Topic: Uber Drivers

Authorities in Melbourne, Australia, have granted police the power to enter homes without warrants to conduct spot checks during a strict six-week lockdown. The surge in COVID-19 cases is attributed to a failure in hotel quarantine managed by an independent security company that reportedly hired Uber drivers as guards. Local producers report conflicting views on the severity of the outbreak and the necessity of mandatory face masks.

Uber and Lyft drivers organized strikes in major cities to protest low wages and the lack of profit-sharing ahead of Uber's $91 billion initial public offering. The hosts criticize the companies for failing to follow the traditional Silicon Valley model of "sharing the wealth" through stock options for the workers who built the platform's value.

Thousands of London taxi drivers staged a protest against Uber, bringing the city center to a standstill. The drivers argue that government regulations favor the ride-sharing app and threaten their livelihoods. The hosts discuss an analysis showing that travel times in London today are similar to those in the horse-drawn carriage era due to modern congestion.