NewsWatch
Keeping a critical eye on Uber,
Lyft and other transportation
network companies
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This is the latest edition of AFT NewsWatch, a weekly service of Advocates for Fairness in Transportation, an ad hoc group of regulated transportation service companies dedicated to informing and educating the public on threats to public safety and fair commerce from so-called ride-sharing or ride-booking services such as Uber and Lyft. Visit the Archive to read previous editions. Click here to join our mailing list.
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Uber driver shooting suspect Jason Dalton came close to picking up these 2 women
Two friends came close to riding with Michigan Uber driver Jason Dalton during his alleged killing spree, the women told ABC News. College student Mallory Lemieux was at a bar in Kalamazoo with friend Tori Curtis when Lemieux's dad sent a text, "multiple shootings with people dead ... get home please," she said. When Lemieux placed an Uber order, the ride-sharing app apparently assigned Dalton, 45, to pick up the women, they said.
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Uber has a panic button in India. But don't expect it to come to the U.S.
One of the most bizarre details emerging from the investigation into a bloody shooting spree allegedly carried out by Uber driver Jason Brian Dalton in Kalamazoo, Mich., is that he may have picked up passengers just before -- and in the middle of -- his deadly rampage. A few people have told The Post as well as other media outlets that they endured frightening rides in Dalton's car the day of the shooting. They described him sideswiping cars and driving over medians.
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Michigan shooting spree sparks questions about Uber's hiring and vetting procedures
A seven-hour shooting spree allegedly committed by an Michigan Uber driver that killed six and wounded two has raised questions about the car-hailing service's hiring and vetting processes. The driver, 45-year-old Jason Dalton, faces six counts of murder and other charges. Dalton admitted "his involvement in these incidents," Kalamazoo County prosecutor Jeff Getting told reporters, according to multiple reports.
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Police: Iraqi refugee posing as Uber driver accused of raping Connecticut woman
Adding to Uber's publicity woes following a driver's deadly shooting spree in Michigan last week, police have arrested a man they say raped a woman while posing as a driver for the company. Hamden police arrested 29-year-old Ahmad Bahjat of New Haven, according to a story published by WTNH. Investigators say they responded to Yale-New Haven Hospital on Jan. 31 for a report by an alleged victim of sexual assault. The woman had left a New Haven bar and walked to a parking area designated for Uber and taxi drivers, according to police.
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People are paying big bucks for Uber decals and Lyft mustaches on eBay
There's money to be made selling an Uber decal or Lyft mustache, as long as you don't need them to make money on as a driver for either company. The insignia are a sort of trade dress for the burgeoning ride-hailing industry. Uber has a glowing "U" that its drivers affix to their windshields, while Lyft cars sport "glowstaches." When Lyft started, it distinguished itself from all of the other cars on the road with a giant pink mustache. As more drivers join the ride-hailing services and subsequently leave, it turns out you can make some quick cash by selling the decals.
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What Uber case means for an IPO and investors
How bad is the Kalamazoo shooting story for Uber over the long haul? It's hard to say, but this story certainly doesn't fall under the all-publicity-is-good-publicity category. The shooting is very bad news, of course, and a concern not only to the management of Uber and its swashbuckling CEO Travis Kalanick, but also to its more than 53 investors, which, according to CrunchBase, includes a long list of blue-chip and high-profile investors such as Benchmark Capital, Fidelity, Jeff Bezos, Kleiner Perkins, Shawn Fanning (founder of Napster) and Troy Carter (Lady Gaga's former manager).
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A brief history of Uber scandals
Michigan resident Jason Dalton, the alleged shooter in a spree Saturday night that resulted in six deaths and two injuries, is 45 years old and had worked as an insurance salesman for Progressive. He was also an Uber driver. The event has raised obvious questions about Uber's safety measures for passengers and its process for approving drivers, who are not considered "employees" but contractors. They are questions that have been raised time and again as Uber has been in the news for the wrong reasons, and they are questions that a P.R. statement is unlikely to put to rest.
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After Kalamazoo, shouldn't Uber stop fighting fingerprint checks?
If you know anything about Uber, you know that the ride-hailing service hates -- hates! -- being regulated. Uber has pulled out of cities that have tried to impose taxicab-like licensing requirements on its drivers and vehicles, fought against efforts to classify its drivers as employees, and flouted restrictions on where its drivers can pick up passengers. The fatal shootings in Kalamazoo, Mich., allegedly by an Uber driver during his work shift, point to another category of regulations the company has been fighting hard: background checks.
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Uber passenger falls asleep in car, racks up $171 bill (Video)
Ever wondered what would happen if you fall asleep on an Uber ride? One D.C. man learned the hard way. Mekele Baucom, the Uber rider who fell asleep in the car, told WTOP's television news partner, NBC Washington that he was billed $171 for what he intended to be a one-mile trip home. Instead, his Uber driver took him on a 71-mile ride.
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Lyft driver caught on camera refusing to drop passenger off
A ride home from a restaurant turned into a nightmare for one Lyft passenger in Washington, D.C. After requesting a driver from the ride-sharing app, Desiree Taylor and her friend asked to be driven to their respective apartments. Taylor and her friend live five blocks away from one another on the same street, so they requested a Lyft Line ride, which allows multiple passengers to get a ride at a discount. According to Lyft's website, users of Lyft Line enter their destinations before requesting the service and no additional stops can be added after the ride has started.
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San Jose: Police seeking Uber driver for alleged assault on airport employee
At a time of heightened scrutiny of drivers for ride-booking operations, San Jose police said they are seeking an Uber driver for allegedly assaulting a Mineta San Jose International Airport official who flagged him down near the airport's car rental center for speeding. The fight at San Jose's airport happened just a few days before an Uber driver in Michigan reportedly killed six people and injured two more in a weekend shooting rampage.
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California to reconsider fingerprint checks for Uber, Lyft drivers
The California Public Utilities Commission will consider requiring drivers for all ride services, including Uber and Lyft, to undergo fingerprint background checks, just as Uber is facing more scrutiny over its screening process. In January, commissioner Liane Randolph declined to recommend more rigorous screenings for ride-service drivers. But in proposing a new set of rules for transportation network companies, Randolph wrote that the CPUC would issue a ruling "posing questions about background checks and establishing the identity of drivers through methods such as fingerprinting."
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Uber faces potential big fine and ban for bosses in France
Uber risks millions of euros in damages and fines and having two top executives banned from running the ride-hailing company in France as a trial wrapped up in a Paris court. The San Francisco-based company is in trouble in France over its now-suspended low-cost UberPop service, which connected clients to non-professional drivers, infuriated French taxi drivers and prompted the criminal charges. Uber continues to operate its standard service with registered professional drivers.
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Uber to resume chopper flights despite sheriff's order
Uber planned to resume helicopter flights at the Sundance Film Festival in spite of a cease-and-desist order from a Utah sheriff who said he could arrest pilots who land near Park City. The ride-hailing company's decision comes after a judge ruled that there wasn't enough evidence to ground the choppers during the star-studded opening weekend. Summit County Sheriff Justin Martinez said that he could still ticket or arrest pilots because the companies didn't get the proper permits to land in a field not far from homes in the mountain town.
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