A traditional independent contractor would choose which jobs they take. Many musicians, for instance, might turn down a gig because they don't want to drive to the location, or might ask negotiate for more money because of it. A guy mowing my lawn might ask for more money if my lawn is particularly difficult, or deny the job if we can't come to an agreement. Rideshare apps deny their so called "contractors" this freedom that most contractors have. They could certainly give their drivers the ability to negotiate terms, as every other contractor gets to do, but they don't. It is the denial of this freedom that makes them employees.

> An uber driver can't choose where the work gets done because the where is part of the gig itself.

An Uber driver can certainly decide how and where their work gets done by using the car of their choice, except they aren't allowed to. Uber decides what vehicles they can use.

> Seems to be we're fundamentally trying to force an old classification to a new set of jobs.

There's nothing new about delivery driving and taxis. What's new is that companies are pretending that an app means that they shouldn't have to play by the same rules as every other employer.

Weren't delivery and taxis mostly (or at least a major portion) contractors before this as well? And can't uber drivers use the car they want as long as it meets some criteria?

>And can't uber drivers use the car they want as long as it meets some criteria?

This. The cars have a bare minimum requirement to ensure a good passenger experience and for safety (no older than X year of manufacturing, etc.), but beyond that, you are welcome to use whatever car you want. Uber has no issues with letting you use any car of your choice, as long as it meets the minimum requirements (which seem to be pretty reasonable).

I've seen regular Uber drivers (not Uber Black or any other more premium services) pull up in anything ranging from a few years old Priuses to pretty much brand new Teslas and Audi Q-series SUVs.