Vancouver's lack of a ride share
service 1s out of touch

> Why we need Uber, now

Cazzy Lewchuk
Opinions Editor

 

Vancouver is considered a world-
class city. We have hosted a
World’s Fair and the Olympics, and
continue to host TED Talks every year.
Despite being a metropolitan hub
with millions of people, we are one
of the largest cities in North America
that does not have Uber. It’s not just
that one specific app that’s banned, as
Vancouver voted in October to not allow
any new taxis or ride-share services.
It is not just a convenience issue
for letting ride shares into Vancouver,
it is one of safety. Taxi companies are
mostly reliable, but there are very few
in the city, and on peak times the wait
can take hours. With a SkyTrain that
stops running before the bars even close
and many suburban bus routes stopping
hours earlier, many can end up stranded
far from home in unsafe conditions.
Taxis are not only expensive, but there
are some times when one needs a ride
immediately instead of waiting for a
dispatcher to radio someone to find
your location an hour later. In extremely
popular locations, like Vancouver
International Airport, there can be
hundreds of people waiting to get a taxi.
Iam fortunate enough to be male
and to live in an accessible transit area,
and have not had a lot of difficulty or
safety concerns with being stranded.
However, there have still been nights
when I have been unable to get a taxi
for a long time and been left out in
the cold, intoxicated and frustrated.
I have felt taken advantage of by taxi
drivers who picked me up only to
demand a flat fee up front, or told me
they could only take me downtown
instead of my home in East Vancouver,

while driving in East Vancouver.
Many have expressed concern
about Uber’s lack of regulation or its

effect on taxi companies. However, Uber

does background checks, and there are
not a lot of incidents reported where

it does operate. If the issue is specific
to Uber, such as its pricing scheme,
Vancouver is still doing a disservice

by not allowing any ride shares to

operate, even locally-created ones. The
additional refusal to allow any more
taxi licences into the city shows that
the deep pockets of higher-ups in a
small industry are more important than
the demands and safety of millions of
people across the Lower Mainland.
Carpooling is still done frequently,
and one can organize “unofficial”
payment for rides through Craiglist or

  

Image via independent.co.uk

other informal services. Uber offers a
safer and more reliable way to make
these transactions, but the city has
repeatedly banned them from making a
presence in the area. Uber works just fine
in the many Canadian and international
cities in which it operates currently.
Vancouver may cave and get a ride share
eventually. But we want and need it now.

Abuses of human rights 1n the Middle East

> Why do we tolerate these governments?

Cazzy Lewchuk
Opinions Editor

 

he Middle East is a vast and diverse

cultural region. Heavily involved
in geopolitics and the world economy,
the area is also well-known for its
perceived instability, internal conflicts,
and values that clash with other areas,
particularly those of the Western world.

Most of the Middle Eastern

population is Muslim, with many
countries officially Islamic by law. Most
of the region uses sharia law in some
form, which is based on the teachings of
sacred Islamic texts. The law is complex
and varies in its severity and enforcement.
In some countries, such as Saudi Arabia,
sharia law is the only law and it is enforced
harshly, in ways that are considered
barbaric from a Western perspective.
Child marriages, public floggings, and
the death penalty for sexual impurity
all take place in many countries. Many

of these countries also restrict freedom
of speech and assembly, effectively
terrorizing their citizens into acceptance.
Sharia law and the practices
of some Islamic countries has been
criticized for violating human rights,
particularly the United Nation’s Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. Human
rights abuses are never okay, even
when adjusting for cultural differences.
When women are publicly flogged or
executed for “adultery”/being raped,
it’s wrong. When citizens are shot for
protesting against the government, it’s
terrible. When people are sent to jail for
denouncing Islam and their country’s
practices online, it’s a dictatorship.
Islamophobia is an incredibly
important issue that needs to be
addressed. Just because the government
has tyrannical and oppressive laws does
not mean its citizens believe the same
thing. Muslims are no more likely to be
oppressors or terrorists than anyone else.

Many of these harsh regimes only came

to power in the last few decades, with the

countries having been more moderate and

tolerant until a new, specific brand of law

took over. The problems vary from country

to country, and many Islamic countries

do not have the barbaric laws of others,

or have a mixed law system. Some areas of

the Middle East have laws forcing women

to wear hijab, while many countries simply

have many citizens who wear hijab of their

own free will. We can't automatically view

covering as a sign of women’s oppression.
Many right-wing fear-mongers

worry about sharia law affecting Western

society. I don’t believe that this is a

realistic thing to worry about, and I

especially don't believe a growing Muslim

presence in society makes this a threat.

The West will almost certainly never

be Muslim-majority. In addition, the

vast majority of the 1.6 billion Muslims

in the world do not support society

operating on a literal interpretation

of the Quran, just as most Christians
don’t advocate for literal biblical law.

We live in a complicated global
economy in which we are heavily
dependent on the Middle East for oil,
and it is for this reason we have to be
diplomatic. I don’t support an oil-based
energy economy, but for now, Saudi
Arabia is our number one oil source. There
is a lot of irony when our governments
send troops to fight “radical Islam”
terrorists, but continue to support Islamic
governments with radical laws. Donald
Trump may criticize the Middle East
and ban citizens from some of their
countries, but he’ll also do business
personally (hotels and golf courses) and
nationally with others, because money.

Hopefully we can someday live in
a world where countries do not abuse
their citizens and we can openly work
towards enforcing human rights. Cultural
sensitivity will always be important, but
some things are universally reprehensible.