Debra Weddall observes life on the street from the perspective of a night time rideshare driver. Originally wokring for Uber and writing as UberWoman her empathetic, wise and sharp observations combine a passion for social justice, a pithy appreciation of injustice and a warm understanding of humanity.
Before 1824 the Combination Acts had outlawed “combining” or organising to gain better working conditions. In 1824/25 these acts were repealed, so trade unions were no longer illegal. In 1833, six men from Tolpuddle in Dorset founded the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers to protest against the gradual lowering of agricultural wages. These Tolpuddle labourers Continue Reading →
Sayed is a fellow driver who answered a job request in Brighton on a Wednesday night at 2am. He was forced from his car at knifepoint, badly beaten, then left to die on the road. His car and phone were stolen. There was nothing he could do to stop this violence or save his belongings. Continue Reading →
Get off that bike young (and not so young) man. Don’t you know it’s got a broken wheel? Last week I picked up two young women from a party in Surrey Hills around sunset. One of them was furious. When she got in the car she was literally spluttering with anger at privileged private school Continue Reading →
Passengers use Uber ratings to mandate beliefs. My Uber rating went down 3 points last night because why? Because whenever passengers got in the car and said “Happy Australia Day”, I said “It’s not Australia Day”. Thereupon most responded like I was introducing an unwanted “political conversation” and reported me for unprofessionalism. In fact empathy Continue Reading →