Description
I needed a job in 2011 and looked on CraigsList under transportation thinking I’d try driving a limousine. The poorly written ad read: Looking for someone who knows the Financial District at rush hour. I replied sarcastically, “So you’re looking for someone with a sub kindergarten knowledge of one small neighborhood, I drove a taxi in San Francisco for over ten years. What are you really looking for.” Answer, “we’re looking for someone just like you”. I was doubly annoyed now as they had actually not told me anything. I finally got this person to tell me that there was a new kind of personal transportation called Uber. I went to talk to him at a limo company as it turned out Uber used limo companies to get their application out into the world.
I was bothered by Uber’s proud claim that “The tip is included in the fare”. I told them that if they were going to take a 20% commission of my revenue, then they had no right to a penny of any such tips. They looked confused and like they didn’t know what I was talking about.
I learned more about CEO Mr. Kalanick, that he admires Ayn Rand and John Rockerfeller, not notoriously ethically or morally focused, to say the least. They promote a libertarian self-interest that is indifferent to who it affects. Mr. Kalanick was eventually fired from his own company for nefarious behavior.
The head of Travis Kalanick that I made was inspired by these experiences. It is a face that is modified sarcastically and on the back of his head is a trap door through which can be seen a circuit board. The taxi crashing into him is what he caused in the industry, by lowering rates due by not compensating drivers’ for car expenses.
I made his hair out of money because I felt that was more important to the man and his company in question than anything else and I disagree.
