Looks like #Ubergate is finally starting to fade from our memories but that doesn’t mean there still wasn’t plenty to talk about this week.  Today, RSG contributor Jack Ross takes a look at all of the top stories from this week in rideshare.

Let’s go to the videotape!

The NY Times Takes A Careful, Critical Shot at Uber’s Blend of Sketchy Morality and Big Data Hoarding

“We already regulate sensitive data, ranging from health records to financial information. We must update oversight for 21st-century data as well. When we’re picked up on a rainy street corner, it’s not enough to know where the car is going. We need to know where our data is going, and how it’s used.”

The NY Times Takes A Soft, Condescending Shot at Lyft’s Overly Warm and Cuddly Branding

“Lyft’s overall design just comes across as tacky,” says Nick Adler of Cashmere Agency. “There’s a line between playful and juvenile,” said some guy who used to work at Foursquare. [Read more…]

I normally love Thanksgiving but having to take a week off from our Friday Roundups only means that now we have double the stories to write about!  Today, RSG contributor Jack Ross, takes a look at the fall-out from Emil Michael’s (or is it Michelle?) comments and also gives us an update on everything else that happened in the rideshare world over the past two weeks.  Hint: it’s a lot!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! After a week hiatus that gave ample time for the dust to settle, we’re back. And there is aplenty to discuss: a deep look at all the comings and goings after Uber’s no-bueno week in mid November, Lyft and Sidecar strike back and some interesting facts about how much money you might be making on the road.

And a reminder of how much Uber might actually be worth: 100,000,000,000. (that’s alot!) But first…

HEADLINE OF THE WEEK: Uber’s CEO Compared Company’s Woes to Ferguson

I don’t really even know what to say here — this story doesn’t comprise much besides two tweets from reputable people who allegedly witnessed it — but still. Man.

DRIVER EXPERIENCE

Thanks to the data from the guys at Sherpa, this Nerd Wallet piece gets super-duper detailed about what drivers make per ride and each year, while also accounting for their costs. Some awesome bar graphs and a city-by-city breakdown, to boot.

Speaking of the dudes over at Sherpa, check out their latest survey on independent earnings (co-hosted by RSG!), if you wanna be a part of the next big story to break (and help out other drivers in the process). [Read more…]

Rideshare is gaining more popularity than ever and it shows with billions in funding and all of the media hype companies like Uber and Lyft have been getting lately.  Today, RSG contributor, Jack Ross takes a look at all of the top rideshare stories of the past week and gives us his thoughts on all of it.  What was your favorite or least favorite story from the past week?

This week on the roundup: Lyft makes its way back into the mainstream news with John Zimmer’s enthusiastic interview and a big announcement, Uber gets shown love by American lawmakers (at least on the streets) and shows the middle finger to Parisian lawmakers (always), weed-on-demand and free Uber-rides in LA, a new airport-Audi-rental company, and an update of the Lyft vs. Uber mini-war that never gets old. Here we go!

Congressmen Love Uber, Use Service for Almost 2/3 of Their 2014 Rides.

Though there hasn’t been any remarkable new national TNC legislation passed, these interesting findings from BuzzFeed via DC’s Hamilton Place Strategies data on Congressional trips during the 2014 year speak to Uber’s growing popularity with lawmakers—due to gained privacy, luxury and “cultural cache” for the lawmakin’ pax.

The real upside, the article concludes, lies with Uber, gaining “a familiar and sympathetic user group with the authority to potentially make regulatory decisions in one of the fastest-growing areas of the tech world. That kind of loyal customer is hard to beat.” Time will tell how quickly the law reflects where Congressional thumbs and smartphones are. [Read more…]

As usual, there were a ton of great rideshare stories this week but the most popular ones had to do with Uber’s surge pricing.  Halloween may have been the biggest rideshare night of the year and the fares certainly reflected that going as high as 10x in certain markets but apparently there were a lot of regretful passengers the next morning.  Today, RSG contributor Jack Ross takes a look at those stories and more. 

AND WE’RE BAAAACK!

This week’s roundup: Uber hits the big time, the Rideshare Wars get REAL (and James Bond-y), and some out of control Halloween fares lead to even more out of control rideshare antics from drivers and passengers, alike. Away we go, starting with a very important tip:

Thinking About Buying A Car with Uber? READ THIS FIRST

Extremely detailed and hugely important piece from ValleyWag with need to knows on the sub-prime loans you could be taking on, and their potentially serious consequences. A deep dive into Uber’s site content, instruction videos, loan partners, sub-reddits with more anecdotes and a whole hell of a lot more. In sum: buyer (or loaner), beware. [Read more…]