There are unruly and disruptive passengers, and then there are situations where law enforcement has to physically drag someone off a plane: Delta Air Lines confirms that police had to forcibly remove a woman from a plane in Detroit after she reportedly refused to comply with staff at the gate — and it was all caught on video. [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
“Security As An Afterthought:” 3 Frightening Privacy Claims From Former Uber Staffers
By 12.12.16
Even if you’re a fan of Uber’s service, it’s often difficult to not take issue with the company’s short history of: disregarding taxi regulations, having questionable screening procedures for drivers, taking a casual approach to customer privacy, and forbidding both its employees and users from bringing lawsuits. Now, several former Uber security staffers are pulling back the veil on what they see as problems at the hugely popular ridesharing service. [More]
Regulators Speeding Up Takata Recall, Update List Of Affected Vehicles
By 12.9.16
When federal regulators took over the messy Takata airbag recall in May 2015, they provided a timeline in which carmakers were to have shrapnel-shooting safety devices replaced. With more than 42 million vehicles having potentially dangerous airbags in their dashboards and steering wheels, the campaign was bound to take some time. But it’s not progressing enough, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as it moves to speed up the process by providing a replacement schedule and more complete list of affected vehicles. [More]
What Does It Take To Get Banned From Riding With Uber?
By 12.8.16
We’ve heard some horror stories in the past about Uber drivers dealing with no good, very bad, and otherwise terrible riders, but now we know exactly what kinds of awful behavior will get riders banned from the platform forever. [More]
Attorney General Who Is Suing The EPA Picked By Trump To Head EPA
By 12.7.16
President-elect Trump’s nominee to run the Environmental Protection Agency is Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, who has strong ties to the energy industry, is an outspoken critic of climate change, clean energy efforts, and federal regulation in general, and who is currently involved in multi-state lawsuits against the very agency he may soon be put in charge of. [More]
Audi Launches Red Light-Sensing Car Technology In Las Vegas
By 12.7.16
Back in August, Audi announced that it was working on technology that would let cars communicate with traffic lights so drivers know when the lights will turn from red to green. The carmaker is now ready to roll that tech out onto real streets, starting in Las Vegas. [More]
Uber Tracks You Even After Your Ride: Invasion Of Privacy Or Necessary?
By 12.7.16
Obviously Uber needs your location to send a car to pick you up, and obviously the service tracks your location during the ride to make sure you get where you’re going. But why does Uber now continue to follow you for five minutes after your ride ends? [More]
Could Badly-Behaved Airline Passengers Lead To A Better Flying Experience For Everyone?
By 12.6.16
Though it might be disheartening to hear that air rage incidents reported by airlines are on the rise, take heart, my fellow fliers: all those unruly passengers could, arguably, lead to positive change in the industry. [More]
JetBlue Asks Court To Throw Out Lawsuit Over Misplaced 5-Year-Old
By 12.6.16
More than three months after losing track of an unaccompanied minor and sending him to an airport in an entirely different city than his intended destination, JetBlue is arguing that an international treaty prohibits the mother from bringing a lawsuit against the airline. [More]
Senator Calls On Airlines To Not Charge Extra For Access To Overhead Bins
By 12.5.16
Should fliers have to pay to access the overhead bin on their flights? One lawmaker doesn’t think so, and wants United Airlines to ditch a new lower-cost fare option that limits travelers to exactly one small carry-on item that fits under their seat. [More]
Don’t Give Up Your Seat On A Flight Until You’ve Read The Airline Voucher’s Fine Print
By 12.2.16
You’re waiting at a crowded gate to board your flight, when suddenly, you hear it. “Flight XYZ is overbooked; do we have any volunteers willing to give up their seat in exchange for a travel voucher?” But before you volunteer yourself as tribute in the airline Hunger Games, make sure you understand exactly what kind of restrictions might come with that voucher. [More]
Tesla Teases Michigan With New Look-But-Don’t-Buy Showroom At Nordstrom
By 12.2.16
Three months after Tesla sued the state of Michigan, challenging a law that says automakers can only sell through franchised dealerships, the electric carmaker has thrown caution to the wind and debuted a showroom inside a Nordstrom department store in the Detroit suburb of Troy. [More]
Ford Recalls 680K Vehicles Because Seatbelts Are Supposed To Work
By 12.2.16
Seatbelts, they can save lives in the event of a crash. However, in order for that to be a possibility, the devices have to actually work, and that apparently isn’t a certainty in more than 680,000 vehicles being recalled by Ford. [More]
Apple Reportedly Taking On Google Maps With Road-Tracking Drones
By 12.1.16
When it comes to tracking and recording America’s roadways it makes sense that companies like Google would deploy camera-equipped vehicles to cruise the streets. But Apple has a different idea: take to the sky. [More]
Hacker’s Company Handing Out Code That Can Turn Any Car Into A Self-Driving Vehicle
By 12.1.16
Does making a product free mean you don’t have to answer to authorities who might come knocking later? One experienced hacker seems to think his startup can avoid liability while giving away code for a software kit to convert cars into self-driving vehicles. [More]
Feds Say New York’s “I Love NY” Highway Signs Violate The Law
By 11.30.16
Whether or not you actually feel affection toward New York, drivers cruising the state’s highways and byways are no doubt familiar with the proliferation of blue “I Love NY” signs that dot the roadside promoting tourism. But there’s one party that definitely doesn’t love the state for using those signs — the federal government. [More]
Why GM Is Okay Losing Money On The Electric Chevy Bolt
By 11.30.16
When it comes to electric vehicles, consumers have to be willing to spend a pretty penny in order to reduce their emissions. But it’s not just car owners that are shelling out for more environmentally friendly rides, carmakers are too: on top of the cost to create, test, and manufacture the vehicles, companies, like General Motors, are regularly taking a hit when it comes to putting keys in customers’ hands. But why? [More]
No More Free Parking At 8 Las Vegas Casinos
By 11.30.16
Like the drinks you get while gambling, casino parking in Las Vegas is often a “freebie.” But if you’re planning a trip to Vegas soon, be prepared to possibly pay for parking or driving around to find a free garage to dock your ride. [More]
