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    benjaminalloverJay Hathaway
    10/19/15 1:50pm

    I wonder if he can just go work in another city under a different name. What precisely is the vetting system at Uber? Besides a basic criminal background check and having a driver’s license, what do they do to prevent predators from using their service to hunt women?

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      cheerful_exgirlfriendbenjaminallover
      10/19/15 1:56pm

      I don’t know what their vetting system is but I do know they have an option where the customer pays $1-$3 more for a “safer” ride.

      EDIT: It seems like it is NOT optional http://consumerist.com/2015/10/16/ube…

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      pleasestopthispopupcheerful_exgirlfriend
      10/19/15 1:57pm

      are you serious? that is bonkers

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    tito_swinefluJay Hathaway
    10/19/15 2:02pm

    Because Uber churns through employees so quickly, they’ve already run out of drivers who actually know where things are in SF. Now we’re up to the fifth generation of Uber drivers who are living somewhere they can afford on an Uber salary - Richmond, Vallejo, etc. - and can’t actually provide the service Uber purports to provide. When you get in an Uber and say “take me to the Westfield center,” and they have no idea, then it starts getting less appealing as an alternative to cabs. At some point, the race to the bottom in ripping off their employees will start to cut into their bottom line. That point seems to be pretty low though, it may be that all Uber drivers will need to be illiterate rapists who only speak Hungarian before people stop using Uber.

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      Darmok eats Challah at 12Nagratito_swineflu
      10/19/15 2:45pm

      They’re not employees, they’re “partners.” Uber is still appealing that ruling.

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      Belle Starrtito_swineflu
      10/19/15 3:09pm

      This happens in NYC, too. My friend found out the hard way that her Uber driver did not know the difference between the various bridges into Manhattan.

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    KC146Jay Hathaway
    10/19/15 1:51pm

    I mean listen. I get it when people say this could happen in a cab too. The only difference is that it hasn’t.

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      CorlinKC146
      10/19/15 1:52pm

      http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/07/30/tax…

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      CorlinKC146
      10/19/15 1:53pm

      http://kdvr.com/2015/03/16/wom…

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    portland1Jay Hathaway
    10/19/15 3:13pm

    Ah, but white people can still avoid coming into contact with people of color by using Uber, so I don’t anticipate the company suffering much from this. Hipsters gonna hipst.

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      Mashaportland1
      10/19/15 3:17pm

      actually, uber has been pretty useful for helping POC catch rides because a lot of cabbies - at least in NYC - simply won’t stop for someone that isn’t white. it’s one of the few good things about it. nice try, though!

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      portland1Masha
      10/19/15 3:20pm

      My cynicism might be misguided. On the west coast, cabbies are disproportionately POC and are being pushed out of jobs left and right as white Uber drivers displace them.

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    justachickJay Hathaway
    10/19/15 2:00pm

    And everyone keeps telling me it’s so great, why don’t I take it. It’s just as safe as yellow cabs. Yeah right. Uber this.

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      LimaBeansjustachick
      10/19/15 2:12pm

      I’ve never taken an Uber alone, and I won’t. I don’t harbor any illusions about the total safety of yellow cabs, but I think they are safer than rando Uber drivers and are worth the extra money to me.

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      justachickLimaBeans
      10/19/15 7:00pm

      Not sure where you’re going but in NYC Uber usually costs about 1.5-2X or more what yellow cabs do. Black cars from reputable, long-standing car services are generally also cheaper than Uber rates.

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    ThenSAJay Hathaway
    10/19/15 1:49pm

    Wow.

    They really can replicate the experience of a cab ride but at a lower cost.

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      Sean BrodyThenSA
      10/19/15 1:58pm

      Honestly.
      In only the year I’ve been using it, I’ve noticed a marked increase in the DNGAF levels at Uber.
      Early on it was magazines and bottled water and all sorts of cheeriness.
      Now it’s often sweatpants and grunts.

      Yes, I’m saying that Uber itself is ripe for disruption!

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      Code Name-DutchessThenSA
      10/19/15 2:35pm

      Good thing they increased those “Safe Ride” fees recently!

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    Negative, I'm a Meat PopsicleJay Hathaway
    10/19/15 2:10pm

    Silly Jay! You know you can’t fire someone you don’t consider your employee. They just disabled "driver's access to Uber", which is totally comforting. Right?

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      sarahdubJay Hathaway
      10/19/15 2:07pm

      If she doesn’t want to be raped she should have paid the extra “I-don’t-want-to-be-raped-today” fee. Jeez.

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        Pink SkullJay Hathaway
        10/19/15 2:04pm

        Still trying to figure out what an S Fist is.

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          Montauk MonsterJay Hathaway
          10/19/15 4:58pm

          So why does this not happen with Lyft?

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