Friday, April 5, 2019

Some Advice for Uber

A woman was recently killed when she mistakenly got into a car she thought was her Uber car.

In response, Uber has sent out a message with this email:
Check your ride, every time
Before you ride, please make sure you're getting in the right car with the right driver by opening your app and completing 3 safety pickup steps:
1. Match the license plate number.
2. Match the car make and model.
3. Check the driver's photo.
When you've confirmed this information, get in, buckle up, and enjoy the ride. At Uber, your safety is important to us.
This just isn't going to happen all the time and will result in other unnecessary deaths in the future.

What Uber should do is send a 7 digit unique code with every pick up,  something like this 123-452-7, to both the driver and pick-up.

With the driver required to first give out the first 6 digits, followed by the passenger required to give out the last digit (which could be the sum of the last two digits).

The requirement for the passenger is just to nudge the passenger into paying attention to the full number before getting in the car.

Any Uber driver who doesn't go through the code process should be penalized until it is standard practice.



  1. Uh, if the driver isn't an uber driver, he's not going to give the passenger any number, so the passenger won't be nudged into paying full attention. I don't think your suggestion helps.

    1. To nudge people into the practice of always receiving and giving a number.

  2. Just want to point out that open carry is illegal in SCarolina where this happened and concealed carry is only allowed with a permit. In my state, we have open carry and no permit needed for concealed. Make this into a game of Russian Roulette for the perps by legalizing concealed carry.

  3. Me to driver, "who are you here to pick up?"
    Driver, looks at phone, "[my name]".

  4. Why is it that stupidity becomes a PR disaster for companies? it shows you their face on your phone who is dumb enough to get into a car with a stranger?