Community Chat

[Alison Wonderland]

In 2016, Austin and some other Texas cities passed ordinances to require Uber and Lyft to require drivers to go be fingerprinted (same as Taxi drivers). In 2017, Uber and Lyft pressured the city to put the ordinance to a vote and spent over 8 million dollars to overturn the law. They tried to have a councilwoman behind the ordinance recalled and had obnoxious people knocking on doors all over town and flat out telling lies about the ordinance. It was awful. And they were soundly defeated by the city and then decided to take their ball and go home.

Austin started several small local businesses, like Ride Austin, that paid the drivers more than Uber or Lyft had and they fingerprinted their drivers.

The Texas legislature then passed a bill that overturned the Austin ordinance, as well as similar ordinances in other cities, allowing ride shares to operate across Texas without fingerprinting drivers. Uber and Lyft came back, but I only use Ride Austin in town because I found the behavior of Uber and Lyft to be truly despicable.

When I'm out of town I will use Lyft if I have to, but I'm firmly in the #DeleteUber camp for a number of reasons.

[QueenDanceALot]

@hckynut 

I don't know all the particulars but have read that Uber uses some independent checker (actually called Checkr), but not the FBI.  I don't think they are known to be thorough in their checks of drivers.

@Alison Wonderland posted interesting information about their practices.

[Mz iMac]

@hckynut  You are correct.  However, in these Uber assults, it is always a "lone" female.  That being said, in my neck of the woods sad to say, "assults" occur on "public transportation &/or their properties" in broad daylight w/plenty of security cams & no snitch witnesses just about every other day.

Regarding Uber "rape assults," I stronly believe in certain situations, when catching a Uber ride, it is safty in numbers.

[lovescats]

I don't think saying safety in numbers is valid in today's world.   When someone has to go to work and go home or even anywhere  there isn't going to be someone to go back and forth with them on an uber or public transportation.

[SandySparkles]

Like another poster, we occasionally take Uber into the city for events, because traffic and parking can be a NIGHTMARE. On the occasions when I've taken Uber alone, I've never felt unsafe, and hope my luck never runs out. My heart goes out to those less fortunate.

~~~All we need is LOVE💖

[Lipstickdiva]

I have only used Uber a few times.  We used them once to go from Port of Miami to the Fort Lauderdale Airport and I used them in NYC.  

We have a friend who is a Lyft driver but I never asked what he had to go through as far as a background check, etc.  I'm not sure how prevalent either of these services is in my area.  I personally prefer to drive myself around.  If DH and I are going out, one of us refrains from drinking so we can drive home.