https://www.wdbj7.com/2026/02/02/83-year-old-man-sentenced-killing-uber-driver/ Remember this case from 2024? First of all, I want to take a moment to recognize the victim and her family - they certainly deserve restitution. But do you think it is fair to charge the man in his 80's with murder? It started off with a typical scam on the elderly - this guy must have figured it out and told the scammer off, so the scammer decided to tell the guy that he was sending goons over to collect his money. Then, he dispatched an uber courier to pick up a package from the shooter. Now, if someone says goons are coming to your house and then someone comes up and asks for a package, would you feel threatened? There was nothing threatening about her demeanor, and it is clear that she tries to leave when he brandishes his gun. The elderly man must have been terrified beyond reason. Culpable? Sure. But a murderer? No. Murder is a premeditated act. The perpetrator, in this case, believed he was under attack. If it were me, I would do my best to make amends to the family and maybe participate in some volunteer work for a cause of their choosing. I would be terrified and probably wouldn't be able to live with myself ever again, let alone the worry about doing time. I think probation and community service and perhaps direct restitution would have been the proper sentence and I would consider this a case of manslaughter rather than murder. But definitely a tough case, and a fascinating one from a legal perspective. Perhaps the family feels better knowing that the guy is going to die in prison. It would be nice if the governments of the countries from which these scammers originate would cooperate with ours and arrest all the fraudsters. I wonder if the scammer in question thinks about the impact of his actions and if he feels any remorse for causing this person to die. What do y'all think - those of you who aren't bots (so none of you)? All around, this is a tragic situation. Stay safe out there, friends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyUBNY9hzb0 Just some intel on the algorithms. Seems like "no tip no trip" is no longer the sentiment. But that will depend of course on when and where you are. As for me, I am sticking to the grand strategy I keep telling you I am going to post.

Hey nerds, I had the chance to try out a new app last month. It's only available in a few select markets, and for me, that means I have to plan a day around being in that part of Queens where you gotta watch your pets a bit more intently. In my one day's experience, it let me freestyle for a couple orders and then cut me off, telling me to set blocks. I don't live in New York, so if I want to try this again in the future, it would have to be planned out meticulously. Anyone wanna set up a day to hang out in Flushing/Bayside with me? I promise that I will only put my block's time into gathering new data. I can be fun the rest of the time. If I ever get around to trying it in Salt Lake, I will definitely also drop a report. So far, I can say that this app leaves much to be desired, but it might be worth looking into if you live near areas serviced. I know that they include Seattle and Vancouver neighborhoods as well as a few other major metros, but the restaurants on the platform are mostly concentrated in neighborhoods with lots of Asians. For Salt Lake, that means most of your pickups will occur within that weird little mini Asiantown shopping center - I know you know the one. You see, this is a delivery platform that specializes in Asian cuisine and it has support in Asian languages such as Cantonese and Korean. Therefore, another reason to check out this app might be if you have the ethnic/cultural background to navigate this environment. I think bilingual couriers have a definite advantage in this situation. When you register, you must attend the shitty AI training videos. Some of the "lessons" in the app are blank pages that say some shit like "you may press to continue after 18 seconds". Some of the video learning plays off of a YouTube channel with a Blastoise profile picture, I shit you not. Very professional. Skipped training and went "online" right away without my payment info being entered. I was half a continent away from Queens, so I did not get a single offer. I tried the same thing in downtown SLC, same thing, and then it asked me to do blocks. So I figured my best bet was to wait until next time I am banished to the coast and plan out a day where I can go be in that weird cat-skinning zone. Sho'nuff that day came in December, just before the Christmas Season that I normally spend in the Democratic People's Republic of New York.

What makes a Roadie order a banger? Obviously the tip in addition to several other factors we can discuss. Does size matter? Obviously it does - but the gig economy does not discriminate when a smaller job can be done by a smaller vehicle and you're the they/them available to do it. The way Roadie assigns orders remains a mystery - and sometimes it is the carelessness of the guy at BestBuy that chooses the driver an hour away over the offer you submitted. But I recently learned that this also means some of the orders listed for larger vehicles may be manageable in a smaller one. Just switch your vehicle type in the app - no verification. Now it will display more trips on your map - you can just check the dimensions on the order to see if you want to apply. Don't worry, you'll still see the little prescription orders from CVS. I've been thinking about offering a quick rundown on tips like this for just $5 - and for the first few suckers that sign up, a full consultation session. LFG! That means - start shilling this page to your friends!

This is why I went into data science - and then back into driving.