JC is your savior when you're too drunk to drive.

Uber sad.

I was very disappointed a while back when I went to Uber's website and tried to apply to be a driver. "Uber is not yet in your city," or something to that effect, was the message I received. My heart sank. I really wanted that hustle.

Well, last week I decided, hey, everyone has the internet, some people have cars, and other people need rides. Why in the hell do we need to wait for Uber!? Thus was born Niigata Jazz Cab, a service that operates on voluntary "donations" at half the rate of taxi fares.

After starting this group a friend informed me that a group in Austin was doing the same thing. Uber had veen barred from the city, so in the true spirit of agorism and counter-economics, these people said "fuck you, we'll do it ourselves." Little gets my heart glowing like DIY, counter-econ, sound business. There are actually a couple groups in Austin running this type of outlet.

So, how does it work?

Well, we have a chat group and someone can message there or on our Facebook page. Anyone available who wants to make a buck can take the call. A per/km "donation" is paid and, badda-bing badda-boom, someone just got a ride that would have cost them a fortune in a standard taxi.

We are spreading the word slowly by word of mouth just for safety/secrecy purposes, but it really doesn't matter, at the end of the day. People with cars are free to use them how they want, and people who need rides home from the bar or to the supermarket are free to use their money to procure one. See? Fucking beauteous.

The Austin rideshare group deletes posts once people are picked up, so as to remain under the radar a bit. This is also why my company, "Jazz Cab" is mainly sticking with the word of mouth approach for now.

Entrepreneurs. Agorists. Why not start a similar group in your town?

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Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as Facebook and Twitter. Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!