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Re:Amazon Flex by jblok on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @08:53AM (#10295847)
So I imagine the question every self employed person with a car will be asking themselves right now is this: will I make more money driving for Uber or driving for Amazon?
Re:Amazon Flex by arethuza on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @08:57AM (#10295868)
Somebody needs to work out how you drop of packages for Amazon while driving passengers around for Uber.

Actually - not completely crazy - how willing would you be as a passenger to take a few detours to get a saving on your taxi bill?

Re:Amazon Flex by wyldfire on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @09:14AM (#10295980)
Hmm. Sounds like an opportunity for a new business? Fluber will spawn itself as a broker to both services -- you just go where the app tells you and pick up your cargo (packages or people) and shuttle them to where the app tells you to go.
Re:Amazon Flex by cableshaft on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @09:22AM (#10296032)
This is starting to sound suspiciously like missions in Grand Theft Auto. Now we need an app that shows you the best places to carjack and a social networking service for people who plan heists.
Re:Amazon Flex by Splines on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @12:16PM (#10297361)
You'll need to also provide a voip service that will obnoxiously ping you for "entertainment".
Re:Amazon Flex by arethuza on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @10:31AM (#10296530)
Flüber - disintermediating the sharing economy!
Re:Amazon Flex by hellofunk on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @09:22AM (#10296034)
Uber has already branched out to meal deliveries, so this is not far from their wheelhouse... no pun intended (actually it was).
Re:Amazon Flex by cwilson on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @04:16PM (#10299293)
For me personally (and I imagine many others), not willing at all. I use Uber when I need to be somewhere quickly, so I'm not going to risk being late so I can save $5.

I'm actually curious if anyone knows how well Uber Pool is working? I've never used it for a few reasons, but a big one is that I don't want to risk another rider pickup causing me delay in getting to my destination.

Re:Amazon Flex by dogma1138 on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @09:07AM (#10295946)
In London you see them working for food and other delivery services on the side quite often.
Re:Amazon Flex by mseebach on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @09:05AM (#10295926)
Uber Pool for things.
Re:Amazon Flex by sc30317 on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @09:14AM (#10295979)
I think that is part of the equation - some drivers may not be interested in having the liability of having passengers in their car?
Re:Amazon Flex by stanislavb on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @08:57AM (#10295860)
Well, I presume Amazon Flex would have lower acceptance criteria than Uber. Just because of the different nature of services. For example, if you have an old car, you may not be suitable for Uber.
Re:Amazon Flex by nowprovision on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @09:32AM (#10296107)
Why limit to one? Perhaps a fair logistic syndicator, where companies send their delivery requests when they've exhausted their permanent staff capacity.

Maybe something like milkthemiles.com - make the retailers agree to your demand pricing not the inverse (tm)...

Re:Amazon Flex by eli on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @09:04AM (#10295916)
Uber will surely let you deliver packages soon. They already do lunch.
Re:Amazon Flex by sib on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @10:48AM (#10296685)
Re:Amazon Flex by puranjay on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @01:39PM (#10297968)
I can imagine a near future of driverless vans going all around the city with packages. They show up at your door (or wherever you are) and you get a code on your phone. You enter the code on the van's door. It unlocks and you pick out your package.

The problem would be making sure that people can easily find their packages, and that they don't steal others' packages (which would be easy to check)

Re:Amazon Flex by thrill on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @01:47PM (#10298060)
An internal robot will put only your package on the loading ramp and close the interior door before opening the exterior door.
Re:Amazon Flex by chipgap98 on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @09:07AM (#10295941)
I imagine that people will be doing both. I already see a lot of people driving for both Uber and Lyft. Soon there'll be drivers delivering packages and people
Re:Amazon Flex by celticninja on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @09:46AM (#10296217)
why not both?

If you have a bunch of parcels in the boot of your car you deliver them when you are nearby on an Uber call or when you have no uber work.

Re:Amazon Flex by rottyguy on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @09:03AM (#10295912)
why couldn't you do both?