• bionicjoey@lemmy.ca
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      7 months ago

      They say that during the California gold rush, the people who got richest were the shovel salesmen

    • Bob@feddit.nl
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      7 months ago

      To be fair, Trainline started up years ago as a middle man that charge the same for tickets as train operators do (the price is regulated by National Rail) but with a surplus for a service that doesn’t convey any extra value, and they’re still quite popular.

        • Bob@feddit.nl
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          6 months ago

          They spent a lot on advertising to begin with, specifically advertising that broke the guidelines, but was only taken down after everyone had heard the name and the idea that it was cheaper to use Trainline: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/may/20/asa-trainline-ad https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/misleading-advertising-by-trainline.104250/

          They eventually started getting commissions from train operating companies (TOCs) for selling tickets, which I believe the TOCs in turn used as justification for raising ticket prices above inflation. I used to work for a TOC that at the time refused to work with Trainline, because it meant having to install special ticket machines at loss only to make more loss on ticket revenue, but according to a mate of mine who still works there, they now accept the tickets because it’s such a headache for staff when people come in having spent money for an invalid ticket.

          So it’s just shit for everyone except Trainline, and quite a stark example of how unsuited for public infrastructure a free market model is. Imagine if some company came along and said you could pay your gas bill through them for cheaper and it just wasn’t true but everyone believes it so gas is just dearer now. Fucking bananas.

  • magnetosphere@fedia.io
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    7 months ago

    If this meant that Uber was actually investing in the U.S. passenger rail system, then I’d cheer them on. It doesn’t, though, so Uber can continue to suck my ass.

    • FatCat@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Ride sharing and micromobility services are great and the future. It is more sustainable and convenient.

      I don’t get why some people are mad about it.

      • maynarkh@feddit.nl
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        7 months ago

        Uber is an awful company, but rideshare as a whole is beneficial in the terms of getting less cars sold and used.

        There is some attempt somewhere in the US to do a coop out of Uber, where there is no middleman public company and drivers get all the fares. I hope that works out.

      • yokonzo@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Probably because of their shitty business practices in an ecosystem that already has strong class oppression

      • CileTheSane@lemmy.ca
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        7 months ago

        Because Uber spends money actively fighting against paying the people who work for them a living wage.

        • FatCat@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          If these people had any leverage or unity they would get what they want. When these “fighters” are weak and unable to bargain for the wages and conditions they want all they have is whining about “uber bad”.

          • KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            6 months ago

            Hard to union when they are contractors with no direct way to communicate. Not to mention the company “contracting” them can just stop servicing the areas where the union talks are cropping up.

            Is it possible? Yes. But extremely unlikely unless a major player in the union world steps up and pours in a shit ton of effort.

            • FatCat@lemmy.world
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              6 months ago

              True. Hopefully they unionize more and get more leverage and get better wages at some point!!

      • magnetosphere@fedia.io
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        7 months ago

        As a general concept, I don’t think you’re wrong. However, Uber in particular is problematic. They’re greedy, exploit their workers, and threaten municipalities that try to regulate them.

        • FatCat@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          That is public company 101. They answer to their shareholders to make maximum profit.

          “Ohh no why is uber so evil wanting to make as much money as possible”

          That’s every company 😆

          • Rediphile@lemmy.ca
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            6 months ago

            Odd that so many people here are implicitly defending all other companies like Nike, Apple and McDonald’s… as long as it’s not Uber exploitation is ok or something?

      • Gabu@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        The future of burgerland, maybe. There’s no space for cars in a civilized world.

        • uis@lemm.ee
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          6 months ago

          I heard a lot about burgerland and their carcentrism, but even they are not as carbrained petrolheads as USSAians.

        • FatCat@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          Car ownership and use is prevalent in every developed nation. Even Netherlands and other places with good city planning.

          This “future” you speak of will never exist

          • Gabu@lemmy.world
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            6 months ago

            “Hurr durr, there’s polution in every nation. A world without polution will never exist”.

            “Hurr durr, there’s slavery everywhere (0 BCE), a future without slavery will never exist”.

            • VirtualOdour@sh.itjust.works
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              6 months ago

              Seriously though cars are here to stay in some capacity. Trains aren’t good ambulances.

              When people push such absurd idealism all it does is make the more sensible approaches to sustainable trasit systems harder to argue for because everyone has already written it off after seeing people getting wild

            • FatCat@lemmy.world
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              6 months ago

              Yes a world without dildos, bananas, murder and war will also exist because some unqualified withful moron said so on an online comment board.

  • 🇰 🌀 🇱 🇦 🇳 🇦 🇰 ℹ️@yiffit.net
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    7 months ago

    I can’t help but imagine actually using Uber to call for a train and when it arrives, it’s just some old-timey blind guy on one of those old-timey hand-carts singing prophetic songs about what your day is gonna be like.

  • nl4real@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    Imagine if this actually worked like the main rideshare function. You order a ride in Roanoke and N&W 611 just rolls up to your doorstep.

  • Twofacetony@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    I’m gonna play extreme geoguesser here, but is that bridge at Battersea park road/Queenstown road bridge, right near Battersea Park Station?

  • RobotDaniel@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    6 months ago

    I’m not particularly fond of Uber’s bussiness practices but if it is well integrated then it might encourage people who use Uber anyway to take a train instead of a car

    • Tabula_stercore@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      It’s not going to be well integrated. They will provide services only on profitable routes. All companies providing services on not profitable connections will lose out until the whole system is worse than before uber joined

      • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        That’s relatively standard for start-ups and not awful on its face.

        But its not clear from the ad copy whether they’re actually offering any kind of independent service, or whether they’re just doing the middleman bullshit, where they charge you a convenience fee to buy a ticket you could have just as easily obtained directly from Amtrak.

        If this is just Ticketmaster For Trains, then its arguably even worse. The last thing we need is more privatized transaction clearing services.

  • alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml
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    7 months ago

    How does that work? Like you put out a request and a conductor drives a locomotive to pick you up?

    • bdonvr@thelemmy.club
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      7 months ago

      I’m pretty sure you can just buy train tickets on Uber or some shit

      Maybe automatically chain together and Uber and a train or something

  • subversive_dev@lemmy.ml
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    7 months ago

    Fuck cars and fuck Uber but this sounds like a reaction to Lyft being integrated in the (excellent) Transit app

    • FatCat@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Cars are useful and convenient. That is partially why they are so popular.

      If you want less cars in your city car sharing services and micro mobility (scooters, ebikes) are your friend.

      • cestvrai@lemm.ee
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        7 months ago

        I share a couple cars with a few hundred neighbours. Saves a bunch of parking spaces.

      • subversive_dev@lemmy.ml
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        7 months ago

        “useful and convenient”…

        How about deadly, destructive, and isolating?

        Or we could just ignore the corrupt alliance of industry colluding to eliminate other transportation options and wax poetic about the Free Market and Rugged Individualism, right?

      • uis@lemm.ee
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        6 months ago

        Except when during winter. Or any time of year when you try to find place to store your box of rust.

        • FatCat@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          Mine ain’t rusted much yet. But its only from 2015 so maybe it will happen. Hoping to go electric soon!

  • dumbass
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    6 months ago

    It’s a pretty neat system they got, all you got to do is say “I like trains” in a monotone voice and BOOM! Train!

    • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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      6 months ago

      Yeah, seems like having the option to go for ebikes, trains and other stuff than cars in the same app would be a good thing. Someone might go for those options since they’re right there.

  • BarqsHasBite@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    Best I can figure is the train companies are using Uber as a system to sell tickets, instead of or in addition to their own system. Can anyone comment?