Try Hard

So, a little over two years ago, I made the following observation:

But the problem with capitalism, especially as it's practiced in the United States, isn't that it's necessarily rapacious. Oftentimes, it's simply needy.

And I still believe this. Mainly because I can. I don't live in a part of the world where capitalism, even so-called "late-stage" capitalism, comes across as being actively, let alone competently, rapacious. But also because this is how it tends to present itself to me. Consider the following...

I've been the person who summoned, and paid for, a ride from Uber twice. I was on a business trip, about two and a half years ago, and needed to get to the office. It was raining, and pretty heavily and to walk would have taken more than an hour. Not having traveled outside of driving distance of home in some time, I did what I usually did; I went to the front desk, and asked if they could call me a cab. They couldn't. It seems that the rideshare operators had pretty much demolished the local taxi companies, but couldn't themselves be relied up on to turn up when the front desk summoned them for a guest. So I was on my own. With the clock ticking, I quickly set up Uber and Lyft accounts.

I wound up using Uber twice on that trip. That morning, to get to the office, and a couple days later, to get to the airport. That was it. I haven't used Uber since. This is what my "Promotions" section of my inbox looked like today.

This is what automated e-mail marketing does...

Like I said, it's been two years. So long, in fact, that when I logged into Uber today to check the dates, they weren't there. Yet Uber has been constantly attempting to get me to hail a ride or use them to order in food.

A constant stream of marketing messages, apparently in hopes that something will happen to my car, and I'll be in desperate need of something. Which, to be fair is possible. But in that case, both the nearest grocery store and my favorite Chinese restaurant are within walking distance...

One would think that after more than two years, Uber would have gotten the point that I don't need anything from them. But it's not in their interests to do so. They need growth, and that means more rideshares booked and more food delivered. And so I suspect that every couple of days, I'm going to receive another e-mail or two. Maybe forever. After all, it's been just over twenty years since I last donated to a political campaign. Another fundraising pitch hit my inbox today...