$100m settlement snub: Super Cali goes ballistic, says Uber deal atrocious

A California judge has rejected the nearly $100m settlement deal between Uber and a group of aggrieved drivers. Judge Edward Chen said on Thursday [PDF] the dial-a-ride app maker's proposed settlement package "as a whole as currently structured is not fair, adequate, and reasonable." The drivers are suing Uber, accusing the …

[bazza]

"Though the cars will be driving themselves, Uber says a human driver will be behind the wheel to "supervise" the operation of the vehicle and help train their artificial brains."

Frankly I have never heard anything so bonkers as that idea. Come and be a passenger in our beta-test cars whilst some underpaid and bored individual day dreams in the driver's seat? Yeah right.

It's a strategy that stands a very small chance of success, and risks exposing them to some huge liabilities. The end goal can be achieved only if legislation is passed to allow it, and that will surely push the liability for failures onto Uber. If there's even the merest hint that their self driving cars aren't safe, they're toast.

Meanwhile their bored and underpaid "driver" will most definitely be classed as an employee of Uber, and will be a permanent feature if legislation allowing unsupervised cars is not passed (as seems likely), or if Uber fail to demonstrate an adequate level of reliability (as seems equally likely, I doubt they've achieved results any better than Google's cars in California). In which case, why not just have a driver?

There's also the issue that, human nature being what it is, an unmanned Uber-cab will become the transport of choice for the seriously inebriated who can't get any other ride, vulnerable to petty vandalism or careless damage and will therefore not be the most enjoyable of rides. People behave pretty badly even when there's someone else in the car; without that social restraint it'd only be worse.

[DainB]

Exit strategy ?

IT does not make any sense whatsoever to replace drivers who drive their own cars, pay for fuel, maintenance and taking all the risks while Uber simply gets 20% cut of the fare with driverless cars Uber will have to maintain themselves.

[Richard 12]

**Applause**

How long have you been working on that headline?

'Tis a work of art.

[smudge]

Re: **Applause**

How long have you been working on that headline?

Probably not long :) The countless legions of Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC fans - myself included - will recognise it and applaud it.

Click here to see why. Perfectly safe for work.

Although I hadn't realised until I found that link that the Liverpool Echo had done something similar many years beforehand.

[Just Enough]

Re: **Applause**

"The countless legions of Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC fans"

But are they really countless?

[smudge]

Re: **Applause**

Yes, for informal values of the term "countless".

However, assuming a 1-1 mapping between the set of ICT fans and the set of natural numbers, then they are, of course, countably infinite.

[imanidiot]

Re: **Applause**

I'm sure they are all either too thick or hammered to count, so probably Yes.

[smudge]

Re: **Applause**

I'm sure they are all either too thick or hammered to count, so probably Yes.

And your username here is ... ?

[SVV]

Re: **Applause**

"Although I hadn't realised until I found that link that the Liverpool Echo had done something similar many years beforehand."

Ah, the Liverpool Echo......

To announce the beginning of a great polar expedition years ago, the paper headlined with "Sir Vivian Fuchs off to Antarctica".

[Doctor Syntax]

Re: **Applause**

"How long have you been working on that headline?"

They used it, or something similar a little while ago, possibly in relation to the same case.

[breakfast]

Re: **Applause**

A search for "Super Cali" reveals that Vulture Central have used this format about ten times so far, mostly in reference to this story. I actually thought it was more, but certainly a good running gag.

[[e-mail]]

Total Recall

Johnny Cab has arrived

[Fatman]

Re: Total Recall

He most certainly has:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz3YSGzLciY

[Howard Hanek]

Mary Poppins Fans Thrilled

They've been waiting fifty years to relive their childhood and ElReg has given them their spoonful of sugar.

[ecofeco]

Brilliant headline

Best headline ever.

That said, fuck Uber. High turnover rate, poor to middling driver income. As usual, the only ones making money are the well-connected-to-the-media middlemen.

[john devoy]

I'm clearly missing something, as i understand it Uber drivers want the benefits of being a self employed driver, no expensive taxi license or extensive training to prove they're capable and trustworthy etc. and work the hours they want; but they want all the perks of being employees with holiday pay etc.