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Houston Friday Night 1/15/16 Protest Plan...

3K views 51 replies 9 participants last post by  Texstar12 
#1 ·
I NEED to do something, and I intend on doing this lone wolf or y'all can join me.

GOAL: To raise awareness to DRIVERS that they are losing money, and to slander UBER for what they are doing to drivers across America.

I already quit, so I have nothing to lose. I'm going to drive around a specific route from 8pm-2am through Washington, Downtown, Midtown, Montrose, and Rice Village (see exact route at the bottom of this post). We can form a line, or we can split off. It'll be hard to keep a cortege going through red lights, but if you stick with the route, we'll be able to get noticed.

If you're at a red light, talk to people. See another driver? Convince them to join. Have window paint on hand to write on their windows (at THEIR discretion, of course) and direct them to this thread to find out the route. Need to use the restroom? Feel free to deviate from the route then jump back in.

My red 2014 Chevy Impala LTZ will be decorated with this on the back window:


(Sorry, that "Worst Con Since Enron" was very clever. Props to tripAces for coining it!)

Starting at 8PM, I will start ON Washington @ Shepherd at the El Rey lot and head east down Washington. My goal is to get other drivers' attention and talk with them and have them join in my rolling picket line. Here is the route I will take:

1. East on Washington → Franklin
2. Right on Main
3. Right on Lamar
4. Left on Milam
5. Left on Dallas
6. Right on Caroline
7. Right on St. Joseph
8. Left on Smith
9. Right on Gray
10. Left on Bagby
11. Left on Hadley
12. Left on Brazos
13. Right on Webster
14. Right on Fannin
15. Right on McGowen
16. Right on Louisiana
17. Left on Hadley
18. Left on Bagby
19. Left on McIlhenny
20. Left on Brazos
21. Left on Hadley
22. Left on Bagby
23. Right on Elgin/Westheimer
24. Left on Montrose
25. Right on Autrey (immediate first right after the 59 overpass)
26. Left on Yoakum
27. Left on Montrose
28. Left on Richmond
29. Left on Kirby
30. Left on University
31. Left on Morningside
32. Left on Rice
33. Right on Kirby
34. Right on Alabama
35. Left on Montrose
36. Left on Westheimer
37. Right on Shepherd
38. Right on Gray
39. Left on Dunlavy
40. Left on Dallas
41. Right on Shepherd
42. right on Washington... now we've made a loop. And I plan on repeating until 2am.

This is happening. Now, who's in?
 
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#2 ·
I can't post this in the main Houston area? Please repost for me. Hope all is well out there on the 15!


I would like to ask who are the major players, advocates, activist who are working hard to see that TNC drivers are getting a fair deal?

Please if anyone has the email, Facebook or direct contact to the people who are fighting for US drivers please share them here.

It is time that we drivers across the U.S.A. Unite and come together. In order to receive fair hourly wage guarantees. Any and all positive information is good information. Please refrain from using this thread If you have nothing positive to add.
 
#4 ·
take a picture of it. I couldn't leave the house, plus I don't like painting my windows because I don't know how to remove it. I wanted to write obscenities about Uber and join you but just couldn't do it. Hope you get a lot of looks and wake up some of the Uber users to the notion that maybe Uber is a horrible company, because I know deep down everyone has the suspicion.
 
#7 ·
I NEED to do something, and I intend on doing this lone wolf or y'all can join me.

GOAL: To raise awareness to DRIVERS that they are losing money, and to slander UBER for what they are doing to drivers across America.

I already quit, so I have nothing to lose. I'm going to drive around a specific route from 8pm-2am through Washington, Downtown, Midtown, Montrose, and Rice Village (see exact route at the bottom of this post). We can form a line, or we can split off. It'll be hard to keep a cortege going through red lights, but if you stick with the route, we'll be able to get noticed.

If you're at a red light, talk to people. See another driver? Convince them to join. Have window paint on hand to write on their windows (at THEIR discretion, of course) and direct them to this thread to find out the route. Need to use the restroom? Feel free to deviate from the route then jump back in.

My red 2014 Chevy Impala LTZ will be decorated with this on the back window:


(Sorry, that "Worst Con Since Enron" was very clever. Props to tripAces for coining it!)

Starting at 8PM, I will start ON Washington @ Shepherd at the El Rey lot and head east down Washington. My goal is to get other drivers' attention and talk with them and have them join in my rolling picket line. Here is the route I will take:

1. East on Washington → Franklin
2. Right on Main
3. Right on Lamar
4. Left on Milam
5. Left on Dallas
6. Right on Caroline
7. Right on St. Joseph
8. Left on Smith
9. Right on Gray
10. Left on Bagby
11. Left on Hadley
12. Left on Brazos
13. Right on Webster
14. Right on Fannin
15. Right on McGowen
16. Right on Louisiana
17. Left on Hadley
18. Left on Bagby
19. Left on McIlhenny
20. Left on Brazos
21. Left on Hadley
22. Left on Bagby
23. Right on Elgin/Westheimer
24. Left on Montrose
25. Right on Autrey (immediate first right after the 59 overpass)
26. Left on Yoakum
27. Left on Montrose
28. Left on Richmond
29. Left on Kirby
30. Left on University
31. Left on Morningside
32. Left on Rice
33. Right on Kirby
34. Right on Alabama
35. Left on Montrose
36. Left on Westheimer
37. Right on Shepherd
38. Right on Gray
39. Left on Dunlavy
40. Left on Dallas
41. Right on Shepherd
42. right on Washington... now we've made a loop. And I plan on repeating until 2am.

This is happening. Now, who's in?
# 38 is w gray. Wish I could even if just to check out your car but I'm home sick with a cold. Only spent 2 hours at my real job today.

Let us know how it goes. I was thinking about a campaign where we pass out fliers. But an idea came up here months ago about putting stickers on the mirrors etc in public restrooms. If one person drove then 4 other drivers (2 males 2 females woukd be ideal) could go in and out of places doing that.
 
#12 ·
# 38 is w gray. Wish I could even if just to check out your car but I'm home sick with a cold. Only spent 2 hours at my real job today.
Sorryy to here that. It has been going around quite hard so far this winter.
 
#21 · (Edited)
Well, I'm back! Caught LOTS of eyes in several situations where I was stuck behind traffic, at lights surrounded by HOARDS of Friday night bar hoppers all along Main Street Downtown, Midtown, Montrose, and one swoop through Rice Village. It astonished me as to how many damn drivers were still on the road. It's as if we got a rate INCREASE!

Unfortunately, I don't think Uber is going away anytime soon. What Uber did by lowering their fares was increase their profit by lopping off the full-timers and/or 20%ers. I can only imagine the ones left driving are either overtimers, because you have to work overtime just to make bank, and sub-part-timers. Uber has eliminated everyone in the middle. These sub-part-timers are now the bane of cabbies AND ex-full-time Uber drivers' existence. Uber has converted the rideshare industry into a hobby. These sub-part-timers will keep driving even if it's 30¢/mi, like in Detroit, because they're just doing this on the side and will stop when they've made too much money. All expenses are covered because sub-part-timers all have a "real job". It's a sad, sad state of affairs. This *was* my career... but luckily for me, I'm going to cab starting on Tuesday. What about the rest of the drivers that made this their career and were baited and switched?

Uber is here to stay. Unless local regulation is passed that limits minimum wage, maximum wage, rideshare insurance, and a few other things, Uber is going to continue to run amok. I tried... hopefully I got through to some people. I'll never know I guess.

I also made a 40 min. video of me driving around. It's rather uneventful. You can view it here:


Pics... because it happened:







































 
#25 ·
Well, I'm back! Caught LOTS of eyes in several situations where I was stuck behind traffic, at lights surrounded by HOARDS of Friday night bar hoppers all along Main Street Downtown, Midtown, Montrose, and one swoop through Rice Village. It astonished me as to how many damn drivers were still on the road. It's as if we got a rate INCREASE!

Unfortunately, I don't think Uber is going away anytime soon. What Uber did by lowering their fares was increase their profit by lopping off the full-timers and/or 20%ers. I can only imagine the ones left driving are either overtimers, because you have to work overtime just to make bank, and sub-part-timers. Uber has eliminated everyone in the middle. These sub-part-timers are now the bane of cabbies AND ex-full-time Uber drivers' existence. Uber has converted the rideshare industry into a hobby. These sub-part-timers will keep driving even if it's 30¢/mi, like in Detroit, because they're just doing this on the side and will stop when they've made too much money. All expenses are covered because sub-part-timers all have a "real job". It's a sad, sad state of affairs. This *was* my career... but luckily for me, I'm going to cab starting on Tuesday. What about the rest of the drivers that made this their career and were baited and switched?

Uber is here to stay. Unless local regulation is passed that limits minimum wage, maximum wage, rideshare insurance, and a few other things, Uber is going to continue to run amok. I tried... hopefully I got through to some people. I'll never know I guess.

I also made a 40 min. video of me driving around. It's rather uneventful. You can view it here:
[THIS WILL BE REPLACED WITH THE LINK TO THE VIDEO WHEN IT'S READY BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A BIG ASS FILE... YUP YUP!]

Pics... because it happened:







































How do you walk with those gigantic balls?
 
#32 ·
I'm starting off with Yellow Cab. You have to lease for the first 21 days, and they start you off with a $5/day lease on day 1 and it goes up $5/day until it gets to the regular $95/day -or- $108/day depending on if you lease a sedan or minivan. Now, after that, I want to bring my car over to them. However, Yellow told me that I have to have it paid off already--that's not happening. But what I could do is bring it over on Lone Star Cab's platform, but it'd look like a *********. It wouldn't be painted white like the Lone Star cabs; they told me I give them three names to propose for my cab, and they put that name and my phone number on my car and install taxi lights and a meter and Curb app receiver, radio, emergency signal thingamajigs, etc.

Yellow has a lease-to-own option, which is cheaper than paying a lease. It's $530/wk. What I need to propose to Yellow is, if they could buy my car from my bank and then let me lease-to-own it (because let's be real, the bank owns it, not me; I just got it last August... for Uber... yeahiknowimadumbass) then I'd like to go that route. I think having a "yellow cab" would stand out better in getting street hails than it looking like a ********* with Lone Star.

OR, I could get it painted yellow and go the Lone Star route. Either way, I'm gonna get my feet wet with Yellow.
 
#39 ·
Interesting to see how it goes money wise. I have considered driving a cab. I already know Houston so...

But i have a "regular" though part time job so not sure how that would fit in.

I'm still up because I'm a night owl and sick. But goodnight and let us hear your taxi stories. I do wonder how the pax compare.
 
#35 ·
My consequence regarding Uber is that I kinda made the decision to make the CDL-A and eventually drive trucks, but let's see how long it takes me still until I really can say farewell Uber thanks for almost ruining my life..
I had a good job 2 years ago and I trusted Uber and quit my job, but then farecut after farecut.. they just pissed all the drivers off.. Now they are loosing them one by one...

I guess they will deactivate me soon to, because now I don't give a shit about their greedy customers and I got my second warning about high cancellation rate.

btw.. I have a cutting plotter for stickers.. and if you're cool with it I will printout your slogan: THERE IS NO UBER WITHOUT THE DRIVER and put it on my bumper or so..
 
#36 ·
My consequence regarding Uber is that I kinda made the decision to make the CDL-A and eventually drive trucks, but let's see how long it takes me still until I really can say farewell Uber thanks for almost ruining my life..
I had a good job 2 years ago and I trusted Uber and quit my job, but then farecut after farecut.. they just pissed all the drivers off.. Now they are loosing them one by one...

I guess they will deactivate me soon to, because now I don't give a shit about their greedy customers and I got my second warning about high cancellation rate.

btw.. I have a cutting plotter for stickers.. and if you're cool with it I will printout your slogan: THERE IS NO UBER WITHOUT THE DRIVER and put it on my bumper or so..
Yeah, go ahead! By the way, I saw "There is no Uber without the driver" on someone's signature. I forget who. And I got "Worst Con Since Enron" from another member. I don't need any credit for anything. I just wanna see sh*t change. But I will be disappearing soon when I start working for cab. This won't be my fight anymore once I fully align soon with the Yellow side of the force.
 
#37 ·
I also made a taxi permit, but the business is not the same as it was before Uber caused damage..
That's why I started doing some research about the trucking industry and at least I don't have to drive my own car and the pay is around $0.50 per mile in the beginning.. But it's not for everybody since it's coast to coast they said.
I can do it for a few years maybe.. we'll see what happens.
 
#41 ·
Fuzzyelvis yes, I'm a night owl too. Yes, it'll be interesting to see how it goes at YC. I'll be sure to report!

Thanks Realityshark ! It's still Saturday. If anyone wants to come with me, I have window paint. We can gather together and drive. Even if it's just 10 of us. Also, remember Monday is MLK day and a lot of people are off, so Sunday night bar rush might be bigger than normal. We can protest then too.

All this contingent on if the 50% chance of rain misses my car between the time I go to sleep and wake up at approximately 2pm. I'm settled in and don't feel like going out there and reinforcing it with more tape.

If anyone else wants to protest and make signs and want to use the exact same wording, you are more than free too. It's not copyrighted, and it's for the same cause. Don't credit me, credit your own spirit. However, all that math is based on my driving, so you may want to tweak the numbers, but please use factual data you can back up. We don't want anything but FACTS.
 
#43 · (Edited)
Guess you didn't get a ticket for covering your back window.

And if you really thought Uber X was a career what koolaid did you drink? No wonder you sound lost.
A professional career in driving is Excutive Level or piss poor smelly cab. Uber X is to help fill a money shortage til you find another career.
He said a while ago he quit Uber, but the point is, he took action. He didn't do nothing. Isn't it better to do something than to just say everything is wrong?
 
#44 ·
So we all onboard as a IC. Uber drop rates and driver's agree to them. If a driver doesn't then they quit. It is that easy.

Only reason people are pissed is you all think you been duked. And truthfully Uber's ethics are very questionable. The legality is being disputed even.

I won't take action other then quiting once I get another job. I will be willing to talk to managers and the City. I won't do as some have. Which to me some are very juvenile actions.

Just because some will give into a poor minded way of thinking. I won't! I never have allowed others to dictate my actions and won't start now.
I also won't allow myself to go broke just because I don't agree with Uber's actions.

I understand how Uber operates. And right now I understand what type of people are posting in this forum about the subject of a rate drop.

BUT.
Look around the good forum posters are all gone. Most have vanished over night. We in private chat even pointed out the trolls that come in here. Wake up! Misery loves company!
 
#46 ·
Same exact thing happened with slaves. If one of them complained, they would be condemned by their hopeless peers. Just because you don't want to do anything about something that another doesn't like, doesn't mean others are going to join you in YOUR miserable "I can't do anything to make this world better" attitude. The ones who stood up against slavery ended up creating a worldwide standard of freedom for all. So Texstar12 and everyone else, let's all focus on the real enemy UBER, and keep fighting against UBER, and ignore those who point fingers at us for doing whats right, until UBER is reduced to crumbs.
 
#47 ·
Texstar you're a rock star baby!! Nobody can claim different and they can shake their heads and call you a kook but you did it and I bough before you. No fear. You do what you say and your actions can be measured.

I've sent each and every member of the city council the proof Uber broadcasts the breaking of the laws it wrote to allow Uber to operate here. I hope Itsablackmarket uses this knowledge to ask those members why they have chosen to ignore it and allow Uber, scummy dirty Uber, to make a mockery of them and fools of the rules they wrote. I want to hear them answer. In turn, I will answer them at the polls.

You keep on keeping on, Texstar. I stand by you in awe.
 
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