I don't have an issue with Uber/Lyft/any gig companies being required to pay workers effectively whatever the minimum wage is wherever they are (which is obviously much lower in other states). And maybe a regulator can sample drivers, look at their annual expenses, and work out what their 'effective' wage is, I'm fine with that.

I just think it's overly dramatic when people present lower wage jobs as literally serfdom or whatever- especially when the HN crowd has undoubtedly eaten out, had drinks, hired a contractor, got coffee, or employed a cleaner that was probably making the same as an Uber driver. There will always be low wage jobs. No one's picketing coffeeshops for making their employees 'serfs', why single out Uber?

$23.28/hour before expenses in SF Bay Area according to Business Insider

https://www.businessinsider.in/the-32-places-uber-and-lyft-d...

Also keep in mind that pretty much no minimum wage job except ridesharing allows you to earn to and from your way to work.

If you make $13 and hour on an 8 hour shift in California with a 1 hour commute each way and a $3 bus fare each way, it comes out to $9.80/hour not $13.

I mean to be fair, the argument is that the expenses (basically, wear & tear on the vehicle) are significant. The IRS I guess has a whole schedule for vehicle depreciation, they have this down to a science. So $23ish an hour but large vehicle expenses drag this down to quite a bit less