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Ep 278 News Links

A viral claim collapses, a van gets swiped in broad daylight, and a driverless car freezes in an alley—welcome to a week where gig work shows its sharp edges. We open with a wild “clip of the week” from a Spark delivery, then unpack the fallout from the DoorDash creator whose videos led to felony charges after she filmed a customer nude and posted his information online. What counts as evidence, what crosses the line, and how do you protect yourself without chasing clicks?

From there, we dive into safety in the field: the naked stranger who climbed into a delivery van and crashed it, the simple habits that would have stopped it, and the broader need for situational awareness when you’re juggling keys, phones, and doorsteps. We balance the chaos with practical wins—Octopus tablets for passive tips and engagement, plus why riders should always compare Uber and Lyft before booking. If 84 percent never check both apps, that’s money left on the table and drivers feeling the squeeze.

Policy and tech loom over it all. New Zealand’s top court just said several Uber drivers are employees, opening the door to benefits and back pay claims. Meanwhile, autonomy meets reality: Lyft’s CEO doubts self‑driving will dominate soon, even as Waymo expands to freeways while still stumbling in tight urban maneuvers. We talk costs, liability, cleaning fleets, and why geofenced pilots will coexist with human drivers for years. Add a fresh DoorDash data leak and the rise of retail partnerships like Old Navy delivery, and you can see the next phase of gig work: more services, more risk, more need for clear rules.

If you care about driver safety, platform policies, and the real timeline for autonomous rides, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who dashes or rides, and drop a review telling us: would you choose a human driver or a driverless car for your next airport run?

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