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Tag: uber

  • Uber and Lyft Have Reached the Shenanigan-Calling Stage of Their Rivalry

    Rival on-demand car service companies Uber and lyft are in a real pissing match right now, as they continue to accuse each other of employing some under-the-table techniques to get ahead.

    On Tuesday Lyft took a shot at Uber, claiming that the company was engaging in a ride cancellation scheme. Lyft claimed to have cross-referenced phone numbers of known Uber recruiters to those of canceled rides and spotted no fewer than 5,560 hoax ride requests since last fall. Lyft said that the requests and subsequent cancellations have come from 177 different Uber employees.

    Lyft also accused Uber recruiters of taking short rides with the sole purpose of pulling Lyft drivers over to their side. Uber issued a brief statement, patently denying the first accusation and not so much denying the latter.

    But it’s this statement from Uber, adding to its initial response, that’s the most shade-throwin’ thing you’ll see this week:

    Lyft’s claims against Uber are baseless and simply untrue. Furthermore, Lyft’s own drivers and employees, including one of Lyft’s founders, have canceled 12,900 trips on Uber. But instead of providing the long list of questionable tactics that Lyft has used over the years, we are focusing on building and maintaining the best platform for both consumers and drivers.

    These attacks from Lyft are unfortunate but somewhat expected. A number of Lyft investors have recently been pushing Uber to acquire Lyft. One of their largest shareholders recently warned that Lyft would “go nuclear” if we do not acquire them. We can only assume that the recent Lyft attacks are part of that strategy.

    Ah, yes. The ol’ I’m not the type of guy to say it, but if I were, I’d say… bit. Here, Uber accused Lyft of the very same ride cancellation strategy, on a larger scale, without providing any backing details.

    Uber also says the Lyft’s investors are so unsatisfied that they’re begging Uber to acquire it. As they’d say about two years ago on the internet, shots fired.

    Of course, Lyft has already shot back, saying that Uber is simply trying to distract everyone from its own shitty tactics (not in those exact words – although it wouldn’t surprise me at this point). Lyft said that the whole unhappy investors thing is poppycock, saying its investors are ““extremely excited that Lyft is approaching IPO-level revenue.”

    Tune in next week when we find out which company has the bigger dick.

    Image via Lyft, Facebook

  • Uber Is Playing Dirty, According to Lyft

    Uber Is Playing Dirty, According to Lyft

    According to Lyft, rival on-demand car service Uber isn’t playing fair.

    CNNMoney is reporting that data obtained from Lyft suggests that Uber is strategically throwing wrenches into Lyft operations – mainly by requesting and then canceling rides. Obviously, this tactic would not only indispose Lyft drivers, making it harder keep up with customer demand, but it would also cost Lyft drivers untold amounts in job-related expenses, like gas cost for one.

    Lyft claims to have cross-referenced phone numbers of known Uber recruiters to those of canceled rides and spotted no fewer than 5,560 hoax ride requests since October of last year. Apparently, these requests have come from 177 different Uber employees.

    Apparently, even if the Uber employees take the rides, they “take short, low-profit rides largely devoted to luring them to work for Uber,” according to CNNMoney.

    Now those are some rather unsavory practices that Uber’s been accused of. Uber has flatly denied the canceling rides scheme in a statement that focuses on recruitment:

    That is patently false.

    Both riders and drivers help recruit new drivers to the Uber platform, where the economic opportunity is unmatched in the industry. We recently ran a program where thousands of riders recruited drivers from other platforms, earning hundreds of dollars in Uber credits for each driver who tries Uber. Even Lyft drivers have participated in a successful campaign recruiting thousands of other Lyft drivers to Uber, where drivers make a better living than on any other platform.Taking the ride and meeting the driver is essential to driver recruitment.

    Uber is still the big boy on the block, but Lyft is also very popular and making big moves (like New York, despite the challenges). Both companies recently revealed their own versions of carpooling programs, which will allow users to share rides with strangers who happen to need a pickup along the original route. Both Lyft and Uber claim that this will lower costs for riders and make the whole on-demand model more efficient.

    Image via Uber, Facebook

  • Lyft Is Doing That Whole Carpooling Thing Too

    On Tuesday, on-demand ride company Uber unveiled UberPool, a new service that allows users to split fares with strangers who are planning on traveling on a similar path. With UberPool, one single Uber ride can stop numerous times in one “trip” and carry multiple people to their destinations.

    Not to be outdone, rival Lyft is also unveiling a new carpooling service. It’s called Lyft Line, and it does pretty much the same thing as UberPool.

    “Today, we’re excited to announce the launch of Lyft Line — shared rides along shared routes, priced for daily use. Simply set your destination, and we’ll connect you with a ride already going the same way for up to 60% less than an original Lyft ride. Lyft Line will roll out first in San Francisco on iOS, with Android and other cities to follow,” says Lyft.

    That 60 percent is quite an eye-popping number. Chances are, it’ll be a bit to a lot less of a discount than that – considering Lyft will calculate the discounted rates based on the likelihood of any given route finding a match for someone who wants to hop on.

    Still, the discounted and split fares could make for some cheap rides. Lyft says they’re pioneering what they call “personal transit” – which I assume align the benefits of on-demand rides with the added bonuses of cheaper rates and that sense community you feel when riding the bus with strangers.

    “Lyft Line is a system that is flexible, lightweight, and constructs itself in real-time. This is a transit system with infinite routes — and it becomes stronger, more affordable, and more efficient the more it’s used. It will grow as we grow, and change as our cities change,” says Lyft.

    I guess at this point we just have to start debating names – UberPool vs. Lyft Line. UberPool kind of sounds like UberCool, but Lyft Line sounds like a “lifeline” and has that sweet alliteration. Plus, UberPool is too heavy-handed on the whole carpool aspect of the service. The winner is Lyft Line.* That’s it – game over. We’re done here.

    *The author of this post users Lyft more than Uber, he thinks.

    Image via Lyft, YouTube screenshot

  • Uber Wants to Get You Riding in Cars with Strangers

    Uber Wants to Get You Riding in Cars with Strangers

    Uber has a super ambitious goal to “provide transportation so inexpensive and reliable, people can actually sell their cars.” And while Uber touts that its service costs 40 percent less than taxis, on average, riding with Uber still feels like a taxi-esque service, at least in terms of cost and method. You call Uber, Uber picks you up, Uber takes you (and only you) to your destination.

    Now, it looks like Uber wants to really emphasize the ‘sharing’ part of ride-sharing. The company has announced UberPool, which is basically Uber with the option to stop and pick up other passengers during any route.

    Of course, the passengers will split the bill.

    UberPool works like regular Uber, except it looks for matches – other people looking for rides that happen to be taking a similar route as the original passenger. Uber says that UberPool could reduce ride costs by another 40 percent.

    There’s also the added bonus of the always creepy-sounding “social experiment”:

    “This is also a bold social experiment. There’s the interaction between riders in an UberPool—should they talk to each other? When is that cool and when is it, well, annoying? We’re going to find out how this brave new world of UberPooling works—we’ll iterate on this beta product and get it right, because the larger social implications of reducing the number of cars on the road, congestion in cities, pollution, parking challenges… are truly inspiring.”

    UberPool launches in private beta in San Francisco today, and will expand as Uber sees fit. UberPool will likely seem a great idea to those looking to save a buck, who have no problem with sharing rides. Other might scoff at the idea of sharing rides with strangers, even though that’s exactly what they’re doing every time they get in an Uber car.

    Image via Uber

  • Whysk Is Here to Redefine On-Demand Transportation

    Clickhole, The Onion’s self-described “latest and greatest online social experience filled with the most clickable, irresistibly shareable content anywhere on the internet,” is fun. It really is. It’s a self-aware Buzzfeed. It’s a self-loathing Upworthy. It’s also a smart move.

    And dammit, this is funny.

    Clickhole presents, Whysk. It’s ready to challenge Uber and Lyft in the ridesharing field by offering something absolutely revolutionary – rides that aren’t actually rides. Well, they are rides, kind of.

    Whysk allows you to be whisked away to your location by on-demand monks. Just watch.

    Just perfect.

    Image via Clickhole, screenshot

  • Uber Driver Accused of Sexual Assault in DC

    Uber Driver Accused of Sexual Assault in DC

    Despite implementing a ‘safe rides fee’ earlier this year, stories about Uber passengers experiencing anything but safe rides continue to pop up.

    The latest comes from Washington DC, where a 32-year-old Uber driver has been charged with second degree sexual abuse after a passenger claimed that he molested her in the back of his car this past Sunday.

    From Washington City Paper:

    In the affadavit, the woman says she passed out in the cab and that when she woke, the driver was rubbing her breasts. She then fell back asleep, according to court documents, and woke up again to the sound of car doors locking. The cab had stopped and the driver was feeling her breasts and pulling down her underwear down to her knees. She says she asked the driver to be let out of the vehicle, but he refused and at one point asked if he could go back to her hotel with her. In a follow-up interview with authorities, she said Chakari briefly penetrated her with his finger or another thin object.

    Luckily, the woman somehow managed to send out a couple of texts to a friend (who had called the ride for her on his account). He was able to contact the driver, which appears to have ended the attack.

    Uber says the driver has been suspended and they are cooperating fully with the investigation.

    This isn’t the first case of driver impropriety that’s hit Uber recently. In July, an Uber driver took riders on a high-speed chase, again in DC. Then in June, an Uber driver reportedly kidnapped a drunk woman and took her to a motel, where he slept with her in the room and “fondled her over her clothes and suggested he wanted to have sex, but didn’t force it.” Another Uber driver was accused of rape in Washington DC, but that case has since been dropped. In February, a woman claimed she was briefly kidnapped by an Uber driver over a fare dispute.

    Rides-sharing, on-demand car services – or whatever you want to call them – have a lot of potential and are clearly not going anywhere in the foreseeable future. But safety is a huge concern – especially for the most high-profile company in this field. Every time an Uber passenger is sexually assaulted, taken on a cop-evading joyride, or simply made to feel uncomfortable, we all should ask ourselves – exactly who’s car are we getting into?

    Uber, like Lyft and similar services, assure us that safety is of the utmost priority. But things like this keep happening. And for those who have fell victim to a predatory or off-their-rocker driver, best intentions aren’t really enough when it comes to safety.

    Then again, it’s not like this kind of thing is limited to Uber. Regular old taxi drivers don’t exactly have a clean sheet in this department. I think the emphasis on companies like Uber springs from the fact that Uber’s whole schtick is that it’s a cut above taking a Taxi. Time to put up or shut up, I’d say.

    Image via Uber, Facebook

  • Facebook and Uber Reportedly Talking Messenger Integration

    Facebook and Uber Reportedly Talking Messenger Integration

    In the future, it’s possible that you’ll be able to coordinate a ride to pick up you and your drunk friends using Facebook Messenger.

    Recode quotes sources familiar with the matter who say that Mark Zuckerberg has held preliminary talks with Uber CEO Travis Kalanick about some sort of Uber/Facebook Messenger partnership.

    “It’s very conceptual, and nowhere near execution…but it’s a direction that Messenger has to go in,” said the source.

    So, not really a sure thing – but you know, it surely makes sense.

    This comes on the heels of some of the biggest news to come out of Facebook’s recent earnings call – that sometime, eventually, Messenger would get some sort of payments functionality.

    Here’s the full context of Zuckerberg’s comments about Messenger and payments, if you’re interested:

    Messenger will have — over time there will be some overlap between that and payments. But I guess what I’m just trying to say is two things. One is, the payments piece will be a part of what will help drive the overall success and help people share with each other and interact with businesses. But we’re really focused on the interactions overall, rather than the mechanism and David shares that view.

    And the second thing is just that there’s so much ground work that we need to do in order to make it so that people are communicating with businesses and public figures and entities in these other apps that we’re building, which is part of the business ecosystem. And I really can’t underscore that enough that we have a lot of work to do and we could take the cheap and easy approach and just try to put ads in or do payments and make some money in the short term. But we’re not going to do that. So to the extent that any of your models or anything reflects that we might be doing that, I would strongly encourage you here to adjust that, because we’re not going to and we’re going to take time to do this in the way that we think that’s going to be right over multiple years.

    The partnership would be beneficial for both companies, at least on the surface. For Uber, they’d have a new pipeline into a user base of over 200 million, who collectively send over 12 billion messages every single day. For Facebook, Uber would be just one step in turning Messenger into a real payments platform, something that they clearly want to do…somewhere down the road…sometime…maybe.

    Image via Uber, Facebook

  • Uber Returns to Windows Phone

    Uber Returns to Windows Phone

    On-demand ride service Uber has just (re)launched on Windows Phone, meaning Windows Phone users won’t have to call rides via the mobile site anymore.

    Uber says the brand new app is “is optimized for the Windows Phone platform and reflects the complete Uber experience.”

    “Users will be able to open the Uber app on their Windows Phone anywhere in the world – whether in the United States, India or France – and seamlessly request a safe, reliable ride at the touch of a button.The availability of the Uber app – in more than 150 cities and in 41 countries – and the international adoption of the Windows Phone means that we can connect with the Windows Phone community like never before,” says Uber.

    Uber initially launched on Windows Phone back in 2013, but was yanked after only a couple of weeks.

    According to the Windows Phones blog, “Uber for Windows Phone is a fast, full-featured native app that makes ordering your next ride super easy.” Hopefully, as the first attempt drew quite a few complaints. Windows Phones Central says that the app will be adding some features soon, including fare quotes, shareable links with trip map and ETA, and the ability to split fares with friends.

    You can grab the app here, Windows Phone owners. The app will work on all Windows Phone 8 and Windows Phone 8.1 devices.

    Image via Uber Blog

  • Uber Driver Takes Riders on High-Speed Chase in DC

    Uber Driver Takes Riders on High-Speed Chase in DC

    A New Yorker says he was kidnapped by an Uber driver in Washington DC and taken on a high-speed chase.

    The D.C. Taxicab Commission has confirmed an incident did occur and they are investigating. Official details aren’t yet available, but according to frequent Uber user Ryan Simonetti it was one hell of a wild ride.

    According to Simonetti, he and two colleagues called an Uber ride around 1:15. When the car arrived and they made their way to it, he noticed that a DC taxi inspector was talking to the Uber driver. They got in anyway.

    Before they knew it, the Uber driver had taken off and the taxi inspector was following close behind, lights on.

    According to Simonetti, the driver then began to speed and run red lights. He sideswiped cars. The driver apparently claimed that the taxi inspector “wasn’t a real cop” and that if he stopped, he’d be leveled with a $2,000 fine.

    The ride lasted around 10 minutes, until the taxi inspector was somehow able to block the Uber driver’s path on an off-ramp. This gave Simonetti time to jump out of the car before the driver turned around and drove the wrong way down the ramp.

    “It was like an episode of ‘Cops,’” Simonetti said.

    Uber was quick to respond to Simonetti’s tweet for help, so there’s that.

    The ride-sharing company has also issued a statement:

    Uber became aware of a potential incident involving an UberBLACK trip in Washington, DC [Tuesday] afternoon. Rider safety is our #1 priority. We will cooperate with authorities in their investigation and have deactivated the driver pending the outcome.

    This isn’t the first case of driver impropriety that’s put Uber on the defensive. In June, an Uber driver reportedly kidnapped a drunk woman and took her to a motel, where he slept with her in the room and “fondled her over her clothes and suggested he wanted to have sex, but didn’t force it.” Another Uber driver was accused of rape in Washington DC, but that case has since been dropped. In February, a woman claimed she was briefly kidnapped by an Uber driver over fare.

    And then there’s the wrongful death lawsuit that Uber currently finds itself embroiled in.

    All of these incidents, as they pile up, are leading people to ask just who the hell is driving me around when I use Uber or Lyft, or a similar on-demand car service?

    Everything turned out ok for Simonetti and crew, as law enforcement is now on the case.

    Image via Uber, Facebook

  • Uber ‘Honors’ Pride Week with On-Demand Weddings

    On-demand car company, ride-sharing purveyors, or disruptors of the taxi game – whatever you want to call them, Uber is known for creative marketing stunts. Last year, the company offered to deliver kittens for people to play with. Then, during Christmas, they delivered Christmas trees.

    Now, in honor of San Francisco’s LGBT Pride week, Uber is offering to marry you – on-demand.

    Here’s what an Uberwedding will look like:

    When your UberWEDDING arrives, we’ll get started right away. You’ll first work with our on-site notary to obtain your marriage license. Once the license is official, the violinist will begin to play and the ceremony will commence!

    You’ll walk down an aisle surrounded by flowers from Bloom That and candles from bella j. After you both say “I Do,” we’ll celebrate with dessert from SusieCakes, cheers with champagne from Iron Horse and you’ll receive a gift bag from L.

    If you’re in the area and wish to have a sudden wedding, just open the Uber app and drop a pin where you’d like the wedding to take place. Uber will even provide you with vows, if you’re in too much of a hurry to write your own.

    “From arrival to “I do” will take 45 – 60 min,” says Uber.

    Uber is offering these quickie weddings to people of all sexual orientations, but the emphasis is definitely on the LGBT community, it being Pride week and all.

    So, uh, people aren’t happy about this.

    “We’re thankful to be based in San Francisco, a city that recognizes love doesn’t have to look any certain way. In honor of Pride week, we’re celebrating the inclusive idea that love is love with something that lasts a lifetime,” says Uber.

    Look, maybe this was a sincere attempt at having a little fun over the weekend, and maybe Uber is very supportive of the LGBT community (I’m sure they truly are) – but they had to have seen this coming.

    Maybe just stick with the kitten delivery in the future, ok guys?

    Image via Uber, Twitter

  • Uber Is Now a $17B Company After Latest Funding

    On-demand car service Uber has just announced a massive $1.2 billion injection from “some of the leading investors in the world,” which values the company at $17 billion (not counting what they already have in the war chest).

    With that announcement, Uber now operates in 128 cities in 37 countries around the world and says that they are directly responsible for creating 20,000 new jobs every month.

    “With our growth and expansion, the company has evolved from being a scrappy Silicon Valley tech startup to being a way of life for millions of people in cities around the world. This ‘Uber’ way of life is really a reflection of our mission to turn ground transportation into a seamless service and to enable a transportation alternative in cities that makes car ownership a thing of the past,” says Uber CEO Travis Kalanick in a blog post.

    Uber says that their car service is “improving the environment, reducing DUI rates and fueling urban economic development.”

    With this new round of funding, Uber is now planted firmly in the big leagues – but it isn’t exactly smooth sailing for the company. For one, Uber (and other similar services like Lyft) are facing stiff resistance from the old guard – taxi companies. And that influence has trickled down into state-by-state politics, where they are facing probable fines in some areas for “illegal operations.”

    Just today, we learned the the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles sent Uber a cease and desist letter, demanding that Uber stop all operations in the state or face fines.

    Not only that, but Uber has also faced questions about the safety of its service – mainly a question of “just who the hell is driving me around?” An off-the-clock Uber driver has been accused of kidnapping a drunk woman, taking her to a hotel, and sexually assaulting her. The company is also currently embroiled in a wrongful death suit after the tragic accident that took the life of a six-year-old girl on New Year’s Eve.

    Still, Uber has confidence moving forward – and a whole lot of cash to boot.

    “We appreciate the confidence that investors, riders and partner drivers have shown in us and we intend to deliver,” says Kalanick.

    Image via Uber, Facebook

  • Virginia DMV Tells Uber, Lyft to Cease ‘Illegal Operations’, Suggests They Focus on Lobbying

    The state of Virginia is none too happy at on-demand car services Uber and Lyft operating, in its mind, outside the framework of its passenger carrier laws.

    The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles has sent out two cease and desist letters, one to Uber and one to Lyft, demanding that both companies stop operating in the commonwealth of Virginia until they “obtain proper authority.”

    The DMV is threatening to fine Uber and Lyft drivers. It wouldn’t be the first fines the Virginia DMV has handed Uber or Lyft, as they assessed civil penalties earlier this year. Uber and Lyft, naturally, contend that they are not taxi services, but ride-sharing companies.

    “Virginia law requires for-hire passenger carriers to have proper operating authority. Although certain types of passenger carrier arrangements are excluded from this requirement, none of those exclusions applies to Lyft’s operations. For example, Va. Code 46.2-2000.1 contains an exclusion for ride-sharing arrangements; however, a separate statute sets out the requirements for ride-sharing arrangements. This statute defines ride-sharing arrangements as those which do not involve transporting passengers for profit. See Va. Code 46.2-1400, et seq. Lyft’s operations are not ridesharing arrangements as defined in Virginia law because Lyft receives compensation for its services.

    The letter sent to Uber says the exact same thing.

    A spokesperson for Uber calls the Virginia DMV’s actions “shocking and unexpected.”

    “The DMV’s actions today are shocking and unexpected. Uber has been providing Virginians with safe, affordable and reliable transportation options for months and has continued to work in good faith with the DMV to create a regulatory framework for ridesharing. The DMV decision today hurts thousands of small business entrepreneurs who rely on the Uber platform to make a living, create new jobs and contribute to the economy – and it hurts the countless residents who rely on Uber to connect them with affordable, safe and reliable transportation alternatives. We look forward to continuing to work with the Virginia DMV to find a permanent home for ridesharing in the Commonwealth,” says Uber’s Natalia Montalvo.

    A Lyft spokesperson echoed Uber’s sentiments on safety.

    “The current regulations surrounding taxis and limos were created before something like Lyft was even imagined,” a Lyft spokesperson told WVEC. “Lyft’s peer-to-peer business model does not easily fit into the current framework, but we have made safety a top priority from the beginning by putting forth strict safety measures that go beyond what is required for existing transportation providers.”

    At the end of the letters to both Uber and Lyft, the Virginia DMV makes a suggestion to the companies:

    “As you know, DMV is actively studying Virginia’s passenger carrier laws and business models such as Uber/Lyft. DMV has invited Uber/Lyft and other stakeholders to participate in this study and will produce a final report before the next legislative session. I strongly suggest that Uber/Lyft focus its resources on participation in this study rather than continue illegal operations in the meantime.

    In other words, get your lobbying pants on boys, and head to Richmond.

    Here’s the most telling aspect of this story, via Watchdog.org:

    Sunni Blevins Brown, spokeswoman for the Virginia DMV, confirmed that a “number of transportation companies, including taxis, have contacted DMV regarding this matter.

    Of course they have.

    Lord knows ride-sharing companies, especially Uber, have a lot of ‘splainin to do in other areas of their business model, but it’s hard to look at the DMV’s action as anything but a transparent move to protect the old guard.

    Image via Lyft, Twitter

  • Uber Driver Allegedly Kidnapped Drunk Woman, Took Her to Motel

    Uber Driver Allegedly Kidnapped Drunk Woman, Took Her to Motel

    One of the big questions facing on-demand car services like Uber is this: Exactly who the hell is driving me around? Really, that’s a question that many people ask themselves during any car ride with a stranger–taxis included. But services like Uber and Lyft are new players in the game and therefore under much more scrutiny, especially since they promise a better experience than your traditional cab.

    A Panorama City Uber driver has been arrested and accused of kidnapping an inebriated club-goer. The driver, 32, picked up the passenger, a 26-year-old woman, at the request of the nightclub. It was an off-the-books ride, but the driver was in fact an Uber driver.

    According to police, the driver “took advantage of the situation, and drove her to a cheap motel, which he had visited before, and carried her into the room. He slept the night in the room, and when she awoke, he let her leave, though he asked her to stay, according to the victim.”

    After first alleging that no sexual assault occurred, police now say that the victim claims the driver “fondled her over her clothes and suggested he wanted to have sex, but didn’t force it.”

    The driver is currently being held on $1 million bond.

    Uber has released a statement on the incident:

    Uber became aware this afternoon of a serious incident in Los Angeles. The facts are unknown at this stage and it’s certainly unclear that this is an Uber-related incident, as the driver in question was not logged in, connected to or operating on the platform at the time. We have reached out to authorities and will work with them to help uncover the facts. It is also our policy to immediately suspend a driver’s account following any serious allegations, which we have done. Nothing is more important to Uber than the safety of our riders.

    As LA Weekly points out, the is not the first time that an Uber driver has been accused of malfeasance. Uber is currently embroiled in a wrongful death suit after the tragic accident that took the life of a six-year-old girl on New Year’s Eve.

    Like the driver accused of this recent kidnapping, the driver involved in that death did in fact work for Uber, but was not providing services for Uber at the time–he was off the clock, basically.

    Oftentimes, we’re at our most vulnerable when calling for a ride. We’re drunk, tired, and can’t drive ourselves. We trust that whoever’s driving the car knows where to go and carries no bad intentions. With any service like Uber, there are going to be people who find a way to take advantage of the system–but these startups are going to have to find a way to battle the bad press and eliminate these very public incidents.

    And I don’t know if a $1 ‘Safe Rides Fee’ is going to do it.

    Image via Uber, Facebook

  • Uber Sued Over ‘Wrongful Death’ of 6-Year-Old Girl

    Uber Sued Over ‘Wrongful Death’ of 6-Year-Old Girl

    On-demand car service Uber is facing a new wrongful death lawsuit following the tragic death of a 6-year-old girl on New Year’s Eve.

    According to a lawsuit filed on Monday, Uber is guilty of negligence in the wrongful death of Sofia Liu.

    On December 31st at around 8pm, Liu was walking down Polk Street in San Francisco with her brother Anthony and mother, Huan Kuang. The suit alleges that as they all attempted to cross at the intersection of Polk and Ellis, they were struck by a car driven by Uber employee Syed Muzzafar.

    The accident took the life of Sofia and “caused serious and significant physical and mental injuries” to Huan and Anthony.

    Uber quickly acknowledged the accident, but made it clear that the driver (Muzzafar) was not actually providing services for Uber at the time of the accident. Here’s what the company had to say on New Year’s Day:

    Our hearts go out to the family and victims of the tragic accident that occurred in downtown San Francisco on New Year’s Eve. We extend our deepest condolences.

    We work with transportation providers across the Bay Area. The driver in question was not providing services on the Uber system during the time of the accident. The driver was a partner of Uber and his account was immediately deactivated.

    We are committed to improving the already best in class safety and accountability of the Uber platform, for both riders and drivers.

    But according to the Plaintiffs, this distinction is irrelevant.

    The lawsuit was first reported by the New York Times. The family’s argument against Uber basically has two prongs – one challenging the notion of what it means to really be “on the clock” while employed at Uber and another taking issue with Uber’s app, how it relates to the company’s entire business premise, and how it could run afoul of California law.

    From the NYT:

    Uber asserts that Uber drivers without fares are not Uber cars. The suit, filed by Chris Dolan, a San Francisco lawyer, directly challenges this effort by the company to detach itself from its own users. It says Uber needs the vehicles to be logged into the Uber app — that’s the only way potential riders know there is a car in the vicinity. So even when there is no fare in the car, the drivers are in essence on the clock, working for Uber.

    When drivers accept a call, furthermore, they need to interface with the app. The suit goes on to note that under California law, it is illegal to use a “wireless telephone” while driving unless it is specifically configured to be hands-free — which the app is not. In essence, the suit argues that Uber was negligent in the “development, implementation and use of the app” so as to cause the driver to be distracted and inattentive.

    Of course, any future ruling in this case carries implications for all ride-service companies.

    Uber, founded in 2009, says that they “seamlessly connect riders to drivers through our app, make cities more accessible, [and] open up more possibilities for riders and more business for drivers.” Uber currently operates in over 50 cities in more than 20 different countries.

    Image via Uber, Facebook

  • Uber Is Delivering Christmas Trees for $135

    Uber Is Delivering Christmas Trees for $135

    On-demand car service Uber is running one of its unique promotions tomorrow, Thursday December 4th. If you have an extra $135 and the strong desire to avoid the Christmas tree lot this year, Uber will deliver a fresh fir to your door – if you live in one of ten cities.

    If you live in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, NYC, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, or Washington DC, you can request a Christmas tree delivery between the hours of 11am and 8pm via your Uber app.

    “Instead of spending your weekend wrestling with a tree from the not-so-near farm or slushy street corner, kick back, pour yourself an extra glass of eggnog and watch your app as Uber takes care of the heavy lifting. With the help of The Home Depot and a bit of holiday magic, Uber will deliver a live tree to your doorstep with the touch of a button,” says a post on the Uber blog.

    In 8 of the cities, you’ll receive a Fraser fir, a stand, and a surprise “Uber gift.” In the two California cities, your tree will be a Noble fir. Each tree will come netted and will stand between 7 and 8 feet, and there’s no cash necessary – you’ll be charged via your Uber account.

    This isn’t the only unique delivery promotion that Uber has run recently. A couple of months ago, Uber delivered real live kittens for your cuddling pleasure on National Cat Day. In the past, Uber has delivered roses, ice cream, and other fun treats to users as well.

    Image via Thinkstock

  • Kitten Delivery Is a Thing (for Today), Thanks to Uber and Cheezburger

    Kitten Delivery Is a Thing (for Today), Thanks to Uber and Cheezburger

    If you live in New York City, Seattle, or San Francisco, on-demand car service Uber wants to deliver you some kittehs to play with.

    Apparently, today is National Cat Day – a holiday about as necessary as “National Pizza Day” or “National Beer Day.” Anyway, in honor of that, Uber has teamed up with cat-meme mecca Cheezburger to offer the “I can Has UberKITTENS” promotion.

    Between the hours of 11 am and 4pm today and today only, you may have a chance to have real life kittens brought to wherever you are – kittens that will play with you for about 15 minutes. Today, the Uber app will have a temporary “kittens” option that will let you request some playtime.

    Of course, you’re probably going to have a hard time getting through. Demand will be high.

    “Demand for kittens will be very high and availability very limited. It may take multiple tries to find available kittens. Please be patient! We’ll be working all day to deliver as many kitten snuggles as possible..If you are lucky enough to request kittens to your office, please make sure your boss, landlord, or neighbor is going to be cool with the meows and that no one in the area is allergic. Also, having a dedicated room for Kitten smooches is preferred,” says Uber.

    If you really, really like the kittens – you may just have a chance to adopt them too.

    The whole experience will cost you $20, deductible from your Uber account, which will go to your local animal shelter (ASPCA, Seattle Human Society, and the SF SPCA). While supplies last, Uber will also bring you some cupcakes with your kittehs. Uber has experimented with other types of promotional deliveries in the past – roses, ice cream, and more – but this is on a whole other level.

    Image via Chiara, Flickr Creative Commons

  • Uber, NFL Look to Tackle DUIs with New Safe Ride Partnership

    Uber, NFL Look to Tackle DUIs with New Safe Ride Partnership

    Drunk driving is a problem everywhere and in all walks of life, but it’s a really big problem for the National Football League. The high proportion of its players being involved in DUIs coupled with the popularity of the sport leads to a bunch of bad press and ruined lives. Plus, there’s always strong reaction from fans – mostly disbelief. “Dude, why are you, a millionaire, having to drive yourself anyway?”

    On-demand car service Uber is looking to help out. The company has announced a new partnership with the NFL Players Association that will help professional football players find “safe and convenient transportation” during this season. The program kicks off this month.

    Uber, a startup that allows those in need of a reliable ride to connect with those who can give a reliable ride, launched back in 2009 and is now in over 40 major cities. In terms of the new NFLPA deal, the Uber Rides program for players will be available in 17 NFL cities.

    Why not more? Well, some NFL cities like Miami and Houston have laws barring services like Uber from competing with taxis. Uber is looking to bring their service to those cities as well, but of course, that takes time.

    “Uber prides itself on finding creative solutions to difficult challenges and being able to use our platform to create a safer environment for players and their communities was a natural fit,” said Uber co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick. “Many professional athletes love and have used Uber organically so this was a great opportunity to help raise awareness about our technology while helping the NFLPA tackle a serious issue.”

    Every NFL player will be issued their own keychain cards with built-in Uber credits on them. They’ll also receive gift cards for friends and family.

    “The NFLPA is committed to serving our membership both on and off the field,” said NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith. “We view the partnership with Uber as an innovative way for players to have access to professional transportation while also pledging to each other, to their families and to the community to make responsible decisions.”

    Honestly, this is just a great deal for both parties involved. A lot of the time, drunk driving arrests are just a massive headache for the NFL – and other times they are a lot more that just an annoyance. Remember Josh Brent? Remember Donte Stallworth? Those amounted to a lot more than a headache.