If you complain to Uber about your driver taking you on a wildly circuitous route to your destination — thus resulting in a higher bill — you know the company can check that because you can see your car’s every turn being tracked in real time on the app. But Uber can also use the driver’s smartphone to see if they are driving recklessly. [More]
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Uber Driver Allegedly Pulls Gun On Passenger Who Said He Might Toss His Cookies In The Car
By 1.26.16
It is undoubtedly unpleasant — nay, down right nasty, when someone vomits in your car. But just because someone says vehicular vomiting is a possibility, that doesn’t mean you should pull out a gun and order them to get the heck out of your ride, which is what police say one Uber driver in Florida did recently. [More]
Uber Expands On-Demand Food Delivery Service To 10 More Cities
By 1.21.16
People who are looking for a bite to eat, but don’t feel like interacting with the world at large can now simply order their meals from their Uber app. The ride-hailing company expanded its UberEATS meal-delivery service to 10 more cities, including Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Atlanta, Houston, Seattle, and Dallas. The service delivers customers their choice of meals from a specially curated and rotating menu that features “local flavors that you crave the most” from the “most popular, iconic restaurants.” [The Wall Street Journal] [More]
Business Travelers Would Rather Take An Uber Than Rent A Car
By 1.21.16
Uber has been gaining in popularity in the corporate travel realm for a few months now, but according to one analysis, it’s now the No. 1 option for business travelers, overtaking taxis and topping rental cars. [More]
Uber Will Get A Special Drop-Off And Pick-Up Area For Passengers Traveling To The Super Bowl
By 1.20.16
For the first time ever, Super Bowl ticketholders will be able to take an Uber to the big game: the ride-hailing company has put down a big chunk of money to snag a special drop-off and pick-up zone near Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, close to San Francisco. [More]
Need A Ride? Soon You Can Hail A Helicopter With Uber
By 1.18.16
Hate dealing with traffic, and have a big chunk of money just burning up in your pocket? You’ll soon be able to summon a helicopter ride using Uber, as part of partnership between the ride-hailing company and aircraft manufacturer Airbus. [More]
Uber To Pay $7.6M To California In Order To Keep Drivers On The Road
By 1.14.16
Uber must pay a $7.6 million fine in order to keep its drivers on the road in California after the state’s Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted on Thursday to approve a judge’s months-old recommendation that found the ride-sharing company failed to meet data reporting requirements. [More]
Couple Says Uber Driver Left Woman Stranded On NYC Sidewalk While She Was In Labor, Still Charged Her $13
By 1.12.16
If there’s one time in your life when you could really use a lift somewhere, it’s got to be when you’re preparing to birth a human being. But can an Uber driver who may be adverse to transporting a person in labor just leave you hanging? That’s what happened to one couple in New York City, who say that after the pregnant woman vomited on the sidewalk, their driver refused to give them a ride to the hospital… and charged $13 for the privilege of being stranded. [More]
Uber Cuts Prices In 100 Cities — But Don’t Expect The Discounts To Last Forever
By 1.11.16
It’s that time of year again, when the cold has seeped into your bones, and winter’s relentlessly gray sky has you huddled under a pile of blankets inside where it’s safe and warm. But if you’re holed up at home, how is Uber going to make money? By trying to draw customers out of their winter dens with steep discounts in a slew of cities. [More]
Uber Settles With NY Attorney General Over 2014 Data Breach
By 1.7.16
Ride-hailing services have vital information about both their drivers and their readers on file. For drivers, they have license and vehicle information, as well as personal information used for payment. For passengers, a location-based app knows where users are, creating a Marauder’s Map of cars and people in a city. NeW York State has settled with ride-hailing company Uber for $20,000 over a 2014 breach, and the company also agreed to encrypt and limit access to passenger location information. [More]
Uber Is Thinking Of Getting Into The Travel Business
By 12.31.15
While yes, you certainly travel some distance when you’re riding in a car you had pick you up, Uber is apparently considering expanding its travel business beyond ride-hailing. [More]
Sidecar Calling It Quits, Ceasing Service Dec. 31
By 12.29.15
There will be one less ride-sharing company to shuttle you and your packages around the city come January 1: Sidecar plans to shutter its ride and delivery service by the end of the year. [More]
Final Decision In Uber Driver Class Action Won’t Come Until Appeals Court Decides On Arbitration
By 12.23.15
The trial in the case of California Uber drivers against the ride-hailing app is still going forward, scheduled for June 20, 2016. However, a few weeks ago, the judge allowed all of the drivers taking part to sue for mileage and phone bill reimbursement. Uber is appealing that ruling, and the appeal may not be resolved before the trial. This week, the judge ruled that he won’t make a final ruling until that case is resolved. [More]
Uber Sends Drivers New Contract That Includes Opting Out Of Any Current Class Actions
By 12.18.15
Was Uber trying to deliberately trick its drivers when it sent out a new driver agreement, or just trying to make its contract provisions clearer? While the company’s attorneys claim that the new driver contract wouldn’t actually preclude drivers still working for them from taking part in the California lawsuit or other lawsuits against them, the attorney for the affected drivers disagrees. [More]
Facebook Users Can Now Use The Messenger App To Hail A Ride
By 12.16.15
In its ongoing effort to keep Facebook users inside the Facebook universe at all times, the social media giant is adding a new feature to Messenger that will allow folks to hail a ride with Uber and other on-demand car services from within the app. [More]
Forget Stars, You Might Be Able To Rate Uber Drivers With An Emoji Soon
By 12.15.15
Who wants to get five stars when they can get a smiley face or a thumbs up instead? That’s the idea behind a new rating system Uber is testing. [More]
Federal Judge Rules That California Uber Drivers Can Sue For Vehicle And Phone Expenses
By 12.10.15
There’s a fairly low barrier to entry if you want to work as a driver for Uber or similar ride-hailing apps: you need to be over 21, have a safe driving record, and have a car that meets the company’s criteria. Then the company sends you work through their app, an arrangement that a current class action lawsuit says makes drivers employees of the service, entitled to reimbursement of their car and phone expenses. Now a federal district judge in California has ruled that the workers are entitled to have Uber cover their vehicle and smartphone expenses. [More]
Uber Testing Color-Coded Light System To Help Passengers Find The Right Ride
By 12.3.15
A few weeks ago, I hopped in the back of an Uber vehicle after it pulled up right in front of me, thinking it must be the car I’d ordered to this exact spot, arriving on time just as the app said it was. But then my actual driver called my phone, and the man behind the wheel asked if my name was Kristy (it isn’t). Uber is testing a way to keep such mixups from happening with a color-coded light system to help passengers find their ride. [More]
