I had one I used on a 55 mile commute when I lived in NC and it was pretty awful when you’re moving outside a single city. I’d probably make it 10 miles or so out of Durham before having to find a station, and had to change every few miles after that until arriving in Greensboro. It was kind of miserable technology.…

Epic is the good guys, memes aside.....lol! You fuckin rube

“I have not been invited to return” means studio negotiations failed or the producer/director has a problem with the actor, not that some stupid game no one played was given credence in a $150M blockbuster's production and casting of a major movie star

This is an inaccurate picture of the rideshare service relationship and illustrates the inherent flaws in using analogies for analysis purposes, ie in the broadest strokes possible the two situations are similar, but the comparison breaks down in the details. The devil is in the details, as they say

It's preposterous that you think the answers to 1 and 2 is "yes" 

It seems, from my lay perspective, like this should be pretty easy to track down. How closely is airspace monitored by airports and radar stations, how strict is the requirement for aircraft taking off to have a flight plan filed? It seems weird that there are aircraft flying around we can't identify

Both you and your wife had a hand in negotiating your rates. Neither of you may have control over what the agency bills client, but you did have the ability to negotiate the rate at which the company paid you.

The argument is say I am a homeowner who is contracting someone for a redone kitchen. I have a set objective and a price I am willing to pay. I go get quotes from 5 contractors but beforehand I tell them what I am willing to pay. Some of the contractors give me a quote that meets my budget, some no-quote me because…

They heavily subsidize the rides in order to win business and crush competitors (established taxi companies).

That doesn’t make it “not the law”... Your declaration that “they’re contractors” isn’t consistent with the law... Even your assertion about the IRS guidelines is inaccurate.

For 3, the drivers are a key aspect to the business

The drivers get penalized for not accepting enough rides

So in other words, your objection is this doesn’t conform to the law.

1 and 2 are absolutely a yes for Uber/Lyft drivers. The company sets the price and dictates all aspects of the job (aka the ride you provide). Your only choice is to accept or decline. 3 could even be argued as the drivers are a key aspect of the business, without their “contractors” Uber/Lyft have no business.

I’m sure your outline of what quantifies a contractor is incomplete. The states also have their own definitions and labor laws are generally controlled and adjudicated at the state level.

2. is definitely a yes, drivers do not set their own rates, the “tech” companies set the rates and can penalize drivers for refusing too many rides. if the “tech” companies truly want to keep it a contractor relationship then they need to allow those contractors to set their own rates and remove penalties for refusing…

um, no, they don’t pass 1) or 2). They have some control over drivers in that they penalize them if they aren’t accepting “enough” rides. They also control what they pay drivers; drivers are not free to negotiate their own rates. 

Uber and Lyft set requirements for what kind of cars they can drive, and they set the fares for the rides. They have a lot of control over the drivers.

I don’t think that is nearly as clear cut as you suggest, nor apparently do the lawyers and courts involved.

Stay there in 2019, more than the cotomer sevis sucks here in 2020.