Is Uber Unsafe?

The first line to pop up on Uber’s website, “Tap a button, get picked up in minutes,” has attracted millions of customers, many of whom are teenagers. With an Uber account, you can request, ride, and pay for a private driver via your mobile phone. In addition, the app provides your exact location, the exact location of your driver, and the estimated number of minutes until your driver’s arrival. You can also choose the type of car, which determines the rate, and the driver–not directly, but once a picture of the driver pops up on your mobile phone, you can cancel that ride and request a different driver. Except for during peak periods, such as after midnight on New Year’s Eve or during a snowstorm, Uber generally charges lower rates than taxis.

Local taxi companies, including Bethesda’s Barwood, have already filed lawsuits against Uber, the app-based car service that is running them out of business because of its convenience and typically lower rates. In the DC metropolitan area, rarely does an Uber take more than 10 minutes to reach you. Why would you call a taxi– which you have to call, give your current address to, be put on hold for minutes at a time, wait around 30 minutes for, and pay for via cash or credit– when you could request an Uber in a few seconds, have it arrive in a few minutes, and conveniently have your fee charged to an account?

According to Maddie Carr, ‘16, “Uber is convenient because you don’t have to wait for the ride to get there. [A car] is always within the short 5-15 minute radius of where you are. You can choose which size car you want, so you don’t have to worry about not having enough room. You also don’t have to worry about parking if you’re going to a concert or having your parents drop you off or pick you up in pre or post concert traffic.”

But just how safe is this seemingly perfect car service? At the very top of the Uber website’s home screen lies a button saying “Want to Come with Uber? Become a Driver.” By giving some brief contact information, ensuring a clean criminal record, and passing a vehicle inspection, virtually anyone can become an UberX driver within minutes. The essential requirements for becoming an UberX driver are simply possessing a smartphone and a relatively new four-door car, usually at least a 2006 model. Uber now requires a car inspection, but the company only requires the most basic inspection of the drivers themselves–a basic criminal background check.

Uber black, a more expensive version of Uber, requires drivers to be certified chauffeurs. The only way for Uber to know about a driver personally is through online customers’ star ratings (1 through 5). This is the company’s sole way of weeding out bad drivers.

A survey of 100 Stone Ridge students revealed that more than half have used Uber before. Approximately 30 percent of Stone Ridge Uber users have been alone in a car with an Uber driver. Are millions of teenagers, and many Stone Ridge girls, being driven around the area by professional drivers or potentially dangerous strangers?

Uber has begun to face public scrutiny, as riders have raised criminal charges against drivers. According to ABC News, an Uber driver in Los Angeles was arrested for allegedly kidnapping a woman with the intention of sexual assault on June 3, 2014; the same day, another Uber Driver in San Francisco was charged with punching a passenger. In December 2013, a driver in San Francisco who told the cops he worked for Uber hit and killed a young girl crossing the street with her mother. Initially, an Uber spokesperson stated that the driver was not working for the company. However, he later said that the driver was between passengers and not logged onto the app; to Uber, that essentially means he was not working for them. Even if we don’t see negative feedback regarding Uber constantly on the news, as young women, we must be especially careful when getting into any car with strangers. Women are much more vulnerable to sexual assault. According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, 9 out of 10 rape victims in 2003 were female.

Despite recent issues involving Uber drivers and sexual assault, the company continues to advertise and attract new users. Though Uber claims to be a transportation company, is it really a technology company, since it is based upon a simple app? Or rather, is it a political company? According to Politico Magazine, David Plouffe, a White House veteran and former advisor to President Obama, was hired by Uber in September 2014 as senior vice president for policy and strategy. His position handles the company’s political work, branding, and communications. As opposed to Obama’s strategy of “Change We Can Believe In” paired with “Hope,” Uber’s political strategy is “Change We Can Believe In” paired with “Choice.” Plouffe’s plan for Uber is to stick to their strategy and ignore the public noise and backfire. Just as Plouffe had helped Obama achieve victory in the Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina Democratic primaries, he is now attempting to help Uber generate good press.

Uber is simply part of an updating transportation cycle. Like taxis, Ubers will likely be outdated by Google automated cars, which will immediately take the shortest route to their destinations without drivers. Sources, including the MIT Technology Review, already claim that Google automated cars are looking smoother and safer than human-driven cars.

More than one fourth of Stone Ridge girls use Uber rides to concerts; perhaps in the next few years they will instead take driverless Google cars to Merriweather Post Pavilion and Jiffy Lube Live! For now, we must all be careful and aware when taking Uber vehicles.

To stay safe, here are some tips for Uber users:

1. Check the license plate confirmation number, vehicle description, and photo of your driver on the app to ensure you are getting into the Uber that you ordered.
2. If you approach the vehicle and feel uncomfortable about the driver or the car, cancel your trip.
3. Don’t reveal any personal information during the ride to your driver.
4. If you feel uncomfortable, stay on the phone with a sibling, parent, or friend during the ride.
5. Get dropped off a few blocks away from your house if you are going home. If you live in a residential neighborhood, get dropped off a few houses down from your own and walk.
6. There are apps available for women’s safety. Download one so you have a fast way to reach someone in the event of an emergency.

Pricing:

-The cheapest Uber, UberX, has a base price of $2, $0.20 per minute, and $1.02 per mile.

-The mid-priced black car has a base price of $7, $0.40 per minute, and $3.40 per mile.

-The more expensive SUV has a base price of $14, $0.45 per minute, and $3.65 per mile.