Uber In Montana: Good for Customers AND Drivers
Published on July 10th, 2015 | by Chase Sick
Finally! Uber has made it to Montana and not a moment too soon. A virtual monopoly by our only taxi company had far too long made travel inconvenient (it typically takes over an hour for a cab), and expensive (Bozeman to the airport=50$+). Now there’s a cheaper, friendlier, more convenient alternative thanks to the Uber and the free market.
Here in Big Sky Country I have seen many liberals wanting to discredit the notion that Uber’s flexibility in terms of hours driven and available free time is good for drivers. Folks on the left have decided that any job that does not clock in and out during fixed schedule hours with a defined lunch break and actually rewards working more than the minimum is somehow exploitation. This got me thinking about my roommate who has been working tirelessly to get his outdoor outfitters business off the ground in a state strangely known for red tape and regulations surrounding small businesses. So I asked him to comment about Uber and he wrote:
“Looking back, most of the year was spent trying to recover from the first year’s costs which delayed our business’ first guided trip by almost an entire year, left me financially devastated, and almost sunk this project beyond recovery. We’ve had our ups and downs and I’ve always found a way through, but man, these were not fun times. I was actually living out of my car when I signed the private investment contract a few months ago, so it’s been a little bit of a rough year. This business and I are currently surviving on that private loan, my personal credit cards, and whatever I now can make driving part time for Uber, but at least we’re getting close to launch now. I hope this doesn’t come off as a “whoa is me” kinda thing. I only mention all of this because I want to put this endeavor into perspective and give some deserved answers about what has been going on. Thanks to everyone who continues to support us!”
This young entrepreneur is trying to fund his business effort in part by working with customers during the day and driving for Uber in his spare hours. There is no way he could work really anywhere else because he would have to be an official employee and keep a regular schedule. You can’t imagine someone just showing up at a restaurant to cook whenever they feel like it. But that is what he can do for Uber. And now Montanans can all benefit. Thanks!
Tags: chase sick, entrepreneur, free market, montana, red tape, uber
Originally published at hypeline.org.
