Uber forced to drive defensively, again, after mass shooting

AN FRANCISCO (AP) — As authorities look for the reasons why a Michigan man allegedly embarked on a mass shooting spree over the weekend, the ride-hailing service Uber is addressing his record as a driver with the company.

Critics say the episode could bring more attention to concerns about the fast-growing service, which has been dogged by controversy on the road to becoming one of the most valuable privately funded companies in the world.

Jason Dalton, the man arrested in connection with the Kalamazoo rampage that left six people dead, is a former insurance adjuster who had been working as a driver for Uber's ride-hailing service. Authorities were investigating unconfirmed reports he may have picked up passengers in the hours before and

Uber forced to drive defensively, again, after mass shooting

Okay another uber driver went berserk, but is it really a source for concern? You can encounter crime anywhere, even when watch a movie in a theatre. Does that mean we should shut down all movie theatre?

What do you guys think? I still think Uber is the greatest thing ever, I can now get wasted without worry of need to drive home cause a ride home is right on my phone.

a reply to: reddragon2015

There's just no accounting for crazy.
He shot people and then picked up passengers as a Uber driver... didn't kill them.... then killed more random people?
Whoop whoop, the dude is crazy.

a reply to: reddragon2015


I think taxi drivers must pay big time for a license to operate and uber flips the bird to the people that pay those fees.

originally posted by: reddragon2015

AN FRANCISCO (AP) — As authorities look for the reasons why a Michigan man allegedly embarked on a mass shooting spree over the weekend, the ride-hailing service Uber is addressing his record as a driver with the company.

Critics say the episode could bring more attention to concerns about the fast-growing service, which has been dogged by controversy on the road to becoming one of the most valuable privately funded companies in the world.

Jason Dalton, the man arrested in connection with the Kalamazoo rampage that left six people dead, is a former insurance adjuster who had been working as a driver for Uber's ride-hailing service. Authorities were investigating unconfirmed reports he may have picked up passengers in the hours before and

Uber forced to drive defensively, again, after mass shooting

Okay another uber driver went berserk, but is it really a source for concern? You can encounter crime anywhere, even when watch a movie in a theatre. Does that mean we should shut down all movie theatre?

What do you guys think? I still think Uber is the greatest thing ever, I can now get wasted without worry of need to drive home cause a ride home is right on my phone.

Taxi companies have phones, too

How is this Uber's fault? I think this is just another opportunity for Uncle Sugar (or local governmental agency) to come in and regulate the eff out of a business model that challenges the existing paradigm.

Give it a week or two and New York City, which is losing cash to Uber, will say they are 'investigating' how to make Uber 'safer'.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: reddragon2015


I think taxi drivers must pay big time for a license to operate and uber flips the bird to the people that pay those fees.

So your advocating socialism over capitalism... isn't that like anti-American?

.... just saying.

originally posted by: Subaeruginosa

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: reddragon2015


I think taxi drivers must pay big time for a license to operate and uber flips the bird to the people that pay those fees.

So your advocating socialism over capitalism... isn't that like anti-American?

.... just saying.

5 posts and were throwing out the old socialism scare word.

In a thread about an über driving spree killer....

a reply to: Subaeruginosa


What?
I'm an advocate of everybody following the same rules.
A regular taxi company would have a better chance of spotting an unstable driver. Uber is not responsible for this nutter but they had no chance to scope out this guy either.

a reply to: Psychonautics

The OP seems to be asking about peoples opinions on uber in general, well using the shooting as a platform.

I was simply replying to a members response, pointing out the irony of how capitalism is praised as infallible, until the underdog benefits from it... then all of a sudden it's considered unfair, by conservative types.

originally posted by: Subaeruginosa
a reply to: Psychonautics

The OP seems to be asking about peoples opinions on uber in general, well using the shooting as a platform.

I was simply replying to a members response, pointing out the irony of how capitalism is praised as infallible, until the underdog benefits from it... then all of a sudden it's considered unfair, by conservative types.

No, I totally understand.

It's just, well, you seem intelligent enough to know where and how threads tend to drift once people stop discussing the main subject and start talking politics, religion, etc.

a reply to: reddragon2015

Sorry, but.....I just don't see the link between Uber and this shooter. I mean, if the question is that Uber isn't doing enough on background checks, I can sort of see that, but AFTER the background check.....a year or so, or whatever, anything can happen.

I can see something of a connection if perhaps Uber isn't doing enough to screen for medical conditions. They probably should be screening for people with history of mental illness and for those who are on SSRI type medications.

Your analogy to closing theaters is somewhat correct but I think the reality is that as the breakdown in civil society continues and accelerates, people just need to be aware of the fact that they go out to restaurants or other public serve venues, they're taking their lives in their hands. They need to be armed and ready to defend themselves and their families and can't continue to think that they can just wander blithely about in public without necessarily being victimized. There's been a whole rash of stabbings in NYC this past week or so and the "city" is on edge. So of course, the Democrat Socialist mayor will want to ban all knives in NYC........which will ensure that only the bad guys have knives and which will create a whole new and extremely profitable black market in knives. I love the logic, Democrats making victims of everyone else to serve their own political ends.

I agree that Uber's a great service, especially for druggies and drunks. But I wouldn't want to make an investment in it because the ride sharing service will be rendered obsolete by Google's self driving cars in probably 5 to 10 years.

originally posted by: TonyS
They probably should be screening for people with history of mental illness and for those who are on SSRI type medications.

You cannot ask job applicants if they have a history of mental illness.

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

Your sarcasm was easy to spot atleast to me, i doubt many here have a clue what socialism even means they just see red.

originally posted by: Curious69
a reply to: Subaeruginosa

Your sarcasm was easy to spot atleast to me, i doubt many here have a clue what socialism even means they just see red.

Yes, it was for all of us.

Sarcasm or not, it absolutely DOES make some people see red, because they can't crontrol themselves, and the thread derails, because someone had to make some random useless political observation.

You're going to see a huge push for regulation of Uber after this, despite his Uber employment having nothing to do with the rampage.

He gave people rides before and after shooting people; a taxi license isn't go to stop someone from snapping... or just maybe we should require licensing for everyone. Every man, woman, and child will be licensed and screened and given a career chip implanted in their hand.

Maybe we should start licensing mothers after one of them kills her children.

Being an Uber driver has nothing to do with his rampage and any medias insistence otherwise is more of the same agenda-laden garbage that's been used to guild opinions for years.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

No wonder we got big problems! That's just not right whatsoever!

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

How is this Uber's fault? I think this is just another opportunity for Uncle Sugar (or local governmental agency) to come in and regulate the eff out of a business model that challenges the existing paradigm.

Give it a week or two and New York City, which is losing cash to Uber, will say they are 'investigating' how to make Uber 'safer'.

Taxi industry and local governments are just mad a smart phone app completely dismantled the taxi cartel. There is absolutely no reason a taxi company or anyone who wants to drive a cab should have to pay exorbitant fees for taxi medallions.

My uber experiences have all been exponentially better than taking a cab. Everytime I've taken Uber, the driver has been courteous and the car way cleaner and nicer than a typical taxi.

They will most certainly try to use this to against Uber when it has nothing to do with this guy being nutso.

originally posted by: TonyS
No wonder we got big problems! That's just not right whatsoever!

What else you want to ask applicants?

originally posted by: Edumakated
They will most certainly try to use this to against Uber when it has nothing to do with this guy being nutso.

Agreed. Mayor McNanny II (Bill DeBlasio) wanted to regulate Uber but got a tremendous backlash from the people that would have been most affected; minorities. Turns out medallion cabs do not like the 'darker' neighborhoods as much as Midtown and Downtown Manhattan so Uber filled an economic niche the livery companies did not want to fill.

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: reddragon2015

I think taxi drivers must pay big time for a license to operate and uber flips the bird to the people that pay those fees.

originally posted by: Subaeruginosa

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: reddragon2015

I think taxi drivers must pay big time for a license to operate and uber flips the bird to the people that pay those fees.

So your advocating socialism over capitalism... isn't that like anti-American?

.... just saying.

He's not advocating either.

If I may be so bold, he's advocating a free market, saying that the State has made it very difficult to do business and he's right.

They require you to get a business license, a taxi license, have a medallion, pay fees, taxes, buy additional insurances, go thru inspections, yearly requirements, etc. etc., which means that State regulated cab drivers have to charge more for their services, making them un-competitive.

A start-up like uber allows the driver to avoid all of those obstacles making it easy to do business. And miraculously, its all running relatively smoothly.

With any luck, uber will put the State out of business.