Uber doesn't do the discriminating. Anyone who drives for uber technically is an Independent Contractor. I.E. They run their own business... separate but in partnership with Uber.
They can refuse based on Destination, but not anything that is forbidden by Law. Such as Race, Sexual Orientation, Religion, Handicap, etc... There was a notice to Uber drivers sent from Uber, stating that any driver that gets complaints about not accepting customers that have a service animal, they will end their partnership with that driver.
I agree, the Market can't fix anything, even in a Libertarian world, there is Government. But they should only be there to define the rules of the Game, not control the moves everyone decides to make.
I do agree, just the market would have not made everything all peachy, you do need to set some rules. But its just the limit and overreach of those rules is up for some debate.
KBI background checks, when Uber already does their own. (In a state that is VERY VERY VERY well armed) A State that doesn't support Gay Marriage, that up till 2006 had laws stating black people couldn't live in certain cities. (seriously...)
Just remember... its Governments that ban Gay Marriage, not markets, Governments decide who can and cannot vote, not markets.
I can't really say anything about this situation. But I can definitely attest to my current relationship with Uber, and my previous relationship with Kansas.
I grew up in Kansas. Many times, the government attempted to teach me Intelligent Design and I was always given the option of opting out of being taught Evolution.
Sodomy is still illegal for any non-strait married couple. While not enforced, it is still a Class C Misdemeanor. Just the to let everyone know the governments feelings on homosexual couples.
Only 17 counties are allowed to have liquor stores, and there are 28 counties that are completely dry. (Dry counties have on average more drunk driving crashes compared to wet due to people driving further for a drink)
Thanks to the DARE program there, I grew up thinking Marijuana was more dangerous and addictive than Meth or Cocaine. (Meth is a much bigger problem in Kansas)
The legal system there is very much Guilty till proven innocent, they bully people into signing plea bargains.
I can attest... Kansas is backwards. So, I left too.. to Colorado.
Uber on the other hand, has been nothing but a blessing. Its fantastic. My girlfriend and I love it. Its cheaper than a cab here in Denver. Cheaper than driving (due to parking costs). My girlfriend and I have always felt safe.
If you disagree with Uber. Go live in Kansas for 22 years and tell me the state isn't backwards.
This is true, there always is an opportunity cost. But people have a lot more time in their day than they believe, and there definitely is time to go out of your way to learn something new.
I may not be trying to learn polish right now, but I am attempting to learn Italian. (Due to the fact that learning a language is no small undertaking, I'm attempting to learn using the "pimsleur approach")
And I disagree with the "Thinks more slowly" idea. Its just absurd. Really, I think most people in this industry would agree, its a lot more like "Thinks about a lot more".
I started programming when I was 14. I'm now 19 and have had the opportunity to work with several other programmers from a very wide age range.
As a young programmer, anyone who has been programming for 10+ years is an ABSOLUTELY necessary resource. Us younger software engineers have a lot to benefit from their experience, and the quicker we realize this the better.
Personally, I haven't noticed any difference in cognitive ability or agility between programmers I've worked with in their early 20's vs 40's. And typically, those who have that extra experience seem to almost always build more reliable and extensible solutions.
I really hate to say it (being as I am 19), I would hire my friend Virgil (who's in his 60's) along with anyone with over 10+ years of experience before I would myself or anyone fresh out of college.