It’s fairly difficult to get from point A to point B when the engine in your car suddenly stalls. For that reason, Volkswagen recalled nearly 281,000 vehicles that could contain a fuel pump issue. [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
Uber Finally Lets You Opt Out Of Having Your Location Tracked After Your Ride Is Over
By 8.29.17
Late last year, Uber made a change to its app that let it track customers after their rides had ended. Many troubled months later, the company is finally walking back that tweak, and will once again let customers have more control over when their locations are used. [More]
Southwest Airlines Flies 500 Stranded Passengers Out Of Airport Closed By Hurricane
By 8.28.17
With the arrival of Hurricane Harvey in Texas this weekend, hundreds of Southwest Airlines customers were stranded on Sunday after Houston Hobby Airport closed — so the airline decided to just fly those folks out of there. [More]
Uber Picks Expedia Boss Dara Khosrowshahi To Be Next CEO
By 8.28.17
Two months after Uber’s board of directors made CEO Travis Kalanick’s leave of absence permanent, the ride-hailing company has chosen Expedia’s head honcho Dara Khosrowshahi as its next top boss. [More]
Lyft Drivers Think That ‘Taco Mode’ Is More Like Taco Hell
By 8.25.17
The idea of Lyft’s “Taco Mode,” where drivers happily cart their fares to the drive-thru line at their local Taco Bell, seemed like a fun marketing partnership and useful way to save passengers craving burritos from having an awkward conversation with their drivers. No one seems to have asked drivers about this idea beforehand, though, and they’ve been having visions of “taco hell” since the program was announced. [More]
Qantas Airways Setting Its Sights On Offering The World’s Longest Nonstop Flight
By 8.25.17
Although many air travelers are counting down the minutes until they can get off the plane and away from sitting in cramped quarters with hundreds of strangers, there’s a certain cachet these days in offering extreme long-haul flights. Qantas Airways wants to be the next to claim the title of world’s longest nonstop flight, with plans for a new route that would take 20 hours. [More]
3 Reasons Your Applause Might Not Matter To Pilots
By 8.24.17
There’s nothing better for a timid flyer than to land safety at their destination after a bumpy, turbulence-filled flight. But before you press those hands together in an exuberant clap, you might want to reconsider. Turns out, some pilots don’t like to receive rousing applause. [More]
Here’s How One State Is Using Driver’s License Facial Recognition To Crack Down On Fraud
By 8.23.17
Fake IDs aren’t just a problem for people whose identities have been stolen and used to make a new driver’s license, but they can also lead to unlicensed drivers hitting the roads and potentially endangering others. Officials in New York say they’ve made a serious dent in these kinds of crimes with its driver’s license facial recognition technology. [More]
Uber Drivers Have Already Received $50 Million In Tips Through The App
By 8.23.17
After a parade of scandals and a campaign urging users to delete its app, the ride-hailing app Uber has implemented some changes that the company hopes will make drivers happier, including in-app tipping. Since that was added to the app, the company reports that drivers have already received $50 million in tips. [More]
Freight Train Delays Aren’t Endangering Supplies Of Pringles And Fries… Yet
By 8.22.17
There’s no need to worry yet, but it’s possible that service problems at the freight railroad CSX might endanger Pringles, McDonald’s French fries, and the production of other mundane objects that keep our economy running. [More]
Would You Video Chat With An Airline Customer Service Rep?
By 8.22.17
Sometimes you simply can’t get your frustration with an airline across simply by raising your voice talking to a customer service representative on the phone. Now you can look someone in the face via video conferencing — at least at Delta Air Lines. [More]
Great Wall Motors Not Actually That Interested In Fiat Chrysler’s Jeep After All
By 8.22.17
A day after Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motors revealed its desire to buy Jeep from Fiat Chrysler, the manufacturer is backing away from the plan, noting that it hasn’t yet entered talks with the company. [More]
British Airways Passenger Claims He Had To Sit In Urine-Soaked Seat For 11 Hours
By 8.21.17
There are uncomfortable flying situations, and then there’s sitting in a urine-soaked seat for 11 hours. [More]
Volkswagen Resurrecting The Microbus With New Electric Version
By 8.21.17
Our love affair with things of the past has spurred the resurgence of several products in recent years — Crystal Pepsi, Zima, Clearly Canadian to name a few. Volkswagen is hoping to parlay this affection for the throwback into big sales by redesigning one of its most emblematic models, the microbus, with a modern twist. [More]
Uber Driver Accused Of Locking Passenger In Car, Demanding Sex
By 8.21.17
A Chicago Uber driver has been charged with unlawful restraint after he was accused of locking a passenger in his car and demanding that she have sex with him. [More]
Could The Jeep Brand Cross The Ocean For A New Home In China?
By 8.21.17
Nearly 30 years after Chrysler bought the Jeep brand from American Motors Corporation, the seminal SUV brand could be switching hands and continents: Chinese carmaker Great Wall says it plans to acquire Jeep from Fiat Chrysler. [More]
Federal Appeals Court Is Okay With Uber Taking Away Customers’ Right To Sue
By 8.17.17
Like companies in just about every industry, the ride-hailing app Uber requires users to agree that they will take any disputes to an arbitrator rather than the legal system. And although you may never have noticed this clause, a federal appeals court has now ruled that customers receive “reasonably conspicuous” notice about the arbitration requirement. [More]
JetBlue Crew Members Sent To Hospital Over… Nail Polish Remover Odor?
By 8.17.17
There are a number of odors that might permeate through an airplane that could make occupants sick: fuel, exhaust, travelers’ farts, but nail polish remover? That was apparently the case on a recent JetBlue flight, sending two crew members to the hospital. [More]
