• The Quuuuuill
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      132 months ago

      i assume, if this were real, which it isn’t, the idea would be that everyone on the app has to pass a background check, so if you’re walking through an unfamiliar neighborhood and you’re a class of person who has reason to fear walking alone, you’d have someone there with you to help you be just a little more safe. obviously not as good as an actual trusted friend, but for certain people in certain situations, better than nothing

        • The Quuuuuill
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          12 months ago

          no for sure. it’s just we live in hell and there’s gonna be times you’re gonna be somewhere and you’re like “even a pretend friendly stranger who sucks will be better than nothing”

          • @corvi@lemm.ee
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            22 months ago

            Even more so, a pretend friendly stranger that’s documented as being in your location.

        • @Omgpwnies@lemmy.world
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          32 months ago

          No different than getting in an Uber or taxi for that matter, except it’s harder to escape a car on the highway.

      • @SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
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        12 months ago

        So they can’t hire anyone in the class of people who’d have reason to fear walking around in certain neighborhoods?

        Women, trans men, and certain minority groups would be discriminated against in their hiring? Or would using this service come with the risk of someone that’s more likely to get you targeted?

        I feel like this wouldn’t work for many reasons.

  • @JeSuisUnHombre@lemm.ee
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    1532 months ago

    Honestly this is a great joke but also could legitimately be a good service for someone who didn’t feel safe walking alone, or needs help navigating

    • @KoboldCoterie@pawb.social
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      242 months ago

      Especially if they’d help carry your bags and whatnot; that could be very helpful for someone who has mobility issues or just has a lot of things they need to bring. Well worth $7.50

      • @barneypiccolo@lemm.ee
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        162 months ago

        I found out in my senior year, that my campus had been plagued by a serial rapist for several years, going back to before i was a freshman, and the school had covered it up. I only found out about it when i learned that my roommate’s girlfriend had a sorority sister on a full-ride scholarship to keep her quiet about being raped in her freshman year.

        Suddenly, the pressure to use their chaperone service became clear.

          • @BussyCat@lemmy.world
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            22 months ago

            It’s also run by people vetted by the school who are also employees so they generally have other responsibilities and then the service doesn’t generate a profit. Which is a long way of saying it’s not even remotely close to being the same

          • @LeninOnAPrayer@lemm.ee
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            23
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            2 months ago

            Not really the same. Charging for this would discourage people from using it. They have to make a choice on feeling safe vs. spending money.

            This gives everyone the option and subsidizes it to the entire community.

            This is exactly why socializing things like this is beneficial.

            Every service has a cost. That cost is the value of the labor being provided. But we decide as a society that providing services like this benefits everyone living in society. Regardless of if they use it directly or not.

            When people say “free” in this context that’s what they mean. They mean the decision based on personal finance is removed.

            We don’t want people choosing personal finance over safety or health. Removing that dependency benefits everyone.

              • @LeninOnAPrayer@lemm.ee
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                42 months ago

                Glad you got that! Its a major point in talking about social programs. If you can see this in college programs you can see the benefit when applied to social programs as well. Not sure if I can convince you of that too. But it’s always nice to get a response of “that makes sense” in this context.

      • @exasperation@lemm.ee
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        102 months ago

        John Mulaney has a joke about how his parents knew Bill Clinton that way, from all going to undergrad together at Georgetown. Apparently all the women loved being escorted by Bill Clinton, and the men were all jealous.

      • @chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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        42 months ago

        My school had a number you could call and they’d dispatch a golf cart with 2 student workers to take you anywhere on campus for free, 24/7 (minus holidays and breaks when University offices were cosed).

    • @BussyCat@lemmy.world
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      22 months ago

      Speaking as a person who does not fit the demographic for this service, the big problem I see with it is how you trust that the walking buddy is actually going to be safer than nothing. Uber drivers are somewhat regularly in the news for assaulting women and I know several women that don’t like riding them alone

    • stebo
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      72 months ago

      how can it be this cheap though? sure it doesn’t require gas but it takes longer so the guy would need more pay for the service right?

      • @explodicle@sh.itjust.works
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        32 months ago

        If they actually matched up with the routes other people might take, I would do it. I’m always walking around downtown anyways, but I’m a relatively large poor-looking man so I never get hassled.

      • @wunami@lemmy.world
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        102 months ago

        The business model is to make it cheap initially by subsidizing it with investor capital. So, the gig worker may be paid more than the user is being charged. Then, eventually raise the price once the user base is large enough and dependent enough on it (or the prior alternative is sufficiently put out of business).

  • @ArtificialHoldings@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    This is routing from LaGuardia airport in NY, meaning the “walking” route has you taking a subway. Maybe the walking buddy is a local NYC thing meant for people who want assistance navigating the trains. I never see this on my app tho so it must have been a trial feature.

    • @ickplant@lemmy.worldOP
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      142 months ago

      “In 2023, Uber reported its first annual profit since going public in 2019, with a net income of $1.9 billion. This follows a period of consistent losses for the company.”

    • @funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works
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      142 months ago

      unlike other comments, I’d argue, like most tech, it was incredibly profitable for anyone except the people funding it.

      Business is not about extracting money from goods and services, it’s about tricking VC funders to give you 50 million dollars a year

    • @theotherbelow@lemmynsfw.com
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      122 months ago

      Hilariously unprofitable. They even came up with creative accounting to show how, despite never being profitable they may turn a profit if you don’t count their debts and losses.

      • @barneypiccolo@lemm.ee
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        42 months ago

        Uber’s true business model isn’t in place yet. Eventually, all cars will be self-driving, and they can ditch the drivers. The ultimate objective is to replace personal car ownership with a driving service.

        Once they don’t have to pay drivers, and they have monthly fees coming in from millions of subscribers, they’ll clean up.

        • @theotherbelow@lemmynsfw.com
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          12 months ago

          Thanks for the input.

          In my opinion, this is definitely copium on uber’s part. Taking on far more debt to try to be a public utility level of too big to fail is laughable. There is always an end stage they need to sell that is bigger and better.

        • @Tabula_stercore@lemmy.world
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          32 months ago

          I think you’re wrong on this one.

          Currently uber does not own anything. Repair costs are for the drivers. Buying a car is for the drivers.

          If they are not profitable now, replacing driver’s “wage” will only make it more expensive.

          • @barneypiccolo@lemm.ee
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            22 months ago

            I’m not wrong, it’s on their website:

            Driving autonomous forward

            At Uber, it’s our mission to reimagine the way the world moves for the better—and it’s clear that autonomous vehicles (AVs) will play a part in our future. With that in mind, we have been building Uber for the road ahead.

            Then they go onto describe how they are going to use driverless vehicles for personal mobility, delivery, and freight.

        • @nef@slrpnk.net
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          22 months ago

          So their entire company is built on the gamble that self-driving cars will happen before their finances implode?

    • @ryedaft@sh.itjust.works
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      2 months ago

      Never has been Earth astronauts gun meme

      No, but fr Uber is a masterclass in creative accounting and strategic acquisitions for further creative accounting.

    • @Blackmist@feddit.uk
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      62 months ago

      Their whole business model is “wait for self driving and then $$$” as they’ll no longer have to pay anybody.

    • @muusemuuse@lemm.ee
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      72 months ago

      Dude there’s probably a business in that. People typically just get hookers for that weird situation where a rich powerful man has to go to an event and bring a plus one, and he can’t find a woman who doesn’t hate him so he has to rent one by the hour.

      Make it an app. Fuck it. Lets let the business majors ruin that too.

      • They usually get escorts, which actually isn’t the same thing as a hooker and not all of them actually do sex work. I have no idea why I know anything about that, but it was something I was just kinda aware of as a young adult.

      • @aeshna_cyanea@lemm.ee
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        12 months ago

        there have been many attempts but unfortunately the evangelicals control the banks/payment processors so it hasn’t happened

          • @stoicmaverick@lemmy.world
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            32 months ago

            Them: white Kevin

            You: dressed in a full body banana costume while awkwardly carrying a cinder block. Refuse to explain why, or talk about anything except a ranked list of the worst smells you’ve ever experienced. Destination is a closed public library at 2am. Say “well, it’s time to do the thing I came here to do.” Stand, watching them until they walk away.