On stage at Goldman Sachs event, Uber CEO compared his company’s woes to Ferguson http://t.co/yiNufnSC6s
— Mark Ames (@MarkAmesExiled) November 21, 2014
Background from Annie Lowrey, at NYMag, “Acting Like Sexist, Threatening Jerks Not Quite Working Out for Uber”:
… It is just the latest in a series of public-relations disasters stemming from Uber’s questionable business practices or its executives’ crappy attitudes. There’s Travis Kalanick, its chief executive, calling it “Boob-er,” because of all the women he’s picking up. There’s the company arming contractors with burner phones to sabotage its rival, Lyft. There’s the promotion in France, pairing riders with “hot chick” drivers. The list goes on and on: the kidnapping of a passenger, the complaints of its drivers, the denials of liability when accidents happen….
Previously, Uber used controversy to publicize its anti-incument business message. City councils would oppose it, or taxis would sue it, and Uber would get to telegraph to the world: We’re here to bring you a cheaper, better service, and these folks are trying to stop us! But the more recent incidents are of a different sort. They indicate that the company is untrustworthy, that it misuses customer data, that it would blackmail a prominent reporter, that it lacks a moral backbone…
Ummm… maybe Kalanick’s not identifying himself with the protestors in Ferguson?…
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