A terrifying Uber ride through residential streets ate breakneck speeds.
If your Uber driver sent you on a dangerous trip, double over the speed limit in residential areas, and blows through three stop signs, what does the company give you? Apparently, a $5 credit.
A student in Toronto went on a terrifying Uber drive that included speeds up to 92 km/h in a 50km/h zone. To put that in U.S. terms, that’s like doing 57mph in a 31mph zone. At other times the driver went over the twice the speed limit, doing 85 km/h in a 40 km/h zone. The passenger had proof through her Waze app of the current speed limit and the driver’s speed, as well as video of him blowing through stop signs. Still, after contacting Uber three times, she was still only able to get $5 out of the company. They confidently told her the issue was resolved.
It wasn’t until the student reached out to the media that Uber suddenly cared about their dangerous drivers.
What Happened?
A 23-year-old student from Toronto was on her way home. Her driver drove like a madman, and she texted her brother on the way, asking him to come outside when she arrived. She didn’t feel safe alone with this man. She didn’t want to speak up because she said, “I am a young woman, I didn’t want to open my mouth, I was by myself.” Speaking up could have been more dangerous than saying nothing. The driver was clearly unbalanced, and could have turned his anger and frustration to her. When they arrived, she told the driver that she’d report him, but he didn’t seem bothered.
Perhaps this wasn’t the first time someone reported him.
I was once in a similar situation with a cab driver. I feared I’d be in a car accident or witness a homicide. I said nothing. I buckled up, set his tip percentage from 20% down to next to nothing (hey, I always tip something), and secured my belongings so they wouldn’t become projectiles in an accident.
Maybe you’re thinking, why didn’t we tell our drivers to slow down? A few reasons. First, anyone unstable enough to drive that dangerously while cursing people out—including you in the back seat—is not someone you want to have an argument when he controls the wheel and where you end up. He could become distracted, he could intentionally crash, or he could stop in the middle of nowhere and strand you. Second, in a physical confrontation, I and the student in this story are women. Our drivers were men. Men who were larger, stronger, and definitely crazier than us. There’s nothing good that could come out of a physical altercation. Women know all too well the dangers of hurting a man’s strained ego when he has all the power.
Stopping these incidents, for us, was out of the question. We need the threat of serious consequences from services and police to deter this behavior.
Now What?
The driver felt no remorse for his dangerous driving. He wasn’t worried when his passenger said she’d report him. That’s because nothing would have come of this had a news station not picked this story up. The passenger would have been charged, given a small credit, told she likely wouldn’t be paired with that driver again, and that would have been the end of it. That’s likely what happens to every other person who got in the car with a dangerous driver. Instead, the media got involved. Now Uber banned him from the app, has refunded the customer, and is investigating her claims. However, the evidence is damning. Video, photos, and screenshots show the driver clearly violating the law and putting her in danger.
This isn’t Uber’s first safety concern. Predators have used the service, as well as their competitor, Lyft, to abduct and assault women. Uber also has a long history of sexism at the corporate level. They’ve made small attempts to help protect their users, but it hasn’t been their first priority.
Police have gotten involved as well. The evidence clearly shows the driver committing multiple crimes. He’ll likely face a few tickets, perhaps even the suspension of his license. This was a serious problem that Uber tried to brush under the rug from the start. Uber has a long way to go towards improving customer safety, it’s not even a priority for them currently.