Documentary Asks: What to Do About Uber in Portsmouth?

I'd ultimately like for Uber to be allowed to operate in New Hampshire, but one particular Uber driver is making it very hard to root for them.

Cocksure Uber driver Chris David appears more interested in portraying himself as a martyr battling tyranny rather than a glorified taxi driver seeking to fix a regulatory problem. His over the top tactics have only served to make a workable solution more distant, which is unfortunate.

The Uber business model is a solid one and most people who have utilized the service elsewhere have had a positive engagement. Benefits include more available rides leading to fewer drunk drivers on the road, an entrepreneurial business venture for motivated individuals, and more competition thus benefiting consumers seeking a ride service.

This is why municipalities and states throughout the country have figured out a solution and why Portsmouth needs to make it happen too.

As it stands, local taxis companies are playing by the rules and Uber is not. Should the rules be changed? Yes, and this is where Mr. David and Uber could be doing something that could benefit not just Portsmouth but the state as a whole.

We have a system in place where rules can be changed; that's just what happened in Maine over the summer. Portland went down a similar path and managed to find a solution without the level of animosity we see in Portsmouth. New Hampshire and Uber would be well served to consider pursuing a comparable solution here.

Zachory Cusson's new documentary, An Uber Dilemma, does a great job sussing out the emotional elements at play in Uber's efforts to legally operate in Portsmouth.