# Uber driver sues company for discrimination; claims fired over accent mistaken for intoxication



## BurgerTiime (Jun 22, 2015)

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newtimesslo.com/sanluisobispo/local-uber-driver-sues-company-for-discrimination/Content?oid=6263943&media=AMP+HTML

A local man filed a lawsuit against rideshare giant Uber, claiming that the company wrongfully fired him after riders misinterpreted his speech impediment as intoxication and reported him.

The former driver, Matthew Pack, said that he was fired after the company failed to properly investigate complaints made against him by riders who thought his speech, which was impaired as the result of a stroke, indicated that he was driving drunk.

"[Uber] failed to engage in an interactive process to determine how to accommodate [Pack's] disability ... and terminated [Pack's] employment based on his disability," stated a complaint filed in SLO County Superior Court by Pack's attorney, David Hamilton.

According to the lawsuit, Pack suffered a stroke in 2012. While it did not impact his ability to drive, it did leave him with slurred speech at times. Pack began driving for Uber in 2017 and was "excited about his new career path," the complaint stated.

"This was something he took great pride in as he enjoyed being able to work despite the obstacles he had to overcome due to his disability," Hamilton wrote.

Pack's trouble first began in October 2017, when Uber received a report from a rider that stated that he "appeared to be impaired" while driving. The lawsuit claims that Uber suspended Pack from work for 48 hours and did not respond to his offers to take a drug test and send them a dashboard camera video from the ride. Uber got similar reports about Pack in January and June of 2018, even after he placed a sign in his car explaining his medical condition and speech.

Again, Pack claimed that the company never requested any documentation or other evidence of his disability. Uber terminated Pack on June 5.

"This is horrible," Hamilton told _New Times_. "It's not an appropriate way for a company to behave."


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## MHR (Jul 23, 2017)

At one point we had a member here that was claiming the exact same problem...speech impediment and pax reporting him as intoxicated.

Good to see someone has filed suit. I see ADA violations in Uber’s future.


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## Wonkytonk (Jan 28, 2018)

Yeah, man, that's a tough one for the driver. 

Uber can help bridge the gap for this driver. The driver stated that he placed a sign in his car stating he had the medical issue so I don't see why uber couldn't, with his permission, send a note to each of his riders explaining the situation in a small popup window in the app when the ride is accepted so riders see it. Hell that might even boost the guy's tips, and it sounds like maybe he could really use them.

They could also send it prior to allowing riders to provide feedback for any rides with him. 

This one seems to me to be surmountable quite trivially.


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## Lee239 (Mar 24, 2017)

In law you have to do something to mitigate the damages. Put a sign up saying that you have a speech impediment please be respectful or patient.

OOps answered before seeing all the responses toughshite



Wonkytonk said:


> Yeah, man, that's a tough one for the driver.
> 
> Uber can help bridge the gap for this driver. The driver stated that he placed a sign in his car stating he had the medical issue so I don't see why uber couldn't, with his permission, send a note to each of his riders explaining the situation in a small popup window in the app when the ride is accepted so riders see it. Hell that might even boost the guy's tips, and it sounds like maybe he could really use them.
> 
> ...


All they have to do is code the account so that reports of intoxication are followed up with a question asking if the driving seemed to be impaired and if they filmed it for proof.


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## MHR (Jul 23, 2017)

And businesses have to provide reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. I know that’s for employees. Don’t know how that plays out with drivers being IC’s


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## Wonkytonk (Jan 28, 2018)

Lee239 said:


> All they have to do is code the account so that reports of intoxication are followed up with a question asking if the driving seemed to be impaired and if they filmed it for proof.


I don't know, seems to me like maybe that's more a reactive attempt at a solution and by the time that's employed the rider doing the complaining has already become committed to their "he was drunk story."


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## HotUberMess (Feb 25, 2018)

Uber would do all of these things if they were respectable and operated like a legitimate company but they don’t and they aren't.

What they need is a CEO who will lead them to legitimacy, not a PR jester.


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## Wonkytonk (Jan 28, 2018)

MHR said:


> And businesses have to provide reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. I know that's for employees. Don't know how that plays out with drivers being IC's


Yeah he's self employed and as the employer he needs to provide the reasonable accommodation for himself I suspect is how that plays out. It think in government contracts provisions are made for situations like this, but for rideshare we may be stuck in a legal dark area which I'm sure uber will use to its advantage.


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## MHR (Jul 23, 2017)

It states he placed signs in his ride. Damage already done by then but honestly, GL Hub and Uber should have asked for a “statement of disability” from the driver then made any impaired driving accusations against him null and void. They could have made that work, don’t ask me how but they are a technology company as we like to say.


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## Ride-Share-Risk-Manager (Mar 16, 2017)

What is also ridiculous is that Uber never bother to ask a passenger why they didn't stop the ride with the so-called impaired driver. Uber and Lyft could clearly state to passengers that they should stop any ride and get out when they believe that their driver is impaired. But, we all know the reason why 95% of these passengers wont get out, its because they are just submitting false claims to get free rides.

Clearly, Uber staff cannot manage their business competently and are unqualified to make these deactivation decisions. These situations need to be handled by an external independent party who can assess the facts and eliminate the financial reward for the complaining passenger.


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## PioneerXi (Apr 20, 2018)

Uber would deactivate if the driver failed to provide service to a rider with a disability. It’s how they mitigate their liability.

Appears driver has done their due diligence (subject to documentation).

Uber is not above ADA law.

IMO, driver will be getting an Uber settlement to avoid creating legal precedence for the remaining drivers.


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## 1.5xorbust (Nov 22, 2017)

Yeah he’s just using his stroke induced speech impediment as an excuse so that he can get shitfaced before he goes driving.


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## Daisey77 (Jan 13, 2016)

Wonkytonk said:


> Yeah, man, that's a tough one for the driver.
> 
> Uber can help bridge the gap for this driver. The driver stated that he placed a sign in his car stating he had the medical issue so I don't see why uber couldn't, with his permission, send a note to each of his riders explaining the situation in a small popup window in the app when the ride is accepted so riders see it. Hell that might even boost the guy's tips, and it sounds like maybe he could really use them.
> 
> ...


Bwahahaha they can't even send out an email to drivers about instant pay being down or that trips are not being processed. Hell they can't even send out an email when a policy changes. You can't really expect them to add a pop-up to protect the driver, can you? I mean if they did, that means they could add a pop-up to passenger accounts, verifying they are over 18 yrs when ordering

We had a driver here that was accused of driving while impaired. He offered to go down and do a breathalyzer or a BAC and pay for it out of his own pocket. Uber said no good. It didn't matter. They wouldn't accept it


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## Wonkytonk (Jan 28, 2018)

Daisey77 said:


> Bwahahaha they can't even send out an email to drivers about instant pay being down or that trips are not being processed. Hell they can't even send out an email when a policy changes. You can't really expect them to add a pop-up to protect the driver, can you? I mean if they did, that means they could add a pop-up to passenger accounts, verifying they are over 18 yrs when ordering


I don't know. I think that technically they're more than capable of doing the notices. The problem isn't technical it's leadership. They don't have the right people in charge of rider/driver issue quality control.

In fact that's just a small subset of quality control but I think overall there quality control is all over the wrong places.


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## Daisey77 (Jan 13, 2016)

Wonkytonk said:


> I don't know. I think that technically they're more than capable of doing the notices. The problem isn't technical it's leadership. They don't have the right people in charge of rider/driver issue quality control.
> 
> In fact that's just a small subset of quality control but I think overall there quality control is all over the wrong places.


Sorry there was no sarcasm emoji LOL yes I completely believe they're more than capable of putting out any type of notice. They choose not to


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

Uber will pay Matthew Pack $200k in an out of court settlement to make this problem go away. Matthew walks away with $134k and the attorney gets $66k for filing suit and answering about 5 phone calls. Definitely don't want an ongoing lawsuit over a disability during your IPO.


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## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

I sincerely feel bad for the driver and as everyone else has already said with a very small effort Uber could have done something to remedy this and have made this all avoidable.

Having said that the Driver has a HUGE obstacle to overcome in that currently he is not viewed as an employee but an IC and therefore no employment law protections apply to him. Even under contract law, if he didn't take exception to the arbitration clause in the Uber TOS when he signed up his suit will be quickly tossed. For him to be successful his lawyer will have to convince the judge he is an "employee" before he will be allowed to proceed. A large task.

Wouldn't be surprised if it's settled out of court.


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## nickd8775 (Jul 12, 2015)

If a driver was impaired, why wouldn't the rider do something like actually drive the car themselves like that guy in India did


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

BurgerTiime said:


> https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newtimesslo.com/sanluisobispo/local-uber-driver-sues-company-for-discrimination/Content?oid=6263943&media=AMP+HTML
> 
> 
> 
> ...


How Horrible UBER would DISCRIMINATE AGAINST A DISABLED WORKER LIKE THIS !

Using Groundless allegations as an EXCUSE !

THEY MUST PAY !!!!!


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

There was a cab driver I knew (he has since retired)

About once a week he got reported for driving under the influence, and about once a week he was forced to pull over and have safety department drive out and...

They made him walk the line and touch his nose, blow a breathalyzer ect. 

about once a week for years they did this crap to him.


That's how a professional company handles accusations of impaired driving.

PS... the dude is one of the safest drivers i know...


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## GreatWhiteHope (Sep 18, 2018)

What a giant load of heaping bullshit this lawsuit is.

Uber's system for reporting 'impaired driver's is totally F'ed but to claim they fired him due to his disability a ---- 'mentally handicapped' load of shit


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> There was a cab driver I knew (he has since retired)
> 
> About once a week he got reported for driving under the influence, and about once a week he was forced to pull over and have safety department drive out and...
> 
> ...


No Deactivation !
Minimal Loss of Income.

No FREE RIDES TO ENCOURAGE LIARS !


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## doyousensehumor (Apr 13, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> No FREE RIDES TO ENCOURAGE LIARS !


What's the #1 rule in business? "The customer is always right!" The society demands customer service! Or else the customer writes a ****ty yelp review! Or calls 3 on your side! Or tweets about it!

Really when is customer entitlement going to end.


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## Steve_TX (Feb 2, 2016)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> Uber will pay Matthew Pack $200k in an out of court settlement to make this problem go away. Matthew walks away with $134k and the attorney gets $66k for filing suit and answering about 5 phone calls. Definitely don't want an ongoing lawsuit over a disability during your IPO.


That would be a sweet outcome for Mr. Pack. How many pax would he have to haul to earn $134K?

Mr. Pack, do us all a favor and enjoy sipping those large, umbrella'd drinks with your toes in the sand! Have one on us and make that a real slur!


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## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

Lee239 said:


> In law you have to do something to mitigate the damages. Put a sign up saying that you have a speech impediment please be respectful or patient.
> 
> .


Not having a sign explains why he got reported. It doesn't explain why Uber deactivated him without properly investigating.


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## bobby747 (Dec 29, 2015)

ADA, certified.
I think they will do what seal team said. settle and keep it quiet. thier is no way with a good lawyer the driver walks away with nothing..and to make matters better . he is a newer driver.
i think in every state. uber needs a 2 member full time board to listen and review deactivated accounts....like a phone # we used to have if our car got towed at CC from ppa.....a phone to call the member to ask to go to er to take drug test...if you pass uber pays


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## Lee239 (Mar 24, 2017)

Cableguynoe said:


> Not having a sign explains why he got reported. It doesn't explain why Uber deactivated him without properly investigating.


Because Uber thinks every driver is a worthless ant , that explains why.


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## GreatWhiteHope (Sep 18, 2018)

doyousensehumor said:


> What's the #1 rule in business? "The customer is always right!" The society demands customer service! Or else the customer writes a ****ty yelp review! Or calls 3 on your side! Or tweets about it!
> 
> Really when is customer entitlement going to end.


Never 
Truly never

I worked as a Waiter for 5 years, all elite establishments

If you're the biggest C word in the room

They will give u everything free 
Bow down to you 
And tell you you're absolutely right

Secretly they just want you to GTFO 
But this customer service practice will never change



Lee239 said:


> Because Uber thinks every driver is a worthless ant , that explains why.


No it's because their system for handling these type of complaints is horrible

I've been deactivated for 24 hrs bc another driver fake pinged me - and reported me for impaired driving - on a CANCELLED trip

So I understand it's dog shit 
But u have to be honest about it


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## 404NofFound (Jun 13, 2018)

It brings attention to the fact that it is unfair that riders can get us deactivated. Pax are not always qualified to judge us. In addition they are motivated to lie. Pax claims are not evidence but is good enough information to deactivate us. It really shows how expendable we are.


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## BigBadJohn (Aug 31, 2018)

Reminds me of the current accusations against Bret Kavanaugh. Guilty because somebody said so. Now good luck trying to prove you're innocent. Uber is the epitome of a liberal left wing run company. I'm surprised Ubers not run by Feinstein, Polosi Schumer and Shiff.


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## Fozzie (Aug 11, 2018)

Ride-Share-Risk-Manager said:


> Clearly, Uber staff cannot manage their business competently and are unqualified to make these deactivation decisions. These situations need to be handled by an external independent party who can assess the facts and eliminate the financial reward for the complaining passenger.


The problem is that so much of their staff is overseas and aren't fluent (or even functional) english speakers. I'd guess that to make up for their shortcomings Uber just uses a click and submit response system, which means that getting competent "service" is like throwing darts. The same with complaints. They have no clue how to respond to complaints, so they just hit the "sorry" and "refund" buttons and move on to the next batch of feedback. If Uber held staff accountable for their actions, I'd bet that things would improve, but we all know that Uber doesn't care enough to do that...


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## GreatWhiteHope (Sep 18, 2018)

BigBadJohn said:


> Reminds me of the current accusations against Bret Kavanaugh. Guilty because somebody said so. Now good luck trying to prove you're innocent. Uber is the epitome of a liberal left wing run company. I'm surprised Ubers not run by Feinstein, Polosi Schumer and Shiff.


How dare you, you absolute bigot

I ordered an Uber 35 years ago, drove me home 
Everything seemed perfectly normal at the time but now I think he may have been drunk

I should be able to end his career

#BelieveAllPax


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## Fozzie (Aug 11, 2018)

So tired of you far right and far left posters dragging political BS into every conversation. Please take it to the appropriate section or forums.


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## UberBlackDriverLA (Aug 21, 2014)

MHR said:


> And businesses have to provide reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. I know that's for employees. Don't know how that plays out with drivers being IC's


After the Dynamex case in CA, drivers are employees here.


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## Ribak (Jun 30, 2017)

Unfortunate for the driver, but this really highlight a major issue for rideshare companies. Safety of pax & drivers must be at the top of the list. It is very easy to combat the safety issue from the angle of the driver. If you are unable to perform the job physically, verbally or emotionally....then please DONT DRIVE.


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## MHR (Jul 23, 2017)

Ribak said:


> Unfortunate for the driver, but this really highlight a major issue for rideshare companies. Safety of pax & drivers must be at the top of the list. It is very easy to combat the safety issue from the angle of the driver. If you are unable to perform the job physically, verbally or emotionally....then please DONT DRIVE.


They've made accommodations for deaf and hard of hearing drivers. I know many deaf people and none of them speak verbally, they all use sign language.

So why should this driver be any different. From what I've read he speaks fine, just sounds slurred.

Maybe I misinterpreted your comment but his speech impediment does not affect his ability to perform the "job" properly.


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## Ribak (Jun 30, 2017)

MHR said:


> They've made accommodations for deaf and hard of hearing drivers. I know many deaf people and none of them speak verbally, they all use sign language.
> 
> So why should this driver be any different. From what I've read he speaks fine, just sounds slurred.
> 
> Maybe I misinterpreted your comment but his speech impediment does not affect his ability to perform the "job" properly.


As a driver, I place an extremely high value on customer service. As such, I choose to view the ride thru the eyes of the Pax. If a pax is being discriminatory in terms of race, ethnicity, religion or gender, I do not condone that one bit. However, if the pax feels uneasy due to the physical, verbal or emotional limitations of a driver, I place 100% of the blame on the driver. Thus, those drivers should choose a different line of work. Yes, I understand that this is a harsh stance (and actually against UBER's current policy for drivers).


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## Fozzie (Aug 11, 2018)

Ribak said:


> As a driver, I place an extremely high value on customer service. As such, I choose to view the ride thru the eyes of the Pax. If a pax is being discriminatory in terms of race, ethnicity, religion or gender, I do not condone that one bit. However, if the pax feels uneasy due to the physical, verbal or emotional limitations of a driver, I place 100% of the blame on the driver. Thus, those drivers should choose a different line of work. Yes, I understand that this is a harsh stance (and actually against UBER's current policy for drivers).


Go ahead and say it again Ribak, if you're not as strong as a guy so you can lug heavy suitcases for ungrateful passengers, you shouldn't be allowed to drive for Uber or Lyft. Those of us who are disabled and can't lug baggage aren't welcome. Do we really need to return to that thread again?


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## MHR (Jul 23, 2017)

Ribak I like you and want to give you the benefit of the doubt but you are starting to sound like those that think that any one that is less than 100% whole should not be seen in public.

Would my son's wheelchair and speech impediment offend you if he were bagging your groceries as long as he did the job well, seeing someone in a wheelchair might make one feel "uneasy" as you put it or are you more comfortable with the blind one whom does computer tech support over the phone where no one can see him?


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

HotUberMess said:


> Uber would do all of these things if they were respectable and operated like a legitimate company but they don't and they aren't.
> 
> What they need is a CEO who will lead them to legitimacy, not a PR jester.


Uber DENIES DRIVERS DUE PROCESS !

UNCONSTITUTIONAL !

TIME TO ANSWER FOR IT !


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## Steve_TX (Feb 2, 2016)

How many actual employees does Uber have? I know us drivers aren't employees and I doubt that the folks in Uber Support are (you know, the beloved ones with thick accents and just dance around our words so they can give us a canned response).

Wikipedia says they have 12,000 employees. That's horse squeeze. That 12,000 number has to include us drivers and our beloved Uber Support geniuses. I never see more than 5-7 employees in our Greenlight Hub.


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## Ribak (Jun 30, 2017)

MHR said:


> Ribak I like you and want to give you the benefit of the doubt but you are starting to sound like those that think that any one that is less than 100% whole should not be seen in public.
> 
> Would my son's wheelchair and speech impediment offend you if he were bagging your groceries as long as he did the job well, seeing someone in a wheelchair might make one feel "uneasy" as you put it or are you more comfortable with the blind one whom does computer tech support over the phone where no one can see him?


The standards I am referencing are for Drivers.


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## Texie Driver (Sep 5, 2018)

Fozzie said:


> The problem is that so much of their staff is overseas and aren't fluent (or even functional) english speakers. I'd guess that to make up for their shortcomings Uber just uses a click and submit response system, which means that getting competent "service" is like throwing darts. The same with complaints. They have no clue how to respond to complaints, so they just hit the "sorry" and "refund" buttons and move on to the next batch of feedback. If Uber held staff accountable for their actions, I'd bet that things would improve, but we all know that Uber doesn't care enough to do that...


yeah it would be funny if we could dispute the fees wrongly refunded and have it taken out of the call center guy's paycheck to give back to the driver
zero consequences for the people who will never have projectile vomit from a rude drunk stranger in their car
or be treated as a servant in their own vehicle


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## Lee239 (Mar 24, 2017)

If Jeff Sessions drove people would think he was mentally incompetent with his accent and slow speech.


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## Fozzie (Aug 11, 2018)

Lee239 said:


> If Jeff Sessions drove people would think he was mentally incompetent with his accent and slow speech.


If you thought that, you wouldn't necessarily be wrong...

just joking, He's from Alabama, so that much is to be expected.


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

Steve_TX said:


> How many actual employees does Uber have? I know us drivers aren't employees and I doubt that the folks in Uber Support are (you know, the beloved ones with thick accents and just dance around our words so they can give us a canned response).
> 
> Wikipedia says they have 12,000 employees. That's horse squeeze. That 12,000 number has to include us drivers and our beloved Uber Support geniuses. I never see more than 5-7 employees in our Greenlight Hub.


19,354 incorporated places in the US.

Let's assume that of those 19354 cities/towns/ect that the top one in 20 has a green light hub, that's 967 green-light hubs.

At 5-7 employees per hub that's 4,835-6,769 employees

That's enough to cover half the employees.

967 greenlight hubs is 19 1/2 hubs per state. Or more likely 40 hubs per state in the top states and 1 hub per state in the bottom 20 states with somwhere in the middle being somewhere in the middle.

And i've already accounted for HALF the employees.

Take a call center 24 hour service, and your looking at 3-4 FULL TIME (40 hour/week) employees PER COMPUTER to keep a call center going 24/7. (1 butt per seat peak hours low hours can have half the seats being filled)

250 computers is 750-1000 employees.

So a cubicle farm of 500 seats is 1,500-2,000 FULL TIME employees.

Realalstically, given how many trips per hour uber generates it's not out of the question to have a 1,000 seat in one or more cubicle farm(s) to handle uber's world wide email support. That's 3,000-4,000 employees to keep 1,000 terminals running around the clock.

The statistic i'm seeing is 5.5 MILLION trips per day. I think the 1,000 terminals operating 24/7 is reasonable to provide email support on 5.5 million trips per day.

It's amazing how the employee count scales up with uber isn't it?


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## Fargle (May 28, 2017)

Regarding the mandatory arbitration clause concern, this case is in California. Last time I checked about a year ago, feelings were going significantly against mandatory arbitration as unconscionable. Does anyone here know any better?


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## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> The statistic i'm seeing is 5.5 MILLION trips per day. I think the 1,000 terminals operating 24/7 is reasonable to provide email support on 5.5 million trips per day.
> 
> It's amazing how the employee count scales up with uber isn't it?


15 million rides per day.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.re...arney-harford-2018-cut-costs-customer-service

Uber by the numbers

75 million monthly active riders
Three million total active drivers (defined as drivers that gave four or more rides the month prior)
15 million rides a day
Four billion rides just in 2017


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## Michael1230nj (Jun 23, 2017)

No Comment. It’s exhausting, the only thing that’s going to stop this downward spiral is a Meteor hurling towards Earth.


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## michael7227 (Oct 29, 2016)

Think about Uber and their inability or downright unwillingness to help someone whom has notified them as being disabled.

Think of the pax whom knowingly rode with knowledge of this disability and either thought it funny or didn't give him the benefit of the doubt.

Shyttyness all around.


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## Daisey77 (Jan 13, 2016)

Cableguynoe said:


> Not having a sign explains why he got reported. It doesn't explain why Uber deactivated him without properly investigating.


Do they ever properly investigate a claim, either before or after deactivation? As far as an explaination,  Hahaha right . . .
The advance support will back to us on that


Fargle said:


> Regarding the mandatory arbitration clause concern, this case is in California. Last time I checked about a year ago, feelings were going significantly against mandatory arbitration as unconscionable. Does anyone here know any better?


Do we know if this guy opted out of arbitration, by chance? Didn't California recently rule that drivers are now employees? I don't know exactly how the ADA works, but I'm guessing regardless of the arbitration and whether he's deemed an employee or not, the ADA has some power over both of those.


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## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

Daisey77 said:


> Do they ever properly investigate a claim, either before or after deactivation? As far as an explaination,  Hahaha right . . .
> The advance support will back to us on that


No never.

But now that they're being sued they'll have to explain why they didn't investigate


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## Yam Digger (Sep 12, 2016)

BurgerTiime said:


> Pack&#8230;was "excited about his new career path,"&#8230;


By now, we should all know how this usually ends.


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## SRGuy (May 17, 2016)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> 19,354 incorporated places in the US.
> 
> Let's assume that of those 19354 cities/towns/ect that the top one in 20 has a green light hub, that's 967 green-light hubs.


Uber is closing greenlight hubs right and left. They don't generate income and thus are a deaf to the bottom line. SF has only 4 active hubs remaining.


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## possibledriver (Dec 16, 2014)

BigBadJohn said:


> Reminds me of the current accusations against Bret Kavanaugh. Guilty because somebody said so. Now good luck trying to prove you're innocent. Uber is the epitome of a liberal left wing run company. I'm surprised Ubers not run by Feinstein, Polosi Schumer and Shiff.


Why is it some obsessed right winger has to drag politics into every discussion? This has nothing to do with Kavanaugh, Pelosi etc. It's not even connected to President Barack Obama nor his beautiful wife Michelle . Damn it must be the boogeyman himself Mr George Soros!!


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## Fargle (May 28, 2017)

SRGuy said:


> Uber is closing greenlight hubs right and left. They don't generate income and thus are a deaf to the bottom line. SF has only 4 active hubs remaining.


Fow a while, the greenlight hub for Bellingham was in Seattle. Now and then the greenlight in Bellingham is open for one day a week.



Daisey77 said:


> Do we know if this guy opted out of arbitration, by chance? Didn't California recently rule that drivers are now employees? I don't know exactly how the ADA works, but I'm guessing regardless of the arbitration and whether he's deemed an employee or not, the ADA has some power over both of those.


What I'm suggesting is that California courts may be calling mandatory arbitration illegal, even if someone failed to opt out. I know a lot of drivers who opted out, but Uber refuses to acknowledge that fact.



possibledriver said:


> Why is it some obsessed right winger has to drag politics into every discussion? This has nothing to do with Kavanaugh, Pelosi etc. It's not even connected to President Barack Obama nor his beautiful wife Michelle . Damn it must be the boogeyman himself Mr George Soros!!


What's your point?

PLONK


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## steveK2016 (Jul 31, 2016)

Ride-Share-Risk-Manager said:


> What is also ridiculous is that Uber never bother to ask a passenger why they didn't stop the ride with the so-called impaired driver. Uber and Lyft could clearly state to passengers that they should stop any ride and get out when they believe that their driver is impaired. But, we all know the reason why 95% of these passengers wont get out, its because they are just submitting false claims to get free rides.
> 
> Clearly, Uber staff cannot manage their business competently and are unqualified to make these deactivation decisions. These situations need to be handled by an external independent party who can assess the facts and eliminate the financial reward for the complaining passenger.


If the driver is sluring his words and you dont know that he has a disability, is it a false claim?


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## NewJerseyFlyer (Sep 5, 2018)

MHR said:


> And businesses have to provide reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. I know that's for employees. Don't know how that plays out with drivers being IC's


Plain and simple, Uber can (and does) simply stop using your services at any time, for any reason. We're not employees, we have no protections afforded employees. We work at the whim of the company.


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## GreatWhiteHope (Sep 18, 2018)

MHR said:


> Ribak I like you and want to give you the benefit of the doubt but you are starting to sound like those that think that any one that is less than 100% whole should not be seen in public.
> 
> Would my son's wheelchair and speech impediment offend you if he were bagging your groceries as long as he did the job well, seeing someone in a wheelchair might make one feel "uneasy" as you put it or are you more comfortable with the blind one whom does computer tech support over the phone where no one can see him?


God he really hit a sensitive point.

It's tough when it comes to driving 
You have ppls life in your hands
Not my opinion, I could see a pax being uncomfortable/feel unsafe/worried

Such a hard case, Uber system isn't set up to accommodate those problems 
I can reasonably see why it would happen to some disabled drivers



Ribak said:


> As a driver, I place an extremely high value on customer service. As such, I choose to view the ride thru the eyes of the Pax. If a pax is being discriminatory in terms of race, ethnicity, religion or gender, I do not condone that one bit. However, if the pax feels uneasy due to the physical, verbal or emotional limitations of a driver, I place 100% of the blame on the driver. Thus, those drivers should choose a different line of work. Yes, I understand that this is a harsh stance (and actually against UBER's current policy for drivers).


I like it

Harsh 
But harsh is Reality


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## Fozzie (Aug 11, 2018)

GreatWhiteHope said:


> God he really hit a sensitive point.
> 
> It's tough when it comes to driving
> You have ppls life in your hands
> ...


FWIW, Ribak's statement was directed at me, in response to another thread.

The problem is that some people have stated that people like me, a disabled grandmother who has driven since 1974 with zero tickets and zero accidents should be disqualified because I'm unable to carry 50 lb luggage for 20 something year old guys. That's what pisses me off. I drive fine, and as a driver, that's all that matters. If I can't haul their bags, that's their problem, and I shouldn't be penalized because of it. I'm a driver, not a ****ing porter.

Driving is all I have left. If I don't drive, I'd sit at home alone until I die, but some ****ing people prefer that path because it means one less person competing for rides. **** them too.


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## NewJerseyFlyer (Sep 5, 2018)

Fozzie said:


> FWIW, Ribak's statement was directed at me, in response to another thread.
> 
> The problem is that some people have stated that people like me, a disabled grandmother who has driven since 1974 with zero tickets and zero accidents should be disqualified because I'm unable to carry 50 lb luggage for 20 something year old guys. That's what pisses me off. I drive fine, and as a driver, that's all that matters. If I can't haul their bags, that's their problem, and I shouldn't be penalized because of it. I'm a driver, not a &%[email protected]!*ing porter.
> 
> Driving is all I have left. If I don't drive, I'd sit at home alone until I die, but some &%[email protected]!*ing people prefer that path because it means one less person competing for rides. &%[email protected]!* them too.


It's not healthy to hold that all in. Tell us how you REALLY feel.


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## Fozzie (Aug 11, 2018)

NewJerseyFlyer said:


> It's not healthy to hold that all in. Tell us how you REALLY feel.


Pissed off enough to add you to my ignore list...


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## NewJerseyFlyer (Sep 5, 2018)

Fozzie said:


> Pissed off enough to add you to my ignore list...


Thanks, granny.


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## GreatWhiteHope (Sep 18, 2018)

Fozzie said:


> FWIW, Ribak's statement was directed at me, in response to another thread.
> 
> The problem is that some people have stated that people like me, a disabled grandmother who has driven since 1974 with zero tickets and zero accidents should be disqualified because I'm unable to carry 50 lb luggage for 20 something year old guys. That's what pisses me off. I drive fine, and as a driver, that's all that matters. If I can't haul their bags, that's their problem, and I shouldn't be penalized because of it. I'm a driver, not a &%[email protected]!*ing porter.
> 
> Driving is all I have left. If I don't drive, I'd sit at home alone until I die, but some &%[email protected]!*ing people prefer that path because it means one less person competing for rides. &%[email protected]!* them too.


I'm whole heartedly with you

My post is more about it being reasonable that people like this get deactivated

Because all it takes is 1-2 pax

And it's hard to condemn those pax if they truly feel uneasy - doesn't apply to you tho


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## DexNex (Apr 18, 2015)

This is what happens when you let BOTs do everything. I am going to bet that none of the driver's communications ever saw a human eye until he filed suit for damages.


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## peteyvavs (Nov 18, 2015)

I truly hope Uber goes out of business, this company has abused thousands of honest drivers for bogus complaints by passengers who try to game the system for free rides at the drivers expense.
Uber does not ask for proof from passengers that support the complaint, yet penalizes drivers on here say.
BTW I'm not driving for FU BER anymore.


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## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> Uber will pay Matthew Pack $200k in an out of court settlement to make this problem go away. Matthew walks away with $134k and the attorney gets $66k for filing suit and answering about 5 phone calls. Definitely don't want an ongoing lawsuit over a disability during your IPO.


Which means Matthew and his lawyer can probably push it to $500k... It's more than just losing the job... It's about the humiliation of having to justify and defend the symptoms of his disability and Uber flat out refusing him the chance to do so.

Hell, since it's closing in on IPO time, maybe even $1M...


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

SuzeCB said:


> Which means Matthew and his lawyer can probably push it to $500k...Hell, since it's closing in on IPO time, maybe even $1M...


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## Disgusted Driver (Jan 9, 2015)

I have to laugh because Uber recently sent out a "don't worry, we have your back" email about ratings protection, etc.. Last week I get a stacked ping while dropping off at the airport and because of construction it took me 15 minutes to get around to the pickup. I texted the guy while I was stuck in traffic, got a terse where are you 5 minutes later (I KNOW, should have cancelled and moved on) got there and started to explain, guy went off about how Uber shouldn't lie about eta, didn't understand what I was trying to tell him about traffic and dropping off last person, got to see the traffic first hand as we swung around and of course gave me a 1 star after I dropped the paxhole off at his short ride airport hotel. Rated him a 1 and sent a note in right away, got the 1 star and requested it be removed and got copy and paste bull. Asked them to check messages for attitude and offered to send dashcam video, just keep getting copy and paste crap. So no, they can't even do what they promise, they sure aren't going to look out for people with genuine disabilities unless it makes money for them. 
I hope he gets a nice settlement!


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

doyousensehumor said:


> What's the #1 rule in business? "The customer is always right!" The society demands customer service! Or else the customer writes a ****ty yelp review! Or calls 3 on your side! Or tweets about it!
> 
> Really when is customer entitlement going to end.


Wonder what the GlassDoor Review is on Uber . . .

It seems to be currently 2.8 . ...

Far Too High

Uber EATS is REALLY GETTING HORRIBLE REVIEWS !


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## CarpeNoctem (Sep 12, 2018)

For those that get the drunk accusations, how about suing Uber and the rider for slander. The only reason I say is Uber is to compel them to cough up the rider info.

Considering the damages of lost wages and such, there could be a lawyer to take it on. I think this is the only way that riders will quit making false accusations of this or that. A lawsuit for $100k will shut up a lot of people. Those $10 rides wouldn't seem so expensive to them. This is where a drivers union or collective would come in handy.

Yeah, I know... blood from a turnip and all that but some pax could be squeezed.


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## Disgusted Driver (Jan 9, 2015)

CarpeNoctem said:


> For those that get the drunk accusations, how about suing Uber and the rider for slander. The only reason I say is Uber is to compel them to cough up the rider info.
> 
> Considering the damages of lost wages and such, there could be a lawyer to take it on. I think this is the only way that riders will quit making false accusations of this or that. A lawsuit for $100k will shut up a lot of people. Those $10 rides wouldn't seem so expensive to them. This is where a drivers union or collective would come in handy.
> 
> Yeah, I know... blood from a turnip and all that but some pax could be squeezed.


It sounds good in theory but the reality is that lawsuits are tough. Given what we make, there's not a lot in lost wages, proving other damages is hard. Then there's the fact that while your attorney is getting 1/3, they are going to throw a lot at them to make them work as hard as possible. It's not like accident cases where crappy attorneys just get a settlement offer and try to get you to take because you're desperate for funds and they get a quick payday for minimal work.


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## CarpeNoctem (Sep 12, 2018)

Disgusted Driver said:


> It sounds good in theory but the reality is that lawsuits are tough. Given what we make, there's not a lot in lost wages, proving other damages is hard. Then there's the fact that while your attorney is getting 1/3, they are going to throw a lot at them to make them work as hard as possible. It's not like accident cases where crappy attorneys just get a settlement offer and try to get you to take because you're desperate for funds and they get a quick payday for minimal work.


But see, that's just it. The pax have ZERO proof that their driver was drunk or impaired in any way. In court, the judge or jury is going to take the word of inexperienced and unqualified passengers? Hell, even the cops have a hard time making DUI's stick.

Also, it wouldn't necessarily take a trial. Like with RIAA, a letter stating something like Mrs Uber Rider, you are being sued for slander by your driver. Send $100k now or we'll sue for a $1m in court for damages. That is why I said a driver union or collective would be helpful as there could be a lawyer on staff that just sends out these letters all day.

Plus, after the pax folds and agrees to settle, then one could go after uber/lyft for a settlement as well showing the accusations had no merit and the DA was improper.

I'm, not a lawyer, I just play one on the internet...


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## Daisey77 (Jan 13, 2016)

Disgusted Driver said:


> I have to laugh because Uber recently sent out a "don't worry, we have your back" email about ratings protection, etc.. Last week I get a stacked ping while dropping off at the airport and because of construction it took me 15 minutes to get around to the pickup. I texted the guy while I was stuck in traffic, got a terse where are you 5 minutes later (I KNOW, should have cancelled and moved on) got there and started to explain, guy went off about how Uber shouldn't lie about eta, didn't understand what I was trying to tell him about traffic and dropping off last person, got to see the traffic first hand as we swung around and of course gave me a 1 star after I dropped the paxhole off at his short ride airport hotel. Rated him a 1 and sent a note in right away, got the 1 star and requested it be removed and got copy and paste bull. Asked them to check messages for attitude and offered to send dashcam video, just keep getting copy and paste crap. So no, they can't even do what they promise, they sure aren't going to look out for people with genuine disabilities unless it makes money for them.
> I hope he gets a nice settlement!


Yeah I try to use that reading protection thing as well. They sure took away my $4 for a trip that did not happen but refuse to remove the rating for a trip that did not happen. They told me they're unable to remove ratings period. So I don't know what this rating protection thing is besides the normal BS they feed to the media to save their face



tohunt4me said:


> Wonder what the GlassDoor Review is on Uber . . .
> 
> It seems to be currently 2.8 . ...
> 
> ...


I was just talking about this with other drivers the other day! LOL and I've been meaning to look this up! Thank you!



CarpeNoctem said:


> For those that get the drunk accusations, how about suing Uber and the rider for slander. The only reason I say is Uber is to compel them to cough up the rider info.
> 
> Considering the damages of lost wages and such, there could be a lawyer to take it on. I think this is the only way that riders will quit making false accusations of this or that. A lawsuit for $100k will shut up a lot of people. Those $10 rides wouldn't seem so expensive to them. This is where a drivers union or collective would come in handy.
> 
> Yeah, I know... blood from a turnip and all that but some pax could be squeezed.


I don't know how it works to sue passenger. As far as Uber, most of the drivers are in arbitration agreements, preventing them from doing so. I don't know if that covers passenger as well but typically with lawsuits, Uber just financially drains the company until they can't continue with the suit


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## Uberlife2 (Sep 20, 2016)

Always customers come first 
Second lawsuits will come


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## UberLaLa (Sep 6, 2015)




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## NoPooPool (Aug 18, 2017)

MHR said:


> Ribak I like you and want to give you the benefit of the doubt but you are starting to sound like those that think that any one that is less than 100% whole should not be seen in public.
> 
> Would my son's wheelchair and speech impediment offend you if he were bagging your groceries as long as he did the job well, seeing someone in a wheelchair might make one feel "uneasy" as you put it or are you more comfortable with the blind one whom does computer tech support over the phone where no one can see him?


Ribak needs to go jump back into his toolbox.


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## Tom Harding (Sep 26, 2016)

BurgerTiime said:


> https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newtimesslo.com/sanluisobispo/local-uber-driver-sues-company-for-discrimination/Content?oid=6263943&media=AMP+HTML
> 
> A local man filed a lawsuit against rideshare giant Uber, claiming that the company wrongfully fired him after riders misinterpreted his speech impediment as intoxication and reported him.
> 
> ...


In Uber's ONE SIDED contract, they claim that they can terminate any driver without cause or reason. Just because they feel like it. 
WE NEED A UNION OR ASSOCAITION TO FIGHT THESE STUPID, UNFAIR CONTRACT CLAUSES.


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## Mr. Sensitive (Jan 7, 2018)

1.5xorbust said:


> Yeah he's just using his stroke induced speech impediment as an excuse so that he can get shitfaced before he goes driving.


Very possible. Its also better to drive drunks around if you have to drink before your shift. Drunks usually can't smell alcohol on someone elses breath.


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## Texie Driver (Sep 5, 2018)

DexNex said:


> This is what happens when you let BOTs do everything. I am going to bet that none of the driver's communications ever saw a human eye until he filed suit for damages.


and this is what the article i linked in a recent politics thread means when it says

The societal effects of tech were hard to quantify, and moral responsibility was often sloughed off on something called an algorithm, which most people could not quite explain or examine.​https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/23/t...te-raises-20-million-from-craigslist-founder/

edited to add, i have a spinal cord injury, you would never know anything is wrong with me, i am very fit because i manage my condition with strength training and yoga. but i have neurological damage and it often causes slurred speech and a balance impairment that is transient. meaning it comes and goes. this driver could be me. if i slur and stumble and limp because my condition is flaring up, fired! by an algorithm.


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## Danny3xd (Nov 7, 2016)

As a twice "seeming (ly) impaired" driver and thrice accused non-phone holder. (I have 2 phone holders in the car at all times in-case of failure. Dumb not to have at least one. This worries me big time! They save money by not having human vetting or an "on-boarding" process. You could have a swastika tattooed on your forehead and be an acceptable driver. So their only eyes on your performance is the pax. Great and good business model. Except when some thing like this comes up.

Just shitty.

But when I get an enevitable 3rd "SI"ed. I am going straight to a yung lawyer looking for some free PR. I'm 55 and not dependent on their $. I have offered the videos and was told no. I understand they have to look pro-active against DUI. I have to be pro-active in my own self defense.

When are we, yes we gonna stop talking about collective bargaining and actually get off our butts and do it!?

Anyone interested? Contact me. I mean it. Not a union, per say. But some way of collectivly addressing situations such as this. $4 an hr wait time. Tipping in app being hidden.

Anyone?



Fozzie said:


> FWIW, Ribak's statement was directed at me, in response to another thread.
> 
> The problem is that some people have stated that people like me, a disabled grandmother who has driven since 1974 with zero tickets and zero accidents should be disqualified because I'm unable to carry 50 lb luggage for 20 something year old guys. That's what pisses me off. I drive fine, and as a driver, that's all that matters. If I can't haul their bags, that's their problem, and I shouldn't be penalized because of it. I'm a driver, not a &%[email protected]!*ing porter.
> 
> Driving is all I have left. If I don't drive, I'd sit at home alone until I die, but some &%[email protected]!*ing people prefer that path because it means one less person competing for rides. &%[email protected]!* them too.


Love you, Fozzie. And not just for the really cool avatar/reference NIC.

_This overly emotional response was brought to you by the EXXON corp. The letter "L", caffeine and no apparent reason._

(rock on)

Post Script. We should have something of mention before the IPO offering. They will want to keep it low key as millions are involved.

Not kidding or blowing smoke. Lets do this.


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## Actionjax (Oct 6, 2014)

With lots of dumb lawsuits I see filed against Uber this is one I hope to see Uber's Ass nailed to the wall. Investigation of false claims has always been an issue with the platform and to be honest this is inexcusable on Ubers part. Not just this driver but many drivers who allegations are made against. Especially since most drivers have dash cams and can prove their innocence. Uber does a pathetic job at protecting it's "Partners"


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## Danny3xd (Nov 7, 2016)

Actionjax said:


> With lots of dumb lawsuits I see filed against Uber this is one I hope to see Uber's Ass nailed to the wall. Investigation of false claims has always been an issue with the platform and to be honest this is inexcusable on Ubers part. Not just this driver but many drivers who allegations are made against. Especially since most drivers have dash cams and can prove their innocence. Uber does a pathetic job at protecting it's "Partners"


Agreed. On all points!


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## touberornottouber (Aug 12, 2016)

Actionjax said:


> With lots of dumb lawsuits I see filed against Uber this is one I hope to see Uber's Ass nailed to the wall. Investigation of false claims has always been an issue with the platform and to be honest this is inexcusable on Ubers part. Not just this driver but many drivers who allegations are made against. Especially since most drivers have dash cams and can prove their innocence. Uber does a pathetic job at protecting it's "Partners"


The truth is they just don't care about us. Any "care" they demonstrate is for PR purposes in order to make sure the new drivers keep coming. Once you are around for a while they don't care. In fact evidence suggests they give you less rides than a new driver.

Lyft isn't perfect but at least they let me see the address, the passengers name, and even (when hitting arrive) the destination. They also sent me a nice jacket -- without even charging me for shipping -- after I hit 1,000 rides. What has Uber ever given me? Nothing. The only thing I have ever got from them were messages and the initial $100 bonus at signup. ZERO promos or bonuses otherwise. In nearly two years.


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## UberPyro (Dec 19, 2016)

1.5xorbust said:


> Yeah he's just using his stroke induced speech impediment as an excuse so that he can get shitfaced before he goes driving.


Wouldn't you?


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## 1.5xorbust (Nov 22, 2017)

UberPyro said:


> Wouldn't you?


Yes. Yes I would.


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## Nonya busy (May 18, 2017)

BurgerTiime said:


> https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newtimesslo.com/sanluisobispo/local-uber-driver-sues-company-for-discrimination/Content?oid=6263943&media=AMP+HTML
> 
> A local man filed a lawsuit against rideshare giant Uber, claiming that the company wrongfully fired him after riders misinterpreted his speech impediment as intoxication and reported him.
> 
> ...


Always happy to hear uber and lyft in trouble and or have to pay drivers. What goes around comes around. Uplifting to the spirit.


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