay is and where most opportunities are, and gear yourself to work in those times and areas. Super good advice. That's what being an entrepreneur is. It's being the boss, and finding the best potential time to make money is and doing that. It's no one else's fault that you're not making the money you want. They did the grind too. They know what it takes and they work it. If you're fortunate enough to get there, you'll do the same. Entrepreneur equals grind.
Speaker 1:That is accurate, I mean everything he said is great and he was nice about it too. Like you've always said, learn your area, Go out for lunch, dinner and breakfast every time. You may not get on, but you may and just keep going. In the meantime, go take a new breed or do an Instacart.
Speaker 2:Do something else. Do something else.
Speaker 1:There's lots of jobs Maybe gig work is it for you and that's okay, but I love that guy's response, like it's.
Speaker 2:What I thought what I liked the most about it was that he was answering with respect.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know what I mean. That's amazing. Usually people are like complete sea suckers, Right.
Speaker 2:No, he was giving good advice and he was answering with respect. It made sense. It wasn't full of spelling errors and yelling F-U-O every other time. It was just a good comment.
Speaker 1:God bud, I do 100 orders in three or four days if I stay steady or busy lately, not so maybe four or five. I think a lot of people don't want to work, in my honest opinion. They want to come out for two to four hours a day and max a day for three or less. Well, I mean, that's what I want to do, right? I don't want to grind DoorDash, I want to go out during dinner and lunch and make 50, 60 bucks, and I'm good with that, because I have other apps. I work.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean, but it's tough now that DoorDash is kind of curated. You need to be a top dasher if you're going to make any money, and that's the right to do that. I mean, I hate it because I like food delivery. I know, yes, we're good, give two shits and that's okay, but I like food delivery. I like spending three, four hours just brainlessly going into restaurants listening to podcasts. I like that. I kind of missed that part a little bit. But yeah, he definitely needs to get more gap or more apps.
Speaker 2:Old man in the house, everyone show respect. Tom Yep.
Speaker 1:Steve said what did he say? Going to after party, so many good looking ladies here? Don't you have a fiance, don't you? I guess he's just looking at him, though.
Speaker 2:So I don't have a girlfriend. I do know someone who'd be pissed if they heard me say that.
Speaker 1:Alrighty, I guess I should redact what I just said.
Speaker 2:All right, that was a comment.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, it's from Mitch Hedberg, but I don't know what it's referencing. All right, moving on. We're losing listeners as we keep talking about this.
Speaker 2:This is very interesting. They don't know me up to so this is interesting. We did a little bit of research, jason and I, about this and I think they're gone now. But the whole article is about how gig workers, and predominantly delivery drivers, are utilizing Google Maps, or were utilizing Google Maps, to track tip baiters and basically what they were doing. They were going to go on, they were going on the map and they were putting in a missing point or at a point, or whatever they say at a location.
Speaker 1:A landmark? Yeah, okay, yeah.
Speaker 2:Landmark, whatever you want to call it, and then they were saying tip baiter, and then you could search for it and it would come up in your area. Now, since then, google has removed them all. From what we can tell, we are not able for us to do any kind of skidding results when we search for tip baiter on Google, but that only makes me think that it can't belong until somebody else comes up with something like it. And it's definitely an interesting. It brings up an interesting need in the market. I think that you need to be able to have a way of tracking stuff like that.
Speaker 1:But here's a question with it being so desperate, like at times, you know the money. If you saw that they were a tip baiter and or maybe a problem customer, would you just not? I mean, we would not take that one. But people might be like, ah, it's fine, he'll tip this time. You know what?
Speaker 2:I mean Well, absolutely, yeah, I would think that yeah.
Speaker 1:But you still you would still have the information and you would be able to decide. You know what to do with that. So a lot of people have the information of a $2.50 order and they decide to take it anyway.
Speaker 2:So I mean, I guess I mean the other side. The other thing too is for people really using Google Maps to search for tip baiter in your area, when you kind of I mean, it's not the easiest thing to search for.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, yeah, you would need something that was a little bit more user friendly, or something, or something that was quicker. Right you know what I mean, that you could do, but yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 2:But still interesting, I think. I mean I know that Pete if he's still around I know he wanted one back in the days where he was on he would love an opportunity to track a person that he didn't like. Yeah.
Speaker 1:What was he thinking? Ivory, ivory, that's right, ivory.
Speaker 2:God, oh my God, that was interesting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and when he was doing it it wasn't the address, upfront address or pricing, so he wouldn't know. So yeah, I mean he literally would just be like getting close to the area and be like oh, mother fuck.
Speaker 1:Like you know what I mean, but at least this way he'd be like typing the address of like oh no, that's a problem house, I am canceling. Yeah, oh, my gosh, all right. Moving on wrapping up here, doordash partners with Petco to provide Pet Essentials. I thought they were already on Petco, but maybe that was Pet Smart, so basically you're able to. Oh, national Dog Day is on August 26th, which is in three days.
Speaker 1:DoorDash and Petco are celebrating the partnership by unleashing a Best in Show offer. So just another app or another business to you know, get orders from there, you go.
Speaker 1:What's crazy is, though, I've seen people like there'd be like a hundred items on like a Pet Smart order and people decline them. I don't know why they would decline them. The hundred items are A, either A they're crickets, right or B it's just cat food. You know what I mean. So it's like it's not like it's that hard to shop for crickets or cat food, like if it's a hundred items. You know, I don't know. I don't ever get worried about that at a pet store because it's going to be a hundred of one item.
Speaker 2:What I want to know is do you have to catch the crickets?
Speaker 1:No, I think they catch them for you. Yeah, you're like fuck this job.
Speaker 2:I got to go under these Fuck.
Speaker 1:Anyways, I thought that was kind of fun too. They put down the top girl dog names, the top boy names. So here we go. Top girls Luna, bella, daisy, lucy, lily, zoe, lola, sadie, bailey and Stella. And the top boy dog names are Max, charlie Cooper, milo, buddy, rocky Bear, teddy and Duke.
Speaker 2:I like Buddy yeah.
Speaker 1:My kids wanted to name our third dog Cooper, but that's his middle name now because they did not win out on the name. So it is Hamilton Cooper. That is his name. So why?
Speaker 2:why does he have middle names?
Speaker 1:We all do, or the dog, all the dogs do. It's Franklin, max, winston, james and Hamilton Cooper, because when you yell at them you're like Winston, get over here, Just like he yell at your kids yeah, look at Pete, princess Tootsie, princess Tootsie by the color. Tootsie. She is a Tootsie.
Speaker 2:All right, so she's a princess. That's what she is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we got a couple more Just real quick. Middleton Tech Gary Middleton, love that guy. The app you're watching the live stream, the app on your left is Maximo, the blue one, Obviously, FlexAlert in the middle and Driver Utility Helper for DoorDash on the right. All these apps have multiple settings to accept or decline anything that you want, except FlexAlert. Sorry, FlexAlert's different, it just taps for you, it doesn't pull routes or anything like that, it's just nice so you don't have to glue to your phone. But all these apps are available for download and the link is in our description and every little download and sign up helps us.
Speaker 2:So that would be great if you could do that, yep, and it helps Gary too.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, larry says, my brother-in-law just got a dog and named him Buddy. Of course, of course.
Speaker 2:It's because we have. No, we have, yeah. Creativity Bud said, like earlier.
Speaker 1:I said, if names are kept out of the addresses known to tip bait on Uber, eats and Takard or Spark, it's fair game to me. They're actively stealing, in my opinion, and they know it's wrong. But these apps make it easy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they do, they make it real, fucking easy Absolutely, tip baiting should be illegal.
Speaker 1:Wow, a lot should be illegal and it should be taken off.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they should stop allowing to change the tip.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's it. Some apps do it different, some of them are terrible with it. So, all right, last two articles, if you really wanna change the tip, you should.
Speaker 2:If you really wanna change the tip, they should have to contact support.
Speaker 1:Yes, like literally call them yeah, because no one's gonna do that. No no, no one wants to talk to anybody.
Speaker 2:It's the same as that $20 we had we talked about earlier. Too bad, fucked up, yeah yeah. Not getting your money back?
Speaker 1:Well, you would have brought it back, so like Well, I know, because it was yeah. Oh, because I'm a nice human.
Speaker 2:I am a nice human.
Speaker 1:I'm a nice human.
Speaker 2:All right, two more articles go. Two more articles. This is pretty cool because it's about Mark Cuban. He's my fan. No, hang on, I'm a fan of him. So anyways, this is a little bit of a whoopsie story. He talks about how he lost out on getting in early and investing in Uber, and had he invested the $250,000 that they asked for at the time, his share, his stake, would have today been worth $2.3 billion.
Speaker 1:God dang it. And a quarter of a million for him is just. It's like 20 bucks for us.
Speaker 2:I reach into my pocket. He said he didn't do it because he did not agree with the evaluation at the time. Basically, it was evaluated at $10 million at the time and he did not agree with that. And obviously he realizes today that that was wrong and he should have done it and blah, blah, blah blah. But you know it's not like he's doing that bad. He is today worth $5.9 billion, so it's okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's not like he's losing sleep, and I bet a lot of those rich guys have those stories of like, ooh, I shouldn't have invested in that, oh, it wasn't sorry, I'm sure they have even more stories where they're like oh fuck, I did invest in this and I lost my shirt. I want it. Oh yeah, yeah, more than those, than the other.
Speaker 1:I want to hear everyone's like Apple story, like they didn't invest in Apple and if they would have you know back in the like eight, eighties or whatever early eighties, whenever it was but, what was I going to say? Oh, it wasn't a shark tank thing, was it? It was just like they reached out to him and asked if he wanted to.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so basically he had done some investing with Dara before oh okay. It wasn't Dara.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's Travis.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly with Travis, and had made a little bit of money on some of his earlier efforts, and so I think he was I mean, he hadn't lost on the first ones. But, as I said, he was just not agreeing with the evaluation at the time and so, yeah, so he decided not to. That's interesting.
Speaker 1:Last article of the night. Lyft CEO David Rischer has bought more than a million dollars worth of the company stock, underscoring his confidence in his plans to turn on the ride share company. Rischer purchased 100,000 shares of Lyft Lyft Lyft stock worth nearly 1.15 million, according to Securities Exchange. How does that even work? I don't understand how, if you are the CEO of the company, you can just buy stock like that. But I'm an idiot.
Speaker 2:Right now you can buy whatever you want. It's your own money. You can buy stock.
Speaker 1:It's your own money. You can buy stock. Could you buy?
Speaker 2:If it's a publicly traded company, you can buy it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, can you buy stock in Uber?
Speaker 2:Of course.
Speaker 1:He probably does have stock in Uber. Can you imagine the drama that would happen? People would be so pissed. So, anyways, just another thing that this guy thinks he's going to be able to turn Lyft around. I don't know what's going to turn Lyft around, to be honest with you.
Speaker 2:I think the only thing that's going to turn Lyft around is they have to improve the app and they have to make it more attractive for the drivers.
Speaker 1:That's not going to turn them around. Oh, you mean more attractive like appearance, or like money Money? Oh well, yeah, that's obvious, right, that's what I mean.
Speaker 2:They have to make it more attractive for the. They have to stop all this Again. I think the way to fix it is to go back to basics. Stop all this upfront pricing nonsense, go back to what it was and go back to this is what everybody wants. The number one thing that's wrong with the rice industry today. What is the number one thing you hear everybody complaining about?
Speaker 1:The money.
Speaker 2:That it's not easy to know what you're going to make on the ride. It's not straight Like it used to be. You get paid per mile and per minute.
Speaker 1:Well, it is easy. They give you the upfront pricing. You know exactly what you're going to make on the ride.
Speaker 2:I know, but it's not what it used to be. It's not fair quote unquote. Fair, because Uber or Lyft quite often makes just as much and they shouldn't.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Lyft should make their cut.
Speaker 1:It's funny how we wanted all that information and now that we have it like Gabe and his market they took it away and so he doesn't see it anymore, but he makes way more money. It's just like the weirdest thing. Like, yeah, I feel like they need to go back to that. So, reviews and how to said I prefer Lyft pays better than Uber by far in my market. I mean, when it used to be that they took the percentage, like it was pretty straightforward, I did make more money on Lyft, Like yeah.
Speaker 1:I got more money and but now it's it's well. Now it's Uber, because I have the electric vehicles, like in a dollar each ride plus I can do comfort. So now I just stick to Uber most.
Speaker 2:I think. I think it changed when they removed the multiplier.
Speaker 1:Oh God, yeah, I know we reminisce about that all the time and people might get sick of it and people may have not done. Doesn't know about the. I got a fruit fly in here.
Speaker 2:It's been driving me nuts, maybe they don't know about the old Chevy both.
Speaker 1:Why you're like doing this. You're excited. What oh? I went elect. Yeah, I went electric, All electric Chevy Bolt brand new. It's already got 3,500 miles on it.
Speaker 2:So, pete, the picnic is not. You haven't missed it yet it's at the end of September the 23rd the 23rd and Janet is going to be here.
Speaker 1:Hey, is Janet going to be here? I?
Speaker 2:think so.
Speaker 1:I was just checking because we never talk about it. I know right, I know I'm so glad he did, but we do never talk about it. I thought I wrote in the rundown like two weeks ago to talk about the picnic and I'm going up in the rundown and it's not in here. Who deleted it.
Speaker 2:Yes, Pete, it's the same place in I don't know, it's at the park. Same places last year, same place the last two years, same, what's it called?
Speaker 1:The Island Shelter.
Speaker 2:Yep Island Shelter and it's going to be cool stuff.
Speaker 1:We're going to livestream a podcast there. It probably will be just many interviews with gig workers there. It won't be really any news Everybody there?
Speaker 2:Yes, it's free food guys.
Speaker 1:Free food, Free food. How can you pass up a free meal?
Speaker 2:I know right, Free meal?
Speaker 1:Yes, we won't even try to grab your genitals.
Speaker 2:Well, maybe John's if he shows up. I thought we talked about that, sorry.
Speaker 1:I'll cut that out. Anyways, guys, I love you guys so much. I appreciate you listening to the show. If you are just on here just watching the stream, could you please download the show on any pod catcher app that you have and listen to it there too, or just download it. I don't care, because those numbers are super important to us, if you haven't liked or subscribed to the YouTube channel.
Speaker 1:Please do that as well, pete, you motherfucker, I'm going to download these nuts on your face. My son uses that in appropriate times. Well, it's always inappropriate, but he uses it appropriately. Anyways, next week, Wednesday will be a regular show again. We'll hopefully be able to get some gig creators or gig workers on to interview, but I'm sure you enjoyed this show all the same.
Speaker 2:Well, next week we're going to have that. We don't have to, because it'll be a normal show. I know.
Speaker 1:I said next week will be normal, but then hopefully, and then after that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so, as always, contact us on team at gigconomyshowcom if you want to be on the show.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I appreciate it. And, as always, guys, don't put up with anyone's bullshit.
Speaker 2:And we'll see you on the road.
Speaker 1:Good night. Good night. This podcast is produced and edited by hey Guys Media Group. Want to start a podcast? Check out HeyGuysMediaGroupcom.
