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I think it also varies from city to city.

I get the feeling from Hacker News that in bigger cities there are far, far more people doing Uber full-time-ish than in smaller, population-1-million cities. For those doing it 40 hours a week as their livelihood, I can understand the call for more regulation, etc.

However, by far most of the folks I know doing Uber or Lyft are a lot closer to a contractor in definition.

* They use their own car they've already had before Uber (I.e., they didn't buy it just for Uber as some Uber forum posts talk about) * They do it part time * Most are doing it for "something new," when I ask them about it. For example I knew one driver who in her fifties just tried it to be out of the house more.



> * They use their own car they've already had before Uber (I.e., they didn't buy it just for Uber as some Uber forum posts talk about)

Interestingly, buying a car specifically to drive for ridesharing apps would actually be a point in favor of them being a contractor (they're making an investment in their "business")


I didn't think of it that way, but you're right. I think that would be more like a contractor's own tools they bring now that I re-think it.


All those points can apply to pizza delivery drivers. Are they contractors?




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