Ep. #170 Uber toilet, Uber & Lyft Pay 328 million to drivers for withholding money

What if the gig economy were to suddenly change its stance on worker protection? That's exactly what we're talking about in this episode where Uber and Lyft made a jaw-dropping $328 million payment to drivers. This monumental moment raises eyebrows and questions on the potential impact on workers. We slide into this discussion with my personal experiences on the road, including why I turned down work this weekend due to an inadequate bonus.

Ever wondered what it's like to be in the same space as iconic figures from pop culture? Join us as I recount my recent trip to Comic-Con, where I had the pleasure of meeting the voices behind Spongebob and Goofy! As we drive along the podcast highway, we also discuss the guaranteed protections and benefits for New York State drivers and an intriguing story of a Vice reporter's Amazon listing. Buckle up as we take a sharp turn to a close call an Uber driver had and the advantages of driving a mini-van.

As we cruise towards the end of our episode, we throw in some light-hearted stories from the road. The tale of an Uber driver who left a romantic letter for his passenger and an offbeat idea to keep food warm, using duct tape, will make you chuckle!

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:11

the hey guys. Welcome to the gig economy podcast, episode 170.

Speaker 2: 0:36

I feel like I'm a little hot, I don't think you are.

Speaker 1: 0:41

It doesn't sound hot to me. I'll tell you when the music is done playing in my ear in 17 seconds 17 seconds, thank you guys for joining us. This is the gig economy podcast. We are going to talk about the Uber toilet and Uber and Lyft. Uber and Lyft agree to pay $328 million for drivers Two drivers with holding money, which, when I finally read the article, it's not as great as it sounds, because unless you live in New York, you ain't getting shit.

Speaker 2: 1:09

Right. Then, of course, there's all that exciting new drink. You got to talk about that.

Speaker 1: 1:14

Exciting new drink.

Speaker 2: 1:16

It's exciting new drink because there's something on Amazon.

Speaker 1: 1:18

Oh, that's right, I forgot about that. It's going to be prime competition. I want to mention our Patreon members. Thank you so much. Larry Samson, steve, bud, omar, delivery Cats, jamie Frank, joe, nate and John Appreciate you guys so much. If you want to join them in the list of amazing people, go to patreoncom, slash the gig econ podcast or just search the gig economy podcast. There you can sign up for two different tiers A $5 tier, $10 tier. $5 tier gets you pre-rambled, which, yes, for an eye, rambled and rambled earlier.

Speaker 1: 1:50

A $10 tier, gets you the pre-rambled, gets you ad free episodes, gets you a t-shirt on your third visit. Third visit, third payment.

Speaker 2: 2:01

When do they get the pre-rambled?

Speaker 1: 2:03

When I edit the podcast, so sometimes you get it early, sometimes you get it at Sunday night, sometimes you get it in this week's case on Monday afternoon.

Speaker 2: 2:14

Right.

Speaker 1: 2:16

We're busy. So, yeah, stories from the road, Jesper.

Speaker 2: 2:23

I have zero and I also will not be driving this weekend, so I will have zero zero.

Speaker 1: 2:28

Have you made the decision to not drive this weekend? Yeah, I'm not going to.

Speaker 2: 2:32

I mean, the bonus is just horrible and, honestly, right now, with everything going on, I need to spend the hours at home getting caught up at work.

Speaker 1: 2:41

So I actually pre-loaded my bonuses for tonight. Remember we talked about how I never have them. Listen to this horseshit. So I had that amazing one with Lyft, like I had a great weekend. And then I had that weekly one where 15 rides, I got 100 in. Whatever was 100 in something. So this weekend $85 for 55 rides Like that is terrible.

Speaker 2: 3:09

But is that like? It's not even a buck 50 a ride?

Speaker 1: 3:12

No, that's Lyft. But if I don't want to work too much, I can get $20 if I do 30 rides. I know how do you go from having an incredible weekend of quest or bonuses, and then Ubers is 60 trips for 110 or 50 trips for $100. So horseshit, so.

Speaker 3: 3:36

I did not drive last weekend either.

Speaker 1: 3:38

I did Comic-Con, which was a great weekend, had fun. I did some cool people. If you have watched Sons of Anarchy, which I asked all my friends and none of these fuckers have watched it, so took the wind out of my sails. But if you have watched it, people that are listening. Opie, his real name is Ryan Hurst, but Opie on the show was there and I got a signed picture from him. Oh nice.

Speaker 2: 4:06

Opie, that was pretty cool Spongebob.

Speaker 1: 4:12

Are you kidding me? You should have seen the line. They were three to four hour lines for Spongebob all day.

Speaker 2: 4:18

Are you kidding me? Don't people have anything to do?

Speaker 1: 4:20

I mean, I bet you that guy cleared 50k this week, that weekend, oh my gosh, spongebob yeah, and it's the voice of Spongebob. It's like it's not like you stood there in a sponge, but you got to remember. Yes, spongebob started in 1999, so you have a long stretch of people that have watched that show over and over again.

Speaker 2: 4:41

And this guy is an old geezer, right.

Speaker 1: 4:44

He's not as old as you think.

Speaker 2: 4:46

He doesn't have any gray hair.

Speaker 1: 4:48

Unless he dies it.

Speaker 2: 4:50

Well, I don't understand, as he cuts it off.

Speaker 1: 4:54

No, he's not that old, it's interesting.

Speaker 2: 4:58

I used to watch well, I still watch once in a while, but the SG-1. Remember that show, Sci-Fi show, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate show Anyways. So I kind of follow their YouTube channel and you kind of see how they travel. Some of the key people travel to Comic-Con all over the country. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 5:22

To do news and stuff. I think it's big money. Comic-con used to be like comic stuff. And it's turned into like it's not even Comic-Con, it's like pop culture now. You know what I mean Because there's not very many comic people there. Who else did they have? I think they died the voice of Goofy Goofy, bill Farmer. He was there. He's been there a couple times, and they had some other people. They had some YouTubers there that I have no idea who they were. Not anyone great so.

Speaker 2: 5:54

But yeah, it was okay. No, Mr Beast.

Speaker 1: 5:57

No, mr Beast, he did not show up, so so obviously I will not be driving this weekend, so we will have no stories for next week as well, so but before as well.

Speaker 3: 6:07

Yeah, so let's the gig economy news.

Speaker 1: 6:11

Let's get into the gig economy news.

Speaker 2: 6:13

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. What was that?

Speaker 1: 6:16

I gotta turn it up. I'll turn it up, don't talk.

Speaker 3: 6:19

The gig economy news.

Speaker 1: 6:23

That's my buddy, chris. He made that for me. But I couldn't turn it up, because I'm affects your volume too, so that's why. I said don't talk, but yeah, he made me a couple, a couple. I don't think I have them on there. Oh, I have this one. We love this one.

Speaker 3: 6:39

I don't give a shit.

Speaker 2: 6:43

Anyways he didn't make that one Did he.

Speaker 1: 6:46

No, that's, that's the real one. Yeah, who is that guy? He's dead, godfrey.

Speaker 2: 6:54

Godfrey, that's right.

Speaker 1: 6:55

But what's his first name? Fuck, somebody's gonna get mad that we don't know that Lyft and Uber agreed to pay 328 million for withholding money from drivers. So as I read this I was like that's interesting.

Speaker 2: 7:09

I'm gonna get my money right yeah.

Speaker 1: 7:12

Uber 290 million, Lyft 38. See. The money will be distributed to cheetah drivers, who also get back pay, along with mandatory paid sick leave and other benefits which we'll talk about later. Let me see what actually happened. So, from 2014 to 2017, Uber deducted sales tax from, and black car fund fees from drivers payments when those taxes and fees should have been paid by the passengers. The Attorney General office said it went on for that long. It took that long, oh yeah.

Speaker 1: 7:44

For somebody to stop it. Uber misrepresented the deductions made to drivers pay in terms of service, telling drivers that Uber would only deduct its commission from the drivers fare and that drivers were entitled to charge the passenger for any tolls, taxes or fees incurred. Through no method to do this was ever provided via the driver app. So so what are you supposed to get out your credit card reader and like excuse?

Speaker 2: 8:07

me, excuse me, sir, Give me cash. Yeah, excuse me sir. Well, we all know that, that you know people don't want that, of course.

Speaker 1: 8:14

No, I think that's super strange that they expected the drivers to collect that. How did they not know they were going to get sued?

Speaker 2: 8:21

Yeah, well, I mean, it's the same as everything else, as long as it's flying on the radar. You know, you know, you know, find out that it's fine.

Speaker 1: 8:30

I can almost guess that at some point you and I will get involved in a class action lawsuit. I'm like we've driven enough that somewhere down the line we got cheated somewhere and they're going to owe us money.

Speaker 2: 8:42

I thought it was interesting I mean, I know you're not done talking about it I thought it was interesting that that lift Uber had 290 dollars, 290 million dollars, and lift had 38. I know I know. That's a huge difference between the two.

Speaker 1: 8:57

I mean, look at the companies especially. I'm sure maybe Uber did that with Uber eats too, maybe like it. It sounds like it was mostly a sales tax thing, but that's crazy. So when you would get done with a ride, the price would be so much more less because they were charging you the taxes and stuff like that. Like that's so fucked up.

Speaker 2: 9:54

Yeah, something, it's definitely not right. No, or they were charging it. Yeah, I don't know. I guess I don't even know how that would work.

Speaker 1: 10:03

Well, I mean it said it went to the drivers and it was up to them to bill the customer, but there was no way to do it. I don't even like that seems. Oh.

Speaker 2: 10:12

I get you. So they were taking sales tax out of the driver's fee, correct yeah.

Speaker 1: 10:17

Or the pay.

Speaker 2: 10:18

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 10:20

Yeah, uber misrepresented the deduction made the drivers pay in their terms of service, telling drivers Uber would only deduct this commission from the fare and the drivers were entitled to charge. So basically they were taking the tolls, the taxes and fees out of the driver pay and and not the rider pay Right, which is completely which is. Bs. Yeah, that's so fucking stupid so.

Speaker 2: 10:40

I'm happy they were made to pay, though that's good.

Speaker 1: 10:43

Yeah, I'm glad those drivers are getting and they getting their money back. They added a couple of other things, but we'll talk about a little bit later. Yes, Burr, what do we got for this? We?

Speaker 2: 10:53

have a TikTok video and it's really just. It's really just a delivery driver not doing his job very well, and I don't even think that he wants to. Why don't you play the video?

Speaker 1: 11:06

I'll play it, but I have some updates to this video, so here we go. So this is him. Hey bro, oh yeah, you better act like he's got some fucking things.

Speaker 2: 11:17

What's with that flying barrel? Crazy as hell he's trying to. I think you are Like what the hell? I was just gonna say for the people at home who can't see the video what it was. A delivery driver who comes in and he just tosses the package at the door. I mean, that's a toss. He chucks it, he throws it and then the lady comes out.

Speaker 1: 11:47

I'm assuming it's one of the inhabitants of the apartment or whatever comes out and kind of yell.

Speaker 1: 11:55

So, Well, details on that. First of all, she's actually kind of hot. I kind of looked at her tiktok. She was just got out of the shower there and didn't look the greatest or what she was in her robe, but she, she was kind of good looking. I come to find out that was there a baby daddy and he was a driver for Amazon. So he got her house and chucked it at her door. So not to say that a driver wouldn't do that, but like yeah, that makes a little bit more sense because he was like I mean, it wasn't just I'm tossing it, like you said originally. He chucked it as hard as he could and the box broke and everything.

Speaker 2: 12:42

So but yeah, I have some damn sense, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 12:48

She talked to ghetto too. I was like oh my gosh.

Speaker 2: 12:51

But yeah, I don't even know what that means.

Speaker 1: 12:54

I don't even know either. Maybe it's a southern thing they had. She had a little bit of an accent. But this next one is from the Harry Campbell, the rideshare guy Shout out to him. He said it was a tweet. He, in Dallas, took a lift earlier and the driver pulled up with his daughter in the front seat, fast asleep. He says little strange to be honest, didn't really negatively affect the ride. But what would you do? This is also a lift black. A 40 minute ride, $100 plus for that.

Speaker 2: 13:21

Oh yeah, but see that that makes it. I mean A, I would never do it right, but I would even even less never do it in a lift black. Well, yeah. People expect different.

Speaker 1: 13:36

Yeah, I mean yeah, especially in a lift black. I want to look up his tweet because it was interesting some of the Comments on that. But yeah, I mean first of all it's dangerous too. Of course I'm not gonna find it cuz he posts so much I.

Speaker 2: 13:54

Mean, I guess. The other thing we don't know about is so the daughter was sleeping in the front seat. How old is she? Right? I mean, why is she sitting in the front? In the front seat, maybe? See, I mean cuz. I mean I don't know the rules and Dallas, but here you can't sit, in that you can't legal. Is it in front? If you are, what is it like? 10 or 12?

Speaker 1: 14:17

Below 10, 12, on certain height you have to be, or more than yeah, yeah, I'm not, I'm not exactly sure, yeah, and if you I mean if she's in a car seat, no way she's gonna sit in the front, yeah okay, here we go, I found it.

Speaker 1: 14:32

It was. It's cuz it. I was looking for a black thing, but, like on my phone, I have dark mode on, so that's why it was anyway, let's see. Oh, harry, so lift, he tagged. I don't even know if he tagged lifting it, but lift responded like we're interested in supporting you for further, for DM. And and Harry wrote stitches, get stitches.

Speaker 2: 15:02

How great it's not like this, can't figure out who it was. That's true, I mean, it's a 40-minute ride over here he gave it away.

Speaker 1: 15:13

I mean he's got a blue check mark.

Speaker 2: 15:16

And it's a little black right, yeah, lift black.

Speaker 1: 15:19

I'd give him one star, I gave him five, but hopefully it's a one-time thing. See, this is the problem. Why do we constantly have to talk about people that still rate five stars?

Speaker 2: 15:30

That is true. I mean, you and I had to talk about that the other day and the window. When do we stop time? You know, when do we stop Rating? So high.

Speaker 1: 15:39

I know Someone comment it's hard to say what I would do because I wouldn't want to ruin someone's livelihood, but it's unprofessional and disrespectful To put the rider in that position. What a great, what a great comment. That's totally true, it is, it is but I you're right.

Speaker 1: 15:53

I don't want to ruin his livelihood either, because how terrible would it be if you complained and then he's done? Oh yeah, I mean, hopefully he has. We're black or you know something else. You know, we talk about the multiple buckets, but I, I don't know when we don't know the situation either.

Speaker 2: 16:11

It could be that he was just you know. I mean, yeah, we don't know the situation, we have no idea what he's. This person is going through and and and maybe he was he had a, he was forced into an impossible situation and he needed to drive.

Speaker 1: 16:28

Yeah, and you know a lot of those comments are like that. I would thank him for the ride. Leave a tip. The man is obviously doing what he has to do to take care of his Family. If the kid is in there, I'm sure he means other options. There's a lot of like. Most people aren't like shitting on the driver, which I right you know.

Speaker 2: 16:45

Surprise. I appreciate that, because I can definitely see that I mean the people who do full time in this day are well, somebody commented like this and here he wasn't even like he.

Speaker 1: 16:57

This is what the guy said get over it. Maybe the guy is struggling. You don't know what's happening in the guys life. Besides, what's a big deal. Did it ruin your day? Chill out, dude. I mean he didn't do it mean about it. He was just like a little strange, didn't really like he wasn't being like a freaking out about it hey right, god, fucking Harry snitches get stitches. That just kills me that I Gotta retweet that like that.

Speaker 2: 17:22

That that is not getting enough, that is not giving let's make sure it's really can figure out that this was a black ride. It was in Dallas and 40 minutes. Oh my gosh, so great, so great difficult to figure out who you know where it really was.

Speaker 1: 17:38

Yeah for sure so, so this one is also a this is this kind of Piggybacks on the first article that we talked about.

Speaker 2: 17:50

Right, and so this is another reddit, and and it's it's. It's about the guaranteed you pay, protections and benefits. That is that is in place for New York and you're right, did piggybacks one.

Speaker 1: 18:04

Yeah, because this was. They're getting this three million dollar 380 million plus. This is what's happening right.

Speaker 2: 18:11

So a part of the deal. Drivers can count on certain benefits and protections, including New York State. Drivers outside of New York City Will be guaranteed to earn at least twenty six thousand hour, while en route to a rider or with a rider in the vehicle, up to 56 hours of paid sick leave per year. New York State drivers outside of New York City will be entitled to a to an hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours While en route to a rider or with a rider in the vehicle. So obviously they're very specifically talking about what's called section two and three, not section, but I'm confused. Well, so uber has the t, the t time for the all the period yeah, period two and three.

Speaker 2: 18:59

So yeah, so specifically, that's that's that's the timing that we're worried about right here, and eligibility to appeal many types of deactivation through uber's review center, and paid training and education About driving on the apps. Now you got to take the videos, but you're gonna get paid to do them too, so so no, I mean, I think yeah, I mean, I think it's.

Speaker 1: 19:19

It's interesting. I think that's a decent amount of sick time, like if you are a full-time driver You'd get 56 hours a year of sick time. So I don't even know how. How does? That oh up to up to well, yeah, but if you worked you got a unit. Well, yeah, but I'm saying, if you're full-time, you're gonna, you're gonna drive, you're gonna have 30 hours of driving a week.

Speaker 1: 19:41

I guess my point is how do they apply for that sick time, do they just? I mean, who do you call into and say I'm sick, I'm not working today?

Speaker 2: 19:49

Well, I'm sure that's what it is. That seems weird and I mean you can only use how many of them you're in up.

Speaker 1: 19:57

So Well, I know, but I guess my point is.

Speaker 2: 19:59

I'm sure they have a way in the abs to report it.

Speaker 1: 20:01

Well, yeah, you would think they would, but they also should have had something so that they didn't, you know, to pay the fees and the taxes.

Speaker 2: 20:10

Well, yeah, I would think, though, that it would require a doctor's note. Oh you, think. How else are they gonna? Yeah, I guess I mean they could easily ask for a doctor. I mean, because when we go to the doctor, that's you know. You just have them filled out, right, I need a doctor's note.

Speaker 1: 20:27

Yeah, so I don't know. Just weird, like being independent but yes, but then having to like you know what I mean like hey, I'm sick today, guys, I'm not coming to work, it just seems odd.

Speaker 2: 20:40

Oh, absolutely it's odd, but but it's getting this the whole thing about. You know, are you a contract worker or are you an employee? Yeah, but I mean they're getting sick time.

Speaker 1: 20:48

They're getting $26 an hour Right, which sounds great, but if you're living in New York, I mean, that's like us making like $12 an hour.

Speaker 2: 20:59

So which I would refuse to die for $12 an hour. Well, of course.

Speaker 1: 21:03

Yeah, moving on. So this is a tic-tac about a minute 25, and then we'll talk about it.

Speaker 3: 21:11

So you probably know by now that Amazon delivery drivers frequently pee in bottles because the company's insane targets leave them with no time for bathroom breaks. But when Vice Reporter Uba Butler interviewed workers at a warehouse in Glendale, california, he discovered that they also get penalized if they're caught with those bottles. So, instead of keeping them in their cars, the drivers just toss the bottles onto the side of the road so they don't get in trouble. So what he does in this situation is he collects as many piss bottles as possible, and then he thinks of a product that sells both quickly and without scrutiny. What better fits that description than the high caffeine energy drinks, backed by internet stars like KSI and Logan Paul? So Butler markets these bottles full and nothing but human waste as release energy, giving it the tagline the world's first fully reusable energy drink. Once you're done with its content, simply fill it back up to the brim and start again. He then lists it on Amazon for sale in the refillable pump dispenser category, and it goes live.

Speaker 3: 21:55

But then, as Butler explains, something happens that I don't expect. Amazon's algorithm automatically moves the product into the energy drinks category, bypassing the entire platform's protections around food and drinks licensing. Now, to be clear. None of this is subtle. The drink is very clearly marketed as the urine of Amazon delivery drivers. But then, finally, butler's hard work pays off, because occupying the number one spot on the best seller list for bitter lemon drinks on Amazon is release energy, or in other words, their own drivers excrement. Now, of course, the drink was promptly removed as soon as someone realized what was happening, but the fact that it was actually up long enough for people to actually buy it is humiliating, not just because of the drinks content, but also because it exposes a glaring blind spot in the company's marketplace safeguards and that the human cost to pretty much any aspect of their business is secondary.

Speaker 1: 22:36

That's such a good point, like how do they get into the food without like any kind of nutrition confirmation or anything like that? I mean, obviously the guy was just doing an experiment. It wasn't. He wasn't going to really ship urine bottles. Are you sure, though? I'm pretty sure, but I do. I would love to get a bottle. I feel like I need to find this guy and I'll buy a bottle from him that can be like a souvenir in the studio. But they never made those bottles.

Speaker 2: 23:04

You don't think so it's like it's all. No, it's all CGI.

Speaker 1: 23:08

It's all like CGI or whatever. Graphic, graphic design but they never made them. It is fucking crazy. So I worked, you know, for a little while, worked for a little Debbie and he started selling some little Debbie on Amazon and it is a for how easy this got on. This guy struggled to like get on there, be able to list in the appropriate categories you had to be approved for certain categories.

Speaker 1: 23:39

Like it's really hard to like make it on Amazon Once you're in, you're in, but Well, but then there's the thing that pretty much Amazon do whatever they have they want. I mean pretty much I've seen, I've done.

Speaker 2: 23:52

I've seen situations where they will reach out to your competitors and they'll say, hey, lower the price just to get you to lower your price. No way, oh yeah, I've stayed completely control, yeah.

Speaker 1: 24:04

That's crazy. Is there a business out there for your business, which is the, the key company which I pardon me, I don't remember the name of it Trouble free keys, trouble free keys. Is there any platform, like on Amazon, that you're able to do that?

Speaker 2: 24:20

So I mean we have, we on eBay.

Speaker 3: 24:22

Yeah, I have.

Speaker 2: 24:23

I have a 10,000 listing is on eBay and then we have. No, that's not true. I have a thousand listings in the way, that's right. And then I have 10,000 listing on my Shopify source. So yeah, we, we use Shopify and eBay.

Speaker 1: 24:38

But can you do it on Amazon if you wanted to?

Speaker 2: 24:42

I could absolutely yeah. It's just way too expensive. Oh, they have the fees. I mean they, they want like 25%, oh my gosh. Well, I mean, look at the platform you're getting, though I mean they're gonna force me to lower the price of the keys anyways, and then they're gonna force me to how I need to. You know how quickly I need to. You know, fulfill the order.

Speaker 1: 25:02

Yeah, I mean it wouldn't work for your business, but like, because it's not like, it's like an energy drink. You know what I mean. It's not something that's like high in demand, but oh, absolutely, yeah, I just wonder what you could actually like if your, your business, could sell on it. So that that's because you would just have like. I mean drop down menu right and they would pick like Herman Miller, like yes, for does a lot of keys for like furniture Right, or like filing cabinets and stuff like that.

Speaker 2: 25:29

Pretty much. If you have any, any of the big manufacturers on Herman Miller, hey, with any of those steel case there's a little number by the key lock and you can, you know, go on troublefuckiescom and find that number and then you can get a replacement key, yeah, so, yeah, then I'll send it to you. But I mean, what was I gonna say?

Speaker 2: 25:50

I'm talking about Amazon. Yeah, yeah, I mean my biggest thing is just I don't know. I mean it is definitely it's a huge platform to be on right and it is. It is important, but I think the it's bigger for people who are doing drop shipping. Yeah stuff you know way, or get them to hey Julia, get them to warehouse your stuff, which, by the way, they also charge for, right, right right, my little Debbie boss.

Speaker 1: 26:22

He was like yep, we have to send them at it almost immediately. They have to get to the where like it's. It's crazy what they do, but it is crazy.

Speaker 2: 26:32

Now there is a lot of people who do the how do they call the Amazon fulfillment, amazon Struggle, but it's cool, but it's a different. It's essentially a different bucket and I think that I think that that raises a little bit over. But Couple years ago that was pretty big and I think I guess it's more than that. But basically, if you are shopping and in some way, let's say, you locally, find a store who is Like getting rid of all their Pro type of product, something, let's say you find a pair of sneakers or whatever and they are, you know they're getting rid of them. So they have 10 boxes of sneakers and they all have price right. Let's say that. And Then so they have an app that you can use on their side so you can scan that and then you can see okay, if I buy these 10 boxes and send them into Amazon, I can expect to make X.

Speaker 1: 27:25

Yeah, they still do that.

Speaker 2: 27:27

Oh, I know they still do it. I just feel like it's so. It's so difficult to make money on that cuz. So many people are doing it today my, my wife's friend does it.

Speaker 1: 27:37

They buy like Packages. They put packages together like they'll buy Right now, cuz pickleball so hot they'll find. They'll go to the dollar store or whatever and buy pickleball Serving plates like the throwaway one and like the napkins in the cups and they put it in a package and then they sell that on Amazon like they. They've got it down, but you are right, it does take a lot of like Finescing and no, because they probably lose on some stuff too. Oh, absolutely, you know. You got to know what's hot.

Speaker 2: 28:11

Well, and then the thing is you don't get any money from Amazon until they sell the correct. I mean you used to have to get. You have to have the risk of Buying it, of shipping it to them. Yeah, that's tough.

Speaker 1: 28:24

Well, that's a normal business. I mean, you would do that, oh yeah.

Speaker 2: 28:28

I mean, is it though?

Speaker 1: 28:30

I mean it is true because in a normal business they'd buy it on your website, You'd get the money and then you'd ship it out right, right, I mean, here it could be.

Speaker 2: 28:38

Yeah, you can have it, you know. I mean it's the same as having to buy inventory and then, you know, warehousing yourself.

Speaker 1: 28:45

Yeah, so all the risk is on you and not Amazon, right?

Speaker 2: 28:48

a lot, exactly a lot, of other people are doing. They're doing the whole drop shipping model, where you go out and you find a keyword that that does well. So I just had to buy a Electric scooter for my son in college, right, which, by the way, right now that's like eight, eight inches of snow on the ground, so you can't use a scooter. So, but we started doing some research and there's like a hundred different websites Selling all these electric scooters, but they essentially all wrapping the same 12 brands right, yeah.

Speaker 2: 29:24

So that's what it is, it's now it's. You know, some people, you know, find a keyword, they sign up to be a wholesale, wholesale or whatever, and then they just send the order on to them. So the product, the product, and they never goes to them at all. No, they're completely just drop shipping. So they take the order, take the money, they send it over to them. Yeah and then you know they pay the warehouse, they pay wholesale price to them and then take the difference interesting.

Speaker 1: 29:55

This Ted talk about Amazon selling you is brought to you by RMI inspections. Rmi inspections is a online inspection for Uber and Lyft. You basically Contact them. You can use your video chat of your choice, either Android or iPhone. They basically Do your inspection online. It's $19. They fill out the forms for you, they and they send them to you and it's 19 bucks and you don't pay it if you don't pass. So it's quite a great way to do it. I know Larry used it a couple weeks ago to get his new car back on the road Well, not new car, but new to him, 16th Henry and he said it was quick and painless. And so, yeah, check them out. The link is in the description if you definitely need to get a Inspection done and then you don't go to the shops to get nickels and dime for all that stuff because they're not gonna try to.

Speaker 1: 30:48

Upsell you anything. I can almost no. I guarantee they're not gonna upsell you it right.

Speaker 2: 30:54

Well then it's the other thing to it they won't charge you until you pass.

Speaker 1: 30:58

Yeah, exactly so it's. It's kind of win-win. So they've worked with us, they sign up for another block of advertising and we can't thank them enough for supporting the show appreciative, appreciative, yep. Okay, so this is a video, yes, sir, but we're you'll have to describe it because there's no sound and it's 11 seconds.

Speaker 2: 31:17

Right. So before you start, don't start yet, right so? So the interesting part is so, again at night it's in a car. You see the, you see the, see the footage from inside the vehicle and obviously you see the driver, and then you see a passenger from behind the driver getting out of the vehicle, and then something happens.

Speaker 1: 31:42

So basically you know what happened by?

Speaker 2: 31:44

yes, absolutely so so he doesn't the, the passenger doesn't look at all as he opens the window, the door, and and another, another car hits the door and slams it in and obviously he's almost hurt and the car is now totally cars fuck.

Speaker 1: 32:03

You know, surprisingly I always worry about this too while I'm driving, when I'm dropping people off. Surprisingly, most people had their sense about them to get out, like slide over to the curbside. Almost Most of the time I don't have to say anything ever. Once in a while let's say, oh, you might want to slide over to the curbside because it's kind of busy. You know what I mean. But I, I bet you once or twice a year in Grand Rapids, even in our small little city, I bet somebody gets their door taken off.

Speaker 2: 32:32

Maybe that is the number one reason as to why I love driving a mini van. I can do that.

Speaker 1: 32:36

That's a good point.

Speaker 2: 32:37

I have my buttons right. Yeah, I mean and let's be honest here, people think that is because it was so nice Automated door. I said, yeah, I do it because I don't want you fucking slamming my door.

Speaker 1: 32:47

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 32:48

It's like don't touch my door.

Speaker 1: 32:50

That's the one thing I do miss is era. Is that from my van that I drove that Honda Odyssey? It was the electric buttons. It was so nice. I know people in my pilot, although it doesn't really happen much in the bull. I don't know if they're Heavier doors, I think they're. They're actually heavier than the pilot, but okay, I was. They slammed the fuck out of those things like, yeah, I would like rattle the whole car, but and once you're drunk, I mean they even even more. Oh yeah.

Speaker 2: 33:19

I know so. A tip, no that's. That's the number one reason for those huh, a tip for new drivers.

Speaker 1: 33:25

You might want to mention that to people when they get out get, get a mini man. Get him, there's your tip Get a mini van.

Speaker 2: 33:32

Yeah, get a mini van. They're great. They're great vehicles though.

Speaker 1: 33:37

Honestly, as much as I mean I can't believe you still have one, because you literally have, like, what is Julia 14 now? In two years she's gonna be driving and you're selling a minivan, but that said, it is great for ubering people around.

Speaker 3: 33:50

I miss my mini van it's great.

Speaker 1: 33:53

Okay, so this is. Where is this? Did I forget to? You forgot to give me this photo? Yes, sir, I did not. It's under no, you did it. This is a good photo too.

Speaker 1: 34:07

It's in there, is it in there? Let me see, stand by. Oh, I don't know, because I know I downloaded all these. Hold your. This is a good one. I don't want to skip it. No, you never. Oh, you did give it to me, I gave it to you. Download. All right, hold on, don't blame me. So I did, I can't do this. I did a batch, like I clicked them all and they went in and clearly this one didn't get in. Okay, there we go. So there's nothing very Exciting about. I don't know, is this your story or is this mine?

Speaker 2: 34:46

It's yours.

Speaker 1: 34:46

Okay, there's nothing really exciting about this photo, but if you look down in the lower corner it says four dollars and ten cent tip added after the ride. So that's interesting. What did we talk about? The bid for service? Yep, I mean, is this, is this coming? Is this is? Is this what's going to happen now, or or what? But, like, if I saw that lift XL and I knew I was getting another four bucks, I would probably drive the 13 minutes to go pick that guy up.

Speaker 2: 35:20

But? But why not put that in the 13 dollars? Why not have it say 17 dollars and 12 cent includes a 4010 tip?

Speaker 1: 35:29

because I think they want to make it as difficult as possible.

Speaker 2: 35:34

Although that is a good point.

Speaker 1: 35:36

I mean they, they're not gonna. You know what I mean. This is where your independent contractor status comes in, like oh, I have to read this, but I often wonder if the four dollars and ten cents is included already in the 13, and that person's gonna get fucked. You know what I?

Speaker 2: 35:52

mean and that that you actually do only get nine dollars. We're getting ready to get the additional four dollars.

Speaker 1: 35:58

Look what, look what they're doing with the surge. Now They'll actually lower the rate you and add the surge at. You know it's not like it used to be. If it was a $10 ride in a $5 surge, you would get $15. It's not like that anymore. But I don't know this. This could be it. This could be it like this.

Speaker 2: 36:20

I'm done. I'm done. Driving I'm done.

Speaker 1: 36:25

No, you're not.

Speaker 2: 36:26

They make it worse.

Speaker 1: 36:27

But I mean, if that, if that happened on a regular basis, that $4 and 10 cent or $6 like, and I saw it because, honestly, if I had this XL and I saw it was 13 minutes, just to pick up I wouldn't take it, I definitely wouldn't take it.

Speaker 2: 36:41

But if next year four bucks, okay well but yeah, no, I Mean I I've driven 13 minutes run. Well, I wouldn't know. I'm not for 13.

Speaker 1: 36:52

That's my point for $13. I mean, then you got to turn around and drive for 17 minutes. This is just to get the guy.

Speaker 2: 37:01

Well, yeah, yeah, you're gonna drive 13 and then an additional 17, but that that doesn't seem like enough either, because I know I Would get more than 13.

Speaker 1: 37:11

I think you're dreaming on airport rides. You talked about that in the last show. I'm, I'm really. I want you to go back into your uber XL and I want you to look at an airport ride and I want to see it. I don't believe you're making $25 for an XL.

Speaker 2: 37:25

No, I said 20 to 25.

Speaker 1: 37:26

Okay, I don't believe you're making 20. Okay, well, I know when we get offline, I want you to pull a couple airport, because it'll say the address on there, so you'll be able to figure it out.

Speaker 2: 37:36

I'm going to bed, no you're fucking.

Speaker 1: 37:38

I then do it the morning. Anyways, if that's a bid for service, then I'm excited for that it it definitely looks like it might be.

Speaker 2: 37:48

So this next one is in string. This next one is one of those the the delivery the door has. Delivery from hell. Wow, the delivery driver need to be put up against the wall and oh geez.

Speaker 1: 38:10

God, I didn't know there was music on. It is scared the shit out of me so he hang.

Speaker 2: 38:18

He hung the drink holder with the food in it from the hand, from the handle. That was a weird handle to.

Speaker 1: 38:24

It went down like shouldn't that handle? I mean, either way he probably would have hung it on there, but the guy installed the handle like upside down, like a hook. Anyways, people are stupid. I just had my mail person. I had something delivered. They put it right in front of the door.

Speaker 2: 38:37

I Know why would you do that?

Speaker 1: 38:40

I don't get it. I feel like you should lose your job if you put packages or food right in front of the door like have common sense, look how the door opens and put it to the right side.

Speaker 2: 38:50

You should lose your job idiots. This one is kind of this one's perfect.

Speaker 1: 38:56

So, the future has already arrived. Now you do not need to run and look for a public toy. Our service allows you to call the toilet like a taxi terrace, terrace, available, economy, comfort and business. And if you look real tiny in there, it says chat life, right no?

Speaker 2: 39:13

it's a shadow Shaddle. That's right hashtag shadow as opposed to a shuttle shuttle it's a shuttle. Well, you can take a shadow shadow so it's a giant drone and a.

Speaker 1: 39:26

Toilet with glass all around it. But I mean I'm sure that privacy glad I mean it's not real anyways.

Speaker 2: 39:31

But just Just up, high enough you can take it, you can sit down, peace.

Speaker 1: 39:36

Do you know there are. I don't know if it's in New York, but they do have bathrooms in public where you can go, and then the glass turns. Like you can see out, but they can't see in.

Speaker 2: 39:49

All right, that makes sense. That would be weird, right, A little bit. I've seen lately, though, down down Grand Rapids with all the homeless north of. They actually did install Some new public bathroom restrooms. Oh, did they by the parks and stuff. Yeah, which park. Obviously then they're not like see-through right. Which park? The one right next to the to the Downtown market?

Speaker 1: 40:13

Oh, that's what I figured. That's where they all congregate. Yeah, real quick. Octopus tablet we haven't talked about them enough. Right now you need to get this. You need some extra cash for the holidays. This is a tablet you put in your car. It's free to you. You can earn up to a hundred dollars a month. They also have giveaways and stuff. I've won a thousand dollars before, which is insane. If you go to the link under the screen easy.

Speaker 1: 40:40

I know it's. I'm gonna get a 1099 for that at the end of the year too. If you can go and download the or go to the Link in our description, you can get your tablet sent to you. We just found out that they're gonna have a driver app now. Oh, so you'll be able to like cash out through the app instead of logging in it's. I mean, it's not that much of a pain, but I mean, everything has an app now, so that's pretty exciting. But yeah, they send you the tablet for free. You just literally plug it in as games for the passengers and you get paid money from the some of the ads, but they show on there to the passengers.

Speaker 2: 41:16

And I mean people love it. They, I am convinced they tip more. Yeah, it's just. Yeah, it's a win-win, win, yeah, exactly.

Speaker 1: 41:24

So check it out Next up.

Speaker 2: 41:29

This is a message. It's somebody in the door to his driver's group. He goes I'm thinking of duct tape with a drive-in hose from my car heater Vent to a box to keep my customers food warmer, which is, you know, not a bad idea, but then he goes down. I'd laugh at this idea if I didn't know it was already a marketed item.

Speaker 1: 41:49

Yeah, somebody commented on it.

Speaker 2: 41:51

You can buy it on Amazon.

Speaker 1: 41:53

Yeah, I don't know. That seems kind of weird because If you have like now I don't know how the cabin filter works, but I assume if you have a dirty cabin filter it's gonna come through that. It comes through the vent, right. That's when you're like you kind of get some like gross smells in there. They're like what is that smell? Like you have to have to change the cabin filter.

Speaker 2: 42:15

My guess is that I Mean just get a hot box you can hope you can hold up, hook up to your, your Get your cigarette lighter.

Speaker 1: 42:23

Yeah, do that instead of like ghetto hose from your vent, because then you got to run it hot. So then it's. I mean, what are you gonna do in the summer, like you're gonna have heat blowing on you, like that's stupid.

Speaker 2: 42:37

You can see that again. It's stupid, it's, it's stupid.

Speaker 1: 42:41

All right, two more left here in the news. This one's kind of funny. I'm gonna make this bigger because you probably need to read it, because it's yours. What did you do? My uber left a romantic letter.

Speaker 2: 42:55

Oh yeah, it was just a link for Stefan. Okay, yeah, that's good. So it says here Good morning. I know this is random, but what happened?

Speaker 1: 43:06

Sorry, read the document, don't read the the screen. I know I have it now. Okay, I know this is random.

Speaker 2: 43:13

I am the uber guy. I'm the uber guy who drove you. Drove you last night. It's very, very bad spelling as well From the casino new year and new beginning for you. This is just. He's like laying it out.

Speaker 1: 43:29

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 43:30

I like your energy and I noticed you have a beautiful smile. Let me try that again. I like your energy comma, and I notice you have a beautiful smile. I Want to know you better. Would like to go out with me on a date for ice cream? Mohammed.

Speaker 1: 43:53

Yeah, he kind of talks like you talk.

Speaker 2: 43:56

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha.

Speaker 1: 43:58

Mumble mouth.

Speaker 2: 43:59

And then there's some weird flower, which would just be even weirder.

Speaker 1: 44:04

Yeah, he was shooting a shot, it's just. What's weird is like you went back to the house, like if you're gonna shoot your shot, you gotta do it in the car, right, then you can't go back, cause that makes it creepy.

Speaker 2: 44:15

So I like it here For context. I Uber to a guy I'm seeing's house. My Uber driver returned the next morning with this letter that's so crazy. It's so crazy. Yeah, just don't go back. Don't ever go back.

Speaker 1: 44:31

Number one comment is I thought it was weird that Uber made me watch all those mandatory training videos and they kept repeating Uber is not a dating yet, but I guess some people just don't get it.

Speaker 2: 44:40

I know Some people do not get it. It's so creepy. Oh, please, don't do that.

Speaker 1: 44:46

There's a tip for you If you're a new driver, don't write a letter and go back to your passenger's house and put it on there.

Speaker 2: 44:53

There's another tip for you right there.

Speaker 1: 44:54

He's probably gonna get deactivated for that.

Speaker 2: 44:57

I would hope so.

Speaker 1: 44:58

Yeah, so and then last we have fuck. Did I not update what happened with all the? So I can't batch load these anymore, cause it fucking didn't transfer over. Thankfully I'm a professional, so this is freaking hilarious. I don't know who's send it, but it says hi there, this is Uber. We're contacting to let you know that it's to pay. Limits have been increased to $5,000 per week Plus. You can now cash out up to six times a day. Who the fuck is cashing out 5K? Who's making 5K, like even at Uber Black? I mean $5,000.

Speaker 2: 45:38

They might be.

Speaker 1: 45:41

What is that? What is that? I'm gonna do math, but I'm gonna do it on a calculator.

Speaker 2: 45:45

What do you mean? What is what? It's 5,000. How many times a day?

Speaker 1: 45:49

No, it's $260,000 a year. A year what? Uber driver is making $260,000 a year that he has to cash out, not you. No shit. I wouldn't be driving the bus if I was making 260 a year. Fuck that. Anyways, if you're out there listening, if you ever come across this podcast and you're making $5,000, a week.

Speaker 1: 46:18

I want to talk to you and I need to see receipts. Like I'm definitely not gonna take your word for it. But Anyways, guys, thank you guys so much for listening. Gonna wrap up this show we have next week and then we are gonna take the week off of Thanksgiving. Just gonna spend some more time with the family, probably drink some beer. I have a new call of duty coming out, so I mean all.

Speaker 2: 46:42

That's why you wanted to take it off All reason?

Speaker 1: 46:45

well, it's coming out Friday, so all the reason to take some time off and blow some things up on video games.

Speaker 1: 46:52

but we've been grinding this year and we'll probably take some time off around Christmas too, but I just wanted to give you a heads up. So two weeks from tonight we will not be on, but we'll be on next week. I did reach out to Steve Johnson, hopefully to get him on the B side. I texted him today, but he's ignoring me, so hopefully he'll get on with me Come on, steve, get on the B side.

Speaker 1: 47:14

Well, he complained that he's never been on it. Then I send him a text and he just ghosting me. So All right, guys, as always, don't put up with anyone's bullshit.

Speaker 2: 47:25

And we will see you on the road. That is the cause of the reaction we have for driver.

Speaker 1: 47:29

Yeah, yeah, it won't be me this weekend. No meaning All right, good night, good night. This podcast is produced and edited by hey Guys Media Group. Wanna start a podcast? Check out hey guysmediagroupcom, she's gonna reference you you.