# Account put on hold for "falling asleep at the wheel"



## Ataxio (Aug 5, 2018)

So I woke up to this today, Complete horse crap. Apparently a customer complained that I was falling asleep, which is completely bogus. Worst part is I bought a dash cam to contest exactly these kinds of issues... but unfortunately since nothing happened that night I deleted the footage.

My question is, has this ever happened to anyone else and if so how long does it typically take to get your account restored? I'm a 4.94 driver out of 600 trips for 10 months with what I would consider a pretty good track history, never had any issues before.

Really hoping this blows over, I'm crazy dependent on Uber right now for funds. Almost never hit weekend promos and was 8 trips from unlocking it, now that's gone


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## Carblar (Sep 1, 2016)

In Uber world you're guilty until proven innocent. Every pax who steps in your car has the ultimate power over your job and your income. They can literally say anything they want about you and Uber will deactivate you. And many pax love that power as they have so little of it in the rest of their lives.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Uber is Unsustainable


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## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

Ataxio said:


> So I woke up to this today, Complete horse crap. Apparently a customer complained that I was falling asleep, which is completely bogus. Worst part is I bought a dash cam to contest exactly these kinds of issues... but unfortunately since nothing happened that night I deleted the footage.
> 
> My question is, has this ever happened to anyone else and if so how long does it typically take to get your account restored? I'm a 4.94 driver out of 600 trips for 10 months with what I would consider a pretty good track history, never had any issues before.
> 
> Really hoping this blows over, I'm crazy dependent on Uber right now for funds. Almost never hit weekend promos and was 8 trips from unlocking it, now that's gone


Uber will put you on a 2 day time out, then they'll reactivate you like nothing ever happened. Time to polish up your Lyft app.


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## Ataxio (Aug 5, 2018)

I hope it's that simple.. Man am I beating my self up for formatting the camera. It holds about 7-8 hours worth of data, so unless something happens I just delete it. Suppose I should drag the entire folder onto a PC and hold it for a few days now.

Why is it always when you get 1 starred it's from the most random / low key people? At no point did anyone complain or indicate anything was happening that's unsafe.


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## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

Ataxio said:


> I hope it's that simple.. Man am I beating my self up for formatting the camera. It holds about 7-8 hours worth of data, so unless something happens I just delete it. Suppose I should drag the entire folder onto a PC and hold it for a few days now.
> 
> Why is it always when you get 1 starred it's from the most random / low key people? At no point did anyone complain or indicate anything was happening that's unsafe.


Even if you sent send Uber your entire shift footage they will not watch it. Uber puts you in time out for 2 days for reports of intoxication, fatigue, and having an accident.

Uber has Meet n Greets here in Seattle. I asked Uber management face to face why they do this. Take the Pax's word over the drivers. It's unfair!!

They said sorry, it's for liability reasons. It's not going to change. So this is why I told you to drive on Lyft in the meantime. Of course state your innocence to Uber profusely, but don't sit at home at worry about it. Within 2 days you will be able to log back onto the Uber app and drive again.

I would recommend that all your contact with Uber be in writing, instead of calling. Remember you are dealing with customer service representatives who only speak English as a second language. This is not the time to be misunderstood or misquoted.

Also what I do and what Uber told me to do to prevent this is whenever you get a pax that an issue arises, bad attitude, argument, whatever......after the ride ends report it immediately. That way if they try to retaliate with a false claim, Uber can look in the computer and see there was a reported issue with this rider and therefore the allegation is probably false. Uber told me, they tend to listen to whoever reaches out to them first.

Also yes ratchet people do ratchet things. Perhaps try driving in a different area. Also make sure you check your pay daily. Go through the whole week and each day. One common trick pax do is after a ride ends they will tell Uber you picked up someone else on their account, or you went miles out of the way..........whatever. Uber will refund them their money and take your pay back. If you ever see a trip that is way less than it should be, or simply $0.00, review it very carefully. If it wasn't a cancelled ride, pax is playing games.


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## Ataxio (Aug 5, 2018)

Interesting.. The problem here is its impossible to guess what trip it was that made the complaint. Possibly an intoxicated person late at night misinterpreted my body language? I really have no idea. But good advice in general.

Think i'm just going to take the day off and decompress. Lyft in my area is not very popular yet, so I probably wouldn't make very much. Of course this has to happen the first week I decide to try ride sharing full time.

I hope karma makes this person fall down an up moving escalator..


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## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

Ataxio said:


> Interesting.. The problem here is its impossible to guess what trip it was that made the complaint. Possibly an intoxicated person late at night misinterpreted my body language? I really have no idea. But good advice in general.
> 
> Think i'm just going to take the day off and decompress. Lyft in my area is not very popular yet, so I probably wouldn't make very much. Of course this has to happen the first week I decide to try ride sharing full time.
> 
> I hope karma makes this person fall down an up moving escalator..


It's not impossible. You just have to be willing to follow through.

Wait until you are back online and figure out how much money you lost being offline. Print out pay statements for the days of the week affected for the last 5 or 6 weeks, and go to small claims court and sue "John or Jane Doe, a passenger in my car while driving for Uber, Identity to be determined in Discovery". Then you can subpoena all the information about the pax (go for all of it, not just your ride) and amend the Complaint and Serve the pax to get your money that their lie made you lose. You'll be suing for slander and defamation of character.

But of course you won't do it. No one does. That's why pax keep doing this to get free rides.


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

Ataxio said:


> Why is it always when you get 1 starred it's from the most random / low key people? At no point did anyone complain or indicate anything was happening that's unsafe.


In my experience it's children who make up false reports. Every time a false report has been made, it was kids. Did you pick up any minors by mistake?


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## Ataxio (Aug 5, 2018)

Nope, not in the last few days. It's all been smooth, I really have no idea who would of said this. The best I can figure is they misinterpreted body language. Maybe I was yawning a lot? I always get 6 to 8 hours of sleep each day.. i've never actually been nodding off at the wheel. 

Lol the degree to which I take my ride sharing jobs seriously is probably excessive, it just really hurts when you get a low blow like this and your doing everything you can do deliver proper service.

As for all the court stuff, that seems a bit excessive. Perhaps if I'm unable to get my account restored but, that's a lot of hoops to be jumping for very little in compensation from a risk vs reward standpoint.


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## UberBeemer (Oct 23, 2015)

I hate when I wake up suddenly, and I'm like, woah, how long have I been driving?
~unknown comic

When I go, I want to die in my sleep, like granddad did. Not screaming in terror, like his passengers...
~another unknown comic (Stephen Wright?)


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## Ataxio (Aug 5, 2018)

Lol get outta here


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## disp350 (Jul 16, 2016)

Ataxio said:


> I hope it's that simple.. Man am I beating my self up for formatting the camera. It holds about 7-8 hours worth of data, so unless something happens I just delete it. Suppose I should drag the entire folder onto a PC and hold it for a few days now.
> 
> Why is it always when you get 1 starred it's from the most random / low key people? At no point did anyone complain or indicate anything was happening that's unsafe.


It might be a hassle, but I copy every shifts footage to my PC and keep them for 60 - 90 days before I delete them. I know Uber may not look at them, but if a pax ever accuses me of something to the police, at least I have the footage. My dashcam holds about 3 shifts worth of driving, 32GB. I unplug it between rides.


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## Ataxio (Aug 5, 2018)

That's exactly what i'm planning to do, apparently it's worth the hassle. I just never thought somebody would come at me with this..


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## disp350 (Jul 16, 2016)

It's worth it. I've read too many of these stories here and it's plainly obvious that we are guilty until decided innocent. I won't drive without it. Even cut short a shift a few months back when the 12 volt plug broke during a ride. Went home, ordered 2 new ones and waited the 2 days till I got them to I went back out.


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## UberBeemer (Oct 23, 2015)

Ataxio said:


> Lol get outta here


Sorry, did you say something? I think I drifted...

Here is an interesting article.
https://www.tuck.com/microsleep/

For me, the late shift is something I avoid, not just because of drunk passengers. I also try to take a long break at lunch, and catch a nap.

"Microsleep periods become more prevalent with cumulative sleep debt. In other words, the more sleep deprived a person is, the greater the chance a microsleep episode will occur."


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## Seahawk3 (Oct 5, 2016)

SuzeCB said:


> It's not impossible. You just have to be willing to follow through.
> 
> Wait until you are back online and figure out how much money you lost being offline. Print out pay statements for the days of the week affected for the last 5 or 6 weeks, and go to small claims court and sue "John or Jane Doe, a passenger in my car while driving for Uber, Identity to be determined in Discovery". Then you can subpoena all the information about the pax (go for all of it, not just your ride) and amend the Complaint and Serve the pax to get your money that their lie made you lose. You'll be suing for slander and defamation of character.
> 
> But of course you won't do it. No one does. That's why pax keep doing this to get free rides.


I have done it twice got two uncontested settlements worth over 2k. Currently getting the last of it via wage garnishment

The funny thing the money isnt even what I was after it was the looks on their faces when I showed up to their job and handed a wage garnishment to their boss and explain to them why they are getting it. I know for a fact the first passenger that I completed this process on no longer has a job at the company they were working for.


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## kcdrvr15 (Jan 10, 2017)

How do you get wage garnishment when rider quits the job ?

Like squeezing blood out of a turnip.

But I like your approach to this issue.


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## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

kcdrvr15 said:


> How do you get wage garnishment when rider quits the job ?
> 
> Like squeezing blood out of a turnip.
> 
> But I like your approach to this issue.


Find out where they do their banking. Get a court order (which you can do if you have a judgement) to seize the bank account. If they rent, do it a day or two before the first of the month. If they own, put a lien on the house. You can also put a lien on vehicles and income tax refunds.

Judgements are subject to interest. Not much. The 2017 rate in NJ was 0.50%, but still.


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## hanging in there (Oct 1, 2014)

Ataxio said:


> So I woke up to this today, Complete horse crap. Apparently a customer complained that I was falling asleep, which is completely bogus. Worst part is I bought a dash cam to contest exactly these kinds of issues... but unfortunately since nothing happened that night I deleted the footage.
> 
> My question is, has this ever happened to anyone else and if so how long does it typically take to get your account restored? I'm a 4.94 driver out of 600 trips for 10 months with what I would consider a pretty good track history, never had any issues before.
> 
> Really hoping this blows over, I'm crazy dependent on Uber right now for funds. Almost never hit weekend promos and was 8 trips from unlocking it, now that's gone


Why do you delete the footage? Most if not all dashcams are designed for continuous loop recording.

Devil's advocate position. Perhaps you did in fact drift off and not know it. For example, it's a common problem for those who have sleep apnea, and that condition goes largely undetected btw.


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## UberBeemer (Oct 23, 2015)

SuzeCB said:


> It's not impossible. You just have to be willing to follow through.
> 
> Wait until you are back online and figure out how much money you lost being offline. Print out pay statements for the days of the week affected for the last 5 or 6 weeks, and go to small claims court and sue "John or Jane Doe, a passenger in my car while driving for Uber, Identity to be determined in Discovery". Then you can subpoena all the information about the pax (go for all of it, not just your ride) and amend the Complaint and Serve the pax to get your money that their lie made you lose. You'll be suing for slander and defamation of character.
> 
> But of course you won't do it. No one does. That's why pax keep doing this to get free rides.


One reason most wont pursue this is the costs. There is the filing and service fees, and the defendant can ask the court to make you pay for the costs associated with producing records. Also, in Illinois at least, def can bring an attorney, but in claims court, plaintiff can not. And if you lose, they will petition for you to pay their lawyers fees.


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## ihavetodothat (Aug 6, 2018)

Seahawk3 said:


> I have done it twice got two uncontested settlements worth over 2k. Currently getting the last of it via wage garnishment
> 
> The funny thing the money isnt even what I was after it was the looks on their faces when I showed up to their job and handed a wage garnishment to their boss and explain to them why they are getting it. I know for a fact the first passenger that I completed this process on no longer has a job at the company they were working for.


Wow. Congratulations. What's an uncontested settlement? Do you mean a default judgement? Can you provide the court you filed in and the docket number so my lawyer can look that up. I have a similar issue and want to do the same as you. He made it sound a lot more challenging then what you did. Talked about filing fees, drafting a complaint, discovery, motions, and all this other stuff. This would all be public record, so shouldnt be a problem providing the info. Would be a great roadmap for all of us. Thanks!!


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## Seahawk3 (Oct 5, 2016)

ihavetodothat said:


> Wow. Congratulations. What's an uncontested settlement? Do you mean a default judgement? Can you provide the court you filed in and the docket number so my lawyer can look that up. I have a similar issue and want to do the same as you. He made it sound a lot more challenging then what you did. Talked about filing fees, drafting a complaint, discovery, motions, and all this other stuff. This would all be public record, so shouldnt be a problem providing the info. Would be a great roadmap for all of us. Thanks!!


Yeah uncontested is default becuase they didnt show up. Most people dont show up. Small claims you dont need a lawyer just go to your local courthouse and ask the clerk for the paper work. Here in Montana it cost me 40 bucks to file


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

SuzeCB said:


> pax keep doing this to get free rides.


This is all that it was. As soon as the passenger tells Uber that you were drunk, high or sleepy, Uber believes them, immediately refunds their money and immediately waitlists you.


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## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

Another Uber Driver said:


> This is all that it was. As soon as the passenger tells Uber that you were drunk, high or sleepy, Uber believes them, immediately refunds their money and immediately waitlists you.


The thing is that in most states, this means the pax is accusing you of a crime. Driving while impaired is more than just a traffic infraction.


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

*Drivin' With Your Eyes Closed*
Song by Don Henley
I met a Frenchman in a field last night
He was out there with an easel, painting carnival light
He said, I used to paint the princess; I used to paint the frogs

Now I paint moustaches on dangerous dogs
He said, Sometimes it's a country; sometimes it's a girl
You know, everybody got to have a purpose in this world
You Yankees are so silly about matters of the heart
Don't you know that women are the only works of art

You're drivin' with your eyes closed
You're drivin' with your eyes closed
You're drivin' with your eyes closed
You're gonna hit somethin'
But that's the way it goes


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## Ataxio (Aug 5, 2018)

All jokes aside no, I wasn't drifting at any point. I usually wake up at 2-3PM and drive till 12 to 2AM. getting 6 to 8 hours of sleep in between. If I felt tired, I would have went offline and gone home.

Sometimes I yawn excessively but that dosen't really mean i'm falling asleep.. Starting to believe the theory that this was an attempt at free rides. That entire day actually I was in a particularly good mood and extra chatty with customers. Whole week tho i've been getting a lot of sleep... so I'm really at a loss where this is coming from ;\

As for why I delete the footage, 7-8 hours of work nearly fill the 64gb card. It's a dual facing camera recording at 720p, so unless something happened of interest I would format the card. I'll have to connect it to my PC and store it for a few days from now on apparently.


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## Julescase (Mar 29, 2017)

Ataxio said:


> So I woke up to this today, Complete horse crap. Apparently a customer complained that I was falling asleep, which is completely bogus. Worst part is I bought a dash cam to contest exactly these kinds of issues... but unfortunately since nothing happened that night I deleted the footage.
> 
> My question is, has this ever happened to anyone else and if so how long does it typically take to get your account restored? I'm a 4.94 driver out of 600 trips for 10 months with what I would consider a pretty good track history, never had any issues before.
> 
> Really hoping this blows over, I'm crazy dependent on Uber right now for funds. Almost never hit weekend promos and was 8 trips from unlocking it, now that's gone


Why on earth would you delete footage from your dash cam? Doesn't it just loop the recording anyway? And when you say "since nothing happened that night..." that's irrelevant since that's exactly what you want to provide to Uber if a pax conplains - the footage of absolutely nothing happening.

Because when a pax makes a fraudulent claim that you fell asleep at the wheel, you can provide the video of nothing happening during any of your rides, thus proving your innocence.


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## Rakos (Sep 2, 2014)

Another Uber Driver said:


> This is all that it was. As soon as the passenger tells Uber that you were drunk, high or sleepy, Uber believes them, immediately refunds their money and immediately waitlists you.


This is called an Uber time out...8>)

Rakos


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## FormerTaxiDriver♧ (Apr 5, 2018)

I have a 128 GB thumb drive that backs up automatically on my dash cam. It stays tucked away, and loops over when space is used up.


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## Ataxio (Aug 5, 2018)

Apparently yes I had a time out. Literally the moment my alarm goes off I get a message and my account is restored.

Just lovely though that people can say anything to get a refund and free ride. And this is on my record now.


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## 1974toyota (Jan 5, 2018)

Ataxio said:


> So I woke up to this today, Complete horse crap. Apparently a customer complained that I was falling asleep, which is completely bogus. Worst part is I bought a dash cam to contest exactly these kinds of issues... but unfortunately since nothing happened that night I deleted the footage.
> 
> My question is, has this ever happened to anyone else and if so how long does it typically take to get your account restored? I'm a 4.94 driver out of 600 trips for 10 months with what I would consider a pretty good track history, never had any issues before.
> 
> Really hoping this blows over, I'm crazy dependent on Uber right now for funds. Almost never hit weekend promos and was 8 trips from unlocking it, now that's gone


So you woke up from falling asleep at the wheel? ROFLMAO. Deleted footage? why? JMO



tohunt4me said:


> Uber is Unsustainable


??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????.............JMO


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

Carblar said:


> In Uber world you're guilty until proven innocent. Every pax who steps in your car has the ultimate power over your job and your income. They can literally say anything they want about you and Uber will deactivate you. And many pax love that power as they have so little of it in the rest of their lives.


Na..
In the uber world your guilty if accused.

There is no proving yourself innocent...


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## Ataxio (Aug 5, 2018)

So just an update on this. The next day my account was restored and I was good to go.

At my surprise uber sent me a support msg today and credited me $100 for the suspension.

It's almost like they care :0


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## Rojopostal2380 (Aug 14, 2018)

Ataxio said:


> So I woke up to this today, Complete horse crap. Apparently a customer complained that I was falling asleep, which is completely bogus. Worst part is I bought a dash cam to contest exactly these kinds of issues... but unfortunately since nothing happened that night I deleted the footage.
> 
> My question is, has this ever happened to anyone else and if so how long does it typically take to get your account restored? I'm a 4.94 driver out of 600 trips for 10 months with what I would consider a pretty good track history, never had any issues before.
> 
> Really hoping this blows over, I'm crazy dependent on Uber right now for funds. Almost never hit weekend promos and was 8 trips from unlocking it, now that's gone


Yhis has happened to me it was 2 days was working sm shift was a pool ride I was picking up the last rider and we were parked in front of pax house I closed my eyes for a couple sec and got reported


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## Mordred (Feb 3, 2018)

This is why I never piss off passengers. They have the ability to deactivate you at any time.


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## Rojopostal2380 (Aug 14, 2018)

Mordred said:


> This is why I never piss off passengers. They have the ability to deactivate you at any time.


Yeah true me either I never give less then 5 stars NC when I rated my pax truthfully I got accused of driving drunk and some more shit


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