Californians are starting to look for other alternatives to not spend money on gas or vehicle maintenance. However, the weight in wallets seems to be what matters most as opposed to the importance of safety.
Uber, the ridesharing service that allows customers to use an app and get connected with drivers, has been the most used resource in the recent years and most especially for teenagers. As Uber claims to be a more reliable transportation source with reasonable pricing and timely pickup times, passengers fail to realize the risk they take in trusting an unknown chauffeur.
According to an article on the Business Consumer Alliance blog, the company may claim that they have screened their drivers, but customers aren’t aware of the insufficiency of background checking. Prior to being hired, all drivers supposedly undergo background checks for any past criminal records.
However, there have been reports of accidents, theft, verbal and physical assaults in using rideshare services. These incidents make it difficult to believe whether or not all drivers are screened in the first place.
According to a news article on ABC News, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested an Uber driver for allegedly kidnapping a woman and had a purpose of sexual assault almost 5 months ago. That same day, another driver in San Francisco was charged for punching a passenger.
People don’t acknowledge the fact that these dangerous encounters are possible. In some cases, they are aware of them but choose to ignore it in order to make life easier and more affordable for themselves.
It is so easy to summon a driver at any given moment by using the app, which makes it seem too easy for it not to be a scam.
Is that driver insured properly or have liability insurance? What’s Uber’s liability if you’re injured in a car crash? Being that these entrepreneurs basically created their own taxi operation, providing rides with their own vehicles can be unsafe and risky.
Since a lot of customers have been using Uber worldwide, all of the wonders and concerns for what Uber can entail are all shunned by remarks of what is easier and what is more convenient.
These drivers get 80 percent of what they are paid while the company keeps only 20 percent, so they aren’t too worried about the service but the pay. Some Uber drivers have been fired from bad ratings for the company or on Yelp and other forums, but it’s likely for other drivers to feel they can get away with anything because the service takes place inside their own vehicle.
Riding Uber may seem like taking the yellow taxi that’s been around for years, but sometimes it’s better to do things the old fashioned way.
