If you happen to live in Boston or or Chicago, congrats, Uber cares about your safety — sorta. The rest of you Uber users out their are pretty much on your own.
While the popular app service is definitely an advantage in taxi cab technology, it does have its dangers. New Dehli banned the service after an Uber driver with a rap sheet was accused of raping a woman. And Boston Uber driver Alejandro Done was arraigned last month on rape, assault, kidnaping, and battery charges against a female passenger. So, naturally finding someway to nip this in the rear and say give the apps functions a safety boost would be a priority for Uber, right? Eh, not so much.
They added a safety checklist that’s only available to users in Boston and Chicago.
That’s like your apartment burning down and your landlord rebuilding and only slapping a fire safety tips sheet on the wall instead of fire alarms. The checklist is essentially, just a reminder for riders to check on the app that the driver’s license and plate match up. Right now there’s no way for Uber users to alert the company of threatening behavior from a diver or direct to 9-1-1 button.
“We are being responsive” Uber Chicago’s general manager Chris Taylor told the Chicago Sun-Times. “Given there have been some accusations . . . we want to make sure everyone knows how to use the platform in the safest way possible.”
Going through a mental checklist and being aware of your surroundings when getting in any taxi is important and a reminder isn’t a bad thing. But for a company worth $40 billion, a checklist doesn’t seem like much.