Uber drivers, upset over an announcement by the company earlier this month that it would cut fares 12 to 27 percent in San Francisco, staged a "honk-in" protest this afternoon in front of the San Francisco-based company's Market Street headquarters.
#uber drivers go full taxi, stage honk-in at @Uber HQ in SF. Say wages, conditions suck. pic.twitter.com/Oqx8ZDr12U
— Chris Roberts (@cbloggy) January 25, 2016
Videos of the protest depict slow-moving cars creating traffic back-ups, and lots of honking. At least some of the drivers taped type-written messages to the exterior of the cars.
The Uber irony is delicious. Cab drivers were protesting in this fashion just a few years ago. That's #innovation pic.twitter.com/j56MnYoQLP
— Chris Roberts (@cbloggy) January 25, 2016
"UBER GREED," the flyer begins (the entire thing is in caps, but I'll spare you having to read it that way). "We work 80 hour weeks $600 after all fees. Uber makes $60 billion and calls us 'golden drivers.' No more abuse, enough is enough!, stop the greed."
As SF Weekly reporter Chris Roberts notes in the tweet above, this is reminiscent of taxi protests of yesteryear, only now it's our disruptive non-taxi drivers who are crying foul.
@Uber driver protest in #SF. Car signs say: Rates keep rising and drivers not making more $$. #greed @lyft pic.twitter.com/7BbuWSiXqh
— CJ Lucke (@publicremix) January 25, 2016
The fare decrease has become a bit of an annual tradition for the company, with Uber implementing a similar fare decrease in January of 2015. It also prompted Uber's top competitor, Lyft, to follow suit and likewise reduce fares — thus reducing driver income.
Noisy Uber driver protest jamming up Market street right now. Threatening to cause mayhem for #SB50 pic.twitter.com/E3FPJIhlmk
— Ryan Croft (@ryankcroft) January 25, 2016
The protest, which coincides with the beginnings of Super Bowl City street closures, is sure to cause traffic problems.
Related: Sunday Morning Coming Down: Protest Planned At Uber Headquarters