Readers React: Uber drivers want sympathy. Where was their sympathy for cabbies?

To the editor: Well, well, Uber drivers went on strike Wednesday because of what they claim are unfair labor practices. Funny how Uber and Lyft drivers seemingly didn’t care about taxi cab drivers losing their jobs and livelihoods.

To become a Uber or Lyft driver, you do not need a special “chauffeur’s” license to serve passengers. A chauffeur’s license requires a more extensive exam than a regular driver’s license.

Cab drivers are also required to submit to fingerprinting and to a background check. Uber and Lyft drivers have to undergo a background check, but not fingerprinting.

I will not shed a tear for Uber drivers, nor do I have any sympathy for them.

Neil Snow, Manhattan Beach

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To the editor: As a customer, I say Uber is too expensive, especially with “surge” pricing and other extras that can more than triple the price of a ride.

Yet the drivers say they are underpaid, and the company says it lost $1.8 billion last year. The loss is especially shocking for a company with so few capital expenses, as the drivers pay the full cost of owning and maintaining the vehicle fleet.

Perhaps having amateurs drive around all day hoping to pick up fares isn’t the paradigm of efficiency we thought it was.

Gary Davis, Los Angeles

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