The State Of Virginia Sent Uber and Lyft Cease And Desist Letters, Ordering Them To Stop Operating

CNET – The battle between ride services Uber and Lyft and the state of Virginia is kicking into high gear. After issuing civil penalties against the app-based services in April for operating without proper permits, Virginia’s Department of Motor Vehicles sent cease and desist letters to Uber and Lyft on Thursday. The letters, penned by Richard D. Holcomb, commissioner of the Virginia DMV, orders the companies to stop operating in violation of state laws or face fines. “I am once again making clear that Uber must cease and desist operating in Virginia until it obtains proper authority,” Holcomb said in one of the letters. Both companies said they were disheartened and shocked by the letters but hoped to work with state officials on a solution that will allow the services to continue operating in the state. “Uber has been providing Virginians with safe, affordable and reliable transportation options for months and has continued to work in good faith with the DMV to create a regulatory framework for ridesharing,” Uber spokesperson Natalia Montalvo said in a statement. “The DMV decision today hurts thousands of small business entrepreneurs who rely on the Uber platform to make a living, create new jobs and contribute to the economy — and it hurts the countless residents who rely on Uber to connect them with affordable, safe and reliable transportation alternatives.” Noting that the state’s transportation rules predate the growing acceptance of mobile apps, a Lyft representative told CNET the company was focused on revising state laws regarding ride-for-hire laws. Holcomb wrote that Virginia was currently studying the relationship of the ride-sharing services’ business models and the state’s passenger carrier laws and “strongly suggest[ed]” that the companies focus on participating in the study rather than continue their “illegal operations.”

Holy shit this is the biggest load of bullshit of all time. Uber and Lyft getting banned from Virginia because people have stopped taking shitty cabs in favor of private cars. You know who the worst people of all time are? Cab drivers. They want to do nothing else besides scam the shit out of you. They go the long way whenever possible, they lie about fares, they aren’t welcoming, and they have no regard for your general safety or interest. Uber drivers get that if they suck, they don’t have a job. If cab drivers don’t want to be put out of business, maybe they shouldn’t suck so much cock at their jobs. But no, instead they have to buddy up with their pals in the government and just try to shut down the competition instead. Wonderful. When the going gets tough, use the government to kick out the tough. It’s such blasphemy.

So looks like they are going to try to put independent small businesses out of business to protect their own interests. And Uber and Lyft have both said they will continue operating. We’ll see if the drivers are scared off by the potential fines they are being threatened with if they continue to pick up passengers. It’s all horse shit.

 
 
PS: If you’re ever in Vegas, first thing you do is tell the cab driver at the airport is that you’re from there and that it’s “good to be home”. You’ll save yourself a ton of money.