The "sharing" economy--is it here to stay?

WOW Am I beyond the times !

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/upshot/new-york-city-taxi-medallion-prices-keep-falling-now-down-about-25-percent.html?abt=0002&abg=1

Quote: buzzardknot

Hey Bob Last I knew a taxi shield was $250,000 in New York City. Wonder what it's worth now ? ? ?

I think I heard they went near seven figures but have been falling lately, part due to Uber and Lyft.

Quote: AZDuffman

You can now get an indie car ride, stay at an indie room, and even have your dog watched all with the same "sharing" concept. I heard of a site where you can have people over for a meal using the same idea. So the question becomes not it it real or is there demand, but how many different services are going to come out of this model?

That is a great concept, I really like the part about someone to watch the dog, although I am dogless now. Travelling with pets is a biatch.

Expanding on one of these idea's, I think it is fair to share wives or husbands. Say some lovely lady needs the oil checked, or a dishwasher looked at, or for the rural among us, a fence repaired. Call uber, I would be that guy, I like fixing things, and barter.

If I need some service, regardless of the service I need, between consenting adults, that should not be the states business. I know I have mentioned in the past, but I sincerely believe that prostitution should be legal in all places that it is practiced. The State in all it's wisdom and fairness believed it alright for me to trade many of the discs in my spine for an hourly wage, which by the way are irreparable, but don't think somehow it is acceptable for a fair maiden to trade something she can do without harm, for an agreed price. Makes no sense to me.

It would reduce crime dramatically, and make the streets healthier and safer. There needs to be some reality to this marriage thing. For hundreds of years men supposedly were marrying virgins. That is not often the case today. The social contract is broken. And by the way I think alimony is complete bullshit, it is just retroactive prostitution, money in exchange for supposed, "services performed". GRRR

Quote: petroglyph

That is a great concept, I really like the part about someone to watch the dog, although I am dogless now. Travelling with pets is a biatch.

Expanding on one of these idea's, I think it is fair to share wives or husbands. Say some lovely lady needs the oil checked, or a dishwasher looked at, or for the rural among us, a fence repaired. Call uber, I would be that guy, I like fixing things, and barter.

The dog thing is neat because they limit it to 2-3 dogs at a time, listings are about $25-30 per night per. So you do not get someone running a dog pen. At tot he handyman things, that is way underway. Harder to price, but if you are good you will be busy.

Quote:

If I need some service, regardless of the service I need, between consenting adults, that should not be the states business. I know I have mentioned in the past, but I sincerely believe that prostitution should be legal in all places that it is practiced. The State in all it's wisdom and fairness believed it alright for me to trade many of the discs in my spine for an hourly wage, which by the way are irreparable, but don't think somehow it is acceptable for a fair maiden to trade something she can do without harm, for an agreed price. Makes no sense to me.

It would reduce crime dramatically, and make the streets healthier and safer. There needs to be some reality to this marriage thing. For hundreds of years men supposedly were marrying virgins. That is not often the case today. The social contract is broken. And by the way I think alimony is complete bullshit, it is just retroactive prostitution, money in exchange for supposed, "services performed". GRRR

I got no problems with legalization though I would prefer to not have streetwalking. Either their home or your home, no victim no crime. If you could certify both sides are medically clean so much the better. I just want to keep them from hanging on a street, disrupting traffic, and lowering property values by being a nuisance. That does put a victim in the crime.

Can it happen? Maybe. The hard part is making sure no one if being forced into it. From the young woman from a third world country to the woman who has a husband telling her they need money so she had better earn. If we can stop that there is no reason not to legalize. It would probably cause the price to fall, making all the feminazis upset, all the more reason.

This link doesn't have it, but remember Jim Baker's 5 thousand dollar doghouse? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Bakker

I seem to recall someone buying it and renting it out to rich people who wanted their dogs to have a special outing?lol

I would be down for that, if my dog was still around. I would send him to the estate dog house [it was air conditioned] along with a couple party dogs for a special night out. He earned it, mans best friend and all.

Legalizing prostitution to me is just honesty. I in no way will ever engage in the activity, [again] only in my dreams. I certainly don't want my girls engaged in the activity, although of course there are male prostitutes as well.

Part of my view comes from my old days walking and talking to locals in Wallace Idaho. Nearby to the Sunshine Mine. Wallace had the only stop light on Hwy. 90 I was told, from coast to coast. Nearby was appx. 7 whorehouses. The locals told me they hadn't had a serious crime in 80 years. No one feared for their daughters being taken off the street and molested. The miners and those so inclined, could go meet some attractive young sporting ladies and have their needs met. No need to harm or rape anyone. At least that is the story I was given. It wasn't technically legal but it certainly was no secret.

I visited 2-3 of them in my youth, One I remember was called the U&I, I forget the others. I really enjoyed them. No harm, everyone was compensated fairly, tips and drinks included. I went to the "Chicken Ranch in Pahrump" once. They had a pool table in the lobby/bar area. I played a little pool as well, that is until some good looking Hawaain chick started messing with my stick.

My suggestion here is partially from your post where you mentioned the services [rides or other] could be rated by users and merchants alike. I in no way condone sex trafficking, or underage, or someone supporting a pimp or drug habit. I just want the trade to be honest. I think the days of an incensed young man marrying [and a young woman] solely for that purpose, belongs back in the days from where the belief came from. Not here, not now. There is too much suffering, broken marriages, family's etc, just because mostly some young fellow couldn't get that natural experience any other way.

For eons, there has been whorehouse's around mining towns. Locally they are well known and the cops look the other way. It definitely helps deter crime. My god man, look how much suffering it has cost both [all] sexes. Look at the crime. I don't want any involvement with it. I would much rather the perves can get their needs fullfilled than grab someones kid off the street and do terrible things.

I however would probably use the service for a ride or other services, no problem. I like them being rated.

Well, nothing is perfect... but don't forget that dogwalker who left the mutts in the hot sun when she went into a bar and got blotto. She had just gotten out of rehab and heard it was a good way to make money. Of course several of the dogs died and she simply drove across town and released the others. You going to vote?

Or that Boston medical student who met hookers at top hotels with cameras.

Even at a cheap hotel, its still "a sidewalk" crime.

Airbnb, uber, AfternoonFling, sure they work.... but I recall a Google executive "serviced" by a hooker who likes to inject heroin into inexperienced users. Would she have a good rating? Wealthy, young, attractive?

And then there is always brain surgery. Offer me enough and I'll do it. You might even live thru it.

Quote: Fleastiff

Well, nothing is perfect... but don't forget that dogwalker who left the mutts in the hot sun when she went into a bar and got blotto. She had just gotten out of rehab and heard it was a good way to make money. Of course several of the dogs died and she simply drove across town and released the others. You going to vote?

Or that Boston medical student who met hookers at top hotels with cameras.

Even at a cheap hotel, its still "a sidewalk" crime.

Airbnb, uber, AfternoonFling, sure they work.... but I recall a Google executive "serviced" by a hooker who likes to inject heroin into inexperienced users. Would she have a good rating? Wealthy, young, attractive?

And then there is always brain surgery. Offer me enough and I'll do it. You might even live thru it.

Like you said, nothing is perfect. The dog walker would not be getting as many clients if she was rated. Same with the hooker. When you centralize things and your customers rate you then you will get more customers if the rating is better. I know I would rather leave my dog with a person who has been rated good by dozens of people than a newbie.

Anything can happen of course. Open ratings, however, lessen the risk.

Quote: AZDuffman

Anything can happen of course. Open ratings, however, lessen the risk.

I don't think any of the men she murdered gave her a bad rating.

Now that Uber is successful, the next service is.......tailors!

George Zimmer, founder of "The Men's Wearhouse," is launching an Uber/airbnb/Lyft/Dogvacay-type service for finding a tailor.

I find this a neat idea. Minimal investment for George, mostly extra revenue for the tailors. Like Uber and most of these services, they will be vetted because they will usually be coming to your home or place of business.

I wonder how high demand will be. I don't have many outfits that would need alterations, or be worth it. But there is probably a market that does. And what I would pay for is if I could have a guy come and take my measurements and make me some nice, high-quality shirts that fit right. While I do not need as many of those as before, many people need plenty. Or same for pants, get some jeans or slacks that fit me right and I will pay twice what you pay at a box store.

Nice niche market IMHO.

A woman reporter was an UBER driver for a few
months earlier this year in Philly. Mostly she
wanted to see how much the drivers really
make. UBER keeps cutting it's fares to get
more people to ride, and it really hurts the
drivers. She found that after record keeping
of expenses, she was making $9.36 an hour.
About what they pay at McD's and KFC in
Philly. And you get to destroy your own car
in the process.

The number one thing she heard from passengers
was, thank god you speak English. The same foreigners
who drove cabs are now UBER drivers. Yeah they
make 10 bucks an hour, but they drive 100 hours
a week. It's just a really crappy cab driving job.

The crappiest part is, UBER pays the drivers because
the PAX pays UBER. In a regular cab, the PAX pays you
and you pay the cab co. By getting a paycheck from
UBER, every cent you make you pay
taxes on. When I had the cab co, you drove cab
because none of it was reported income. It was an
all cash business. The article said most of these goober
drivers have no idea how much they make in profit.
They get $500-$800 from UBER every week and have
no idea how much they spent on gas, on car washes,
on breaks and tires. The article said it was .50 cents
a mile. So what happens is, they drive for 6 to 8
months and realize they are going broke because
their car is now worth half of what it was a year ago.
So they quit and are replaced by a new sucker.

It won't last, regulation will eventually kill it. The shaky
insurance situation alone will get it in the end. From
being in the biz, the cars and insurance is the biggest
nightmare of having a cab co. Imagine driving your
personal car 50 hours a week in the city, what that
would do to it. You have no idea. I had 2 full time
mechanics just to keep 30 cars on the road.