# Uber driver with eight page criminal record, raped teen, prosecutors say.



## observer (Dec 11, 2014)

EVERETT, Mass. -

An Uber driver from Boston with a lengthy criminal record is accused of raping a teenage girl in July.

Darnell Booth, 34, of Dorchester, was arrested by Everett police on Wednesday night.

Prosecutors allege Booth met the 16-year-old victim on June 30 when he drove her home to Everett

On July 4, the victim noticed that she had been added to a Snapchat account she believed was Booth's, prosecutors said. At about 11 p.m., Booth allegedly told the girl through Snapchat that he was outside of her home and asked her to come outside. The girl declined, prosecutors said.

When the girl missed the bus on July 5, Booth allegedly sent her a message through Snapchat, not the Uber app, asking her if she needed a ride. The girl accepted and Booth picked up the girl to take her to her destination, during which time he allegedly drove her to a secluded location, parked the car and raped her, prosecutors said. He then took her to her destination.

Prosecutors said DNA evidence links Booth, who has an eight-page criminal record, to the crime.

A defense attorney said Booth denies the charges.

An Uber spokesperson told 5 Investigates that it abides by state law when conducting checks and looks back more than seven years.

But when 5 Investigates did its own background check into Booth, it found he had a 2012 conviction for assaulting a corrections officer while he was incarcerated.

He served two years in jail.

He also served time in jail after arrests in 2008 for several counts of dealing drugs in a school zone.

Uber said Booth began driving for the company in February, but is now permanently banned.

Booth was held without bail pending following his arraignment on the rape charge in Malden District Court.

http://m.wcvb.com/news/uber-driver-accused-of-rape/41150296


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

THere are so many things wrong with this story. Uber raped my daughter, what a shit show this has become. Because of Uber greed and chasing the bottom to drive out competition Uber is ignoring proper BG checks to flood the market with drivers. Uber has completely smeared sh*t on its brand good job.

Seems like a great political football for November.


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## drexl_s (May 20, 2016)

This is no reflection on uber. He did not rape her while she was a pax. He could have picked any victim, guy is a sicko for sure, but putting this on uber. Hell no.


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

drexl_s said:


> This is no reflection on uber, stupid. He did not rape her while she was a pax. He could have picked any victim, guy is a sicko for sure, but putting this on uber. Hell no.


Of course its on Uber. THey hired an IC and didn't do a proper BG check as they claimed in the rider contract. He met the minor on an illegal Uber work order (she was an unaccompanied minor) which Uber hasn't taken adequate measures to prevent and then stalked her on snap chat and raped her. It doesn't matter that the account holder was breaking the rules because Uber was already liable by not running the BG checks.

Do you actually think Uber is going to fight this on court?


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## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

Why do people defend Uber's poor background checks? Regardless of when he raped her, he was introduced to her through the Uber platform. After that introduction he stalked her on social media.


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

Because they can't pass a real BG check.


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

Beur said:


> Why do people defend Uber's poor background checks? Regardless of when he raped her, he was introduced to her through the Uber platform. After that introduction he stalked her on social media.


Why the hell is a 16 yo posting on Snapchat that she missed a bus. Then accepting a ride. Her parents did a horrible job of raising her. This isn't the first and definitely won't be the last.


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## OC Lady Uber Driver (Jun 26, 2016)

The account holder is the responsible party in Uber's eyes. If someone else uses that account, it's still on the account holder. A teenager's behavior is the responsibility of their parents. Know your kids, love your kids, talk to your kids every day. Open, honest communication with your kids helps them build build confidence and stay safe out in the world.


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

OC Lady Uber Driver said:


> The account holder is the responsible party in Uber's eyes. If someone else uses that account, it's still on the account holder. A teenager's behavior is the responsibility of their parents. Know your kids, love your kids, talk to your kids every day.


Wish I could give you a million likes. Love your last sentence.


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## ACHUMA (Jun 26, 2016)

OC Lady Uber Driver said:


> The account holder is the responsible party in Uber's eyes. If someone else uses that account, it's still on the account holder. A teenager's behavior is the responsibility of their parents. Know your kids, love your kids, talk to your kids every day. Open, honest communication with your kids helps them build build confidence and stay safe out in the world.


Well said, Oprah.


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## ChinatownJake (Jan 3, 2016)

Make sure you watch the video. They've got the accused Uber driver's reactions in court; he's either a good actor, or there's more to this story.

Meanwhile, good work by the TV station to expose the flimsiness of Uber BC:

_An Uber spokesperson told 5 Investigates that it abides by state law when conducting checks and looks back more than seven years.

But when 5 Investigates did its own background check into Booth, it found he had a 2012 conviction for assaulting a corrections officer while he was incarcerated. _


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## Taxi Driver in Arizona (Mar 18, 2015)

Uber drivers sure are a rapey bunch.


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

OC Lady Uber Driver said:


> The account holder is the responsible party in Uber's eyes. If someone else uses that account, it's still on the account holder. A teenager's behavior is the responsibility of their parents. Know your kids, love your kids, talk to your kids every day. Open, honest communication with your kids helps them build build confidence and stay safe out in the world.


So I guess your kids are perfect and never do stupid stuff. We really shouldn't require ID checks at liquor stores either becasue hey it's on the account holder, you know the one paying for the booze. I can understand this line of thinking if it's coming from a Libertarian who bought in early on Trump. Clearly Uber failed to do the proper BG check and they hired a violent felon and set him up with a minor becasue they have taken no interest in assuring that unaccompanied minors will not be picked up. IN FACT they only made a POLICY about this a couple months ago until after more than one incident occurred. Previously if you asked them what the policy was they told you it was up to your discretion as a driver to make the decision on who gets a ride or in this case a rape.

Your attitude sounds like your blaming the victims parents for not raising her better. I guess your parenting skills are so superior that your kid will be protected forever by the lessons you taught them... what a crock! As a mom, I"d think you'd have more compassion for a kid being stalked and raped by a driver that wasn't vetted properly, but in the current political climate, the despicable people never cease to amaze.

We should expect more from our corporate overlords or we will continue to spiral downwards into a place like India.


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## u-Boat (Jan 4, 2016)

Still no response from anyone regarding fingerprinting uBer RIDERS? Anyone else out there recognize the hypocrisy? Right now people with violent criminal backgrounds can set up real or fake uBer rider accounts with little more than a prepaid debit card and untraceable cell phone. What's to stop an uBer rider from raping an uBer driver? What's to stop an uBer rider from carjacking and murdering an uBer driver? If you're going to fingerprint drivers you'd better be prepared to fingerprint EVERYONE utilizing taxi, limo or rideshare for transportation.


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## OC Lady Uber Driver (Jun 26, 2016)

u-Boat said:


> Still no response from anyone regarding fingerprinting uBer RIDERS? Anyone else out there recognize the hypocrisy? Right now people with violent criminal backgrounds can set up real or fake uBer rider accounts with little more than a prepaid debit card and untraceable cell phone. What's to stop an uBer rider from raping an uBer driver? What's to stop an uBer rider from carjacking and murdering an uBer driver? If you're going to fingerprint drivers you'd better be prepared to fingerprint EVERYONE utilizing taxi, limo or rideshare for transportation.


Since when has fingerprinting stopped anyone from doing anything? It's a forensics tool first and foremost.


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## LA Cabbie (Nov 4, 2014)

OC Lady Uber Driver said:


> Since when has fingerprinting stopped anyone from doing anything?


That's how you know it works


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

OC Lady Uber Driver said:


> Since when has fingerprinting stopped anyone from doing anything? It's a forensics tool first and foremost.


It helps stop undocumented aliens from driving Uber. WHat is your issue with giving your finger print? They are all over your car, you leave them everywhere. It's not like someone couldn't get your finger print if they wanted it.


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## Slavic Riga (Jan 12, 2016)

DriverX said:


> *We should expect more from our corporate overlords or we will continue to spiral downwards into a place like India*.


Was in agreement with your post. Until I read the above last sentence.
"Have you been to India & seen how the Corporate overlords operate in India". Prefer to have some examples.

Here is something to ponder.
If the Technology company 'Uber' was started in India by an Indian & the same issues of background checks, rape & mistreatment of drivers & riders were to surface. *The same first world countries that you & I live in,* would have done all that is in their power & propaganda to label it as *'Exploitation of Labor' & promote its ban worldwide.*


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## UberHammer (Dec 5, 2014)

drexl_s said:


> This is no reflection on uber. He did not rape her while she was a pax. He could have picked any victim, guy is a sicko for sure, but putting this on uber. Hell no.


Uber matched the victim with the accused on June 30th. The crime didn't occur until 6 days later, but that does not excuse Uber from their responsibility here of making the initial connection between the two. Of course it reflects on Uber.


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## UberLaLa (Sep 6, 2015)

The last line in the video is what this IS all about. _Uber responded....the last criminal record is more than seven years old._

That, and the fact that fingerprint background checks will help confirm the potential driver is who they say they are.

Uber drivers are not bad people, but some bad people will see Uber driving as a way to gain access to new victims. We as drivers need Uber to do a better job of keeping bad people out of our line of 'work.'


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

drexl_s said:


> This is no reflection on uber. He did not rape her while she was a pax.


You missed the point. This guy had an eight page criminal record that got by a private background check but a Law Enforcement background check showed it.



Beur said:


> Why do people defend Uber's poor background checks? Regardless of when he raped her, he was introduced to her through the Uber platform.


The second qu0ted sentence does link it to Uber. The main point, though, is the quoted poster's first sentence. This guy's eight page criminal record
cleared a private background check but not a law enforcement background check. We have more than one person on these Boards who insists that the private background check is sufficient and that a law enforcement background check does not render more criminal information. Here, again, is another incident where the private background check failed. Further, some people do not understand that one person raped is three too many. Had this guy's true criminal background come to light in a private background check, you would hope that no TNC would accept him.

What I await is someone's criminal background actually coming out in a private check and it comes out that:

A. The checking firm does not report a criminal result to the TNC per the TNC's instructions.
B. The checking firm does report it and the TNC ignores or suppresses it.
C. The checking firm is using less than thorough procedures per the instructions of the contracting TNC
D. The checking firm advised the contracting TNC that such and so procedures were necessary, but the TNC was unwilling to pay.



SEAL Team 5 said:


> Why the hell is a 16 yo posting on Snapchat that she missed a bus. Then accepting a ride


I must wonder about this, as well. According to the article, this driver showed up at her house between the time of the initial Uber ride and the time that the assault occurred. He asked her to come out of the house. She declined. She must have thought that something was creepy. Why did she subsequently accept a ride from this creep? Readers please do be aware that I am putting no blame on the victim, not in the least. This guy had no business assaulting her and deserves the worst hell hole in the worst prison in this country


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## El Janitor (Feb 22, 2016)

This sucks no matter where it happens, rape sucks just as much as assault and any other crime. However Uber is the only company that doesn't do deep deep background checks? Because cab companies always BG all their employees too? Seriously all of them not forgetting just 1 sometimes, maybe a family member ? BTW I don't know if anyone has ever heard that creepy scary old saying;" It's not the convicts you have to worry about, it's all the ones who haven't been caught yet." 

So if you want to stay really really safe:


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## backstreets-trans (Aug 16, 2015)

I think one aspect that we all might be missing is that uber has the illusion of being a safer more trusted transportation company. In all reality, they might be less safe than most cab companies because their background checks, drug testing and personal interviewing practices are a lot lower than most cab companies. Most of the public is leery of cab drivers and make an extra effort to vet them before getting in or letting loved ones leave in a cab.

Several of my cab fares have taken my cab number and personally talked with me before entrusting me to give their friends and family a ride. This is just a good common sense approach. The uber model of people haphazardly hopping into cars with strangers can be dangerous. I know uber has some built in safe guards with photos and license plate numbers but if the company doesn't do a good job of vetting drivers with strict background checks then the safe guards don't means squat.


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## Squirming Like A Toad (Apr 7, 2016)

I don't believe they did a background check on him. If you were in the state pen, there's a record. 

No he didn't rape anyone during a Uber ride and he wasn't a registered sex offender, but a felon of any kind is not what you want responsible for the safety of others in unsupervised situations.


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## ChinatownJake (Jan 3, 2016)

Another Uber Driver said:


> According to the article, this driver showed up at her house between the time of the initial Uber ride and the time that the assault occurred. He asked her to come out of the house. She declined. She must have thought that something was creepy. Why did she subsequently accept a ride from this creep?


That's the other red flag here, along with the video in-court reactions of the driver I mentioned previously. The teenage girl would have had to get into his civilian car, voluntarily. Which - when you see reactions of driver - just makes me wonder, and casts some *possible* doubt on her subsequent allegations.


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## painfreepc (Jul 17, 2014)

backstreets-trans said:


> I think one aspect that we all might be missing is that uber has the illusion of being a safer more trusted transportation company. In all reality, they might be less safe than most cab companies because their background checks, drug testing and personal interviewing practices are a lot lower than most cab companies. Most of the public is leery of cab drivers and make an extra effort to vet them before getting in or letting loved ones leave in a cab.
> 
> Several of my cab fares have taken my cab number and personally talked with me before entrusting me to give their friends and family a ride. This is just a good common sense approach. The uber model of people haphazardly hopping into cars with strangers can be dangerous. I know uber has some built in safe guards with photos and license plate numbers but if the company doesn't do a good job of vetting drivers with strict background checks then the safe guards don't means squat.


I can be witness to the fact that most everyone seems to trust Uber and Lyft drivers but not taxi drivers,

In my 11 years driving Taxi at least a few dozen times someone has come outside to question me, sometimes even ask for my ID, even take the license plate number of my taxi before they let their loved one, wife or daughter get into my taxicab,

No one has ever questioned me when picking up their loved ones on the uber or Lyft platform.

Every taxi company I work for I had to do a Live Scan,
I lost count of how many times I've had to do a drug screen..


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

UberLaLa said:


> The last line in the video is what this IS all about. _Uber responded....the last criminal record is more than seven years old._
> 
> That, and the fact that fingerprint background checks will help confirm the potential driver is who they say they are.
> 
> Uber drivers are not bad people, but some bad people will see Uber driving as a way to gain access to new victims. We as drivers need Uber to do a better job of keeping bad people out of our line of 'work.'


The news reported the last criminal record was 2012. so no thats only 4 years old.


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

painfreepc said:


> I can be witness to the fact that most everyone seems to trust Uber and Lyft drivers but not taxi drivers,
> 
> In my 11 years driving Taxi at least a few dozen times someone has come outside to question me, sometimes even ask for my ID, even take the license plate number of my taxi before they let their loved one, wife or daughter get into my taxicab,
> 
> ...


the last thing uber wants is drug screens. There goes like half their work force.


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## painfreepc (Jul 17, 2014)

DriverX said:


> the last thing uber wants is drug screens. There goes like half their work force.


Yeah that would be the last thing uber would want because that would mean they would have to raise the fare, why?

Because there will be way more the demand then there are drivers,
Anxn the only way to lower demand will be to raise the fare.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

painfreepc said:


> In my 11 years driving Taxi at least a few dozen times someone has come outside to question me, sometimes even ask for my ID, even take the license plate number of my taxi before they let their loved one, wife or daughter get into my taxicab,


.............as have I. I will show them the hack licence, but it stays in my hand. I have had more than one demand to see it, I show it, but keep it in my hands. The guy reaches out to grab it, but I pull it back, into the cab and toward me, but still letting him read it. The guy says "I said *let me SEE it*".

I reply "You can see it fine, right where it is".

"Put it in my hand."

"That will not happen, Sir. I will show it to you, but it stays in my hand".

I had one guy go so far as to tell me that the reason that I had to p ut it into his hand was so that he could hold it until his son had called him from the airport to tell the father that I had dropped him off safely at the airport and that if there were any complaints about my driving, he would hold the hack licence and turn it into the Taxicab Commission. I told the guy that even if he were willing to pay the fare both ways, which likely he was too cheap to do, that would not happen, either. The guy told me that he was going to call another cab company "whose drivers had more sense".

D.C. Law does allow us to refuse to go onto a military base because DOD policy requires that you surrender your hack licence upon entry and pick it up when you leave. It has happened more than once that when a driver went to the guard booth to retrieve his hack licence, the guards had lost it. If I get a customer that wants to enter a military base, I will tell him that he can get off at the gate, because I will not surrender my hack licence. There are some other non-military government installations around here (such as NIH) that require cab drivers to surrender their hack licence upon entry. I will let them off at the front there, as well.

The only people who get my hack licence in their hands is a Police or Harassmen-ER-uh-_*HACK*_ Inspector and ONLY because the law requires that I put it into their hands upon demand.


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## painfreepc (Jul 17, 2014)

painfreepc said:


> I can be witness to the fact that most everyone seems to trust Uber and Lyft drivers but not taxi drivers,
> 
> In my 11 years driving Taxi at least a few dozen times someone has come outside to question me, sometimes even ask for my ID, even take the license plate number of my taxi before they let their loved one, wife or daughter get into my taxicab,
> 
> ...


The more I think about this the more this is pissing me off,
As a taxi driver I had a taxi permit for,
San Bernardino City,
Riverside City,
Corona, Moreno Valley, I even had a County permit for both Riverside and San Bernardino, taxi permits are not cheap the one in Riverside is $250 a year at least that what it was when I was working there, drug and alcohol screens of $25 plus, i pay that not the taxi companies,

Last night I was driving in LA not a surge anywhere, Uber and Lyft drivers out like ants,
Maybe if they have to actually pay for some type of license fingerprints and a drug screen, it would be less drivers and maybe we can make some damn money


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## BurgerTiime (Jun 22, 2015)

It's the parents fault for having met, having sex, then deciding to keep the child instead of an abortion. That kid should never have been born! Partners fault! (Sarcasm) Smh at some of your comments.


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

Another Uber Driver said:


> I must wonder about this, as well. According to the article, this driver showed up at her house between the time of the initial Uber ride and the time that the assault occurred. He asked her to come out of the house. She declined. She must have thought that something was creepy. Why did she subsequently accept a ride from this creep? Readers please do be aware that I am putting no blame on the victim, not in the least. This guy had no business assaulting her and deserves the worst hell hole in the worst prison in this country


THere's nothing to wonder about, she was a 16 yo they do irrational shit all the time. She probably just wanted to go to a party with her friends or something. The urge to be with your friends at that age is huge and we all did dumb stuff for that hang out time. Regardless it doesn't matter, Uber was negligent.


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## TBone (Jan 19, 2015)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> Why the hell is a 16 yo posting on Snapchat that she missed a bus. Then accepting a ride. Her parents did a horrible job of raising her. This isn't the first and definitely won't be the last.


Blaming the victim? smh


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## TBone (Jan 19, 2015)

This is the real reason ewber doesn't want real background checks and because all the illegal immigrants working 100 hours a week for peanuts would get ejected.


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## mikechch (Jun 5, 2016)

TBone said:


> Blaming the victim? smh


+1... What is wrong with some people to blame a 16yo girl for using apps like Snapchat.


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## drexl_s (May 20, 2016)

UberHammer said:


> Uber matched the victim with the accused on June 30th. The crime didn't occur until 6 days later, but that does not excuse Uber from their responsibility here of making the initial connection between the two. Of course it reflects on Uber.


Ok, I take bart train home and sit next to a young woman; talk to her, then I turn sicko and rape her 6 days later. Is that a reflection on bart, or that is ok because it is random chance encounter. Well, wait, you don't think driver/rider is a random chance encounter? There are sickos in all professions, look at cops, don't you think they went through background checks as well? I am sick of hearing anything with "uber" to be some omg story. As if it is somehow their fault.


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

u-Boat said:


> Still no response from anyone regarding fingerprinting uBer RIDERS? Anyone else out there recognize the hypocrisy? Right now people with violent criminal backgrounds can set up real or fake uBer rider accounts with little more than a prepaid debit card and untraceable cell phone. What's to stop an uBer rider from raping an uBer driver? What's to stop an uBer rider from carjacking and murdering an uBer driver? If you're going to fingerprint drivers you'd better be prepared to fingerprint EVERYONE utilizing taxi, limo or rideshare for transportation.


They already finger print the cabbies so clearly you concern about it extending to riders is hyperbolic. We know or at least should know the risks as a driver and that's part of what we are being PAID for. The rider is given the expectation of a service they are buying that includes a vetted driver. NOt the other way around. Your argument is pretty ridiculous because you would need to extend that to every business where public interaction occurs, but when you buy a cheeseburger you aren't signing a contract with McDonalds that says your burger wasn't cooked by a violent felon. Uber claims your burger is untainted, thats the deal they made.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

ChinatownJake said:


> Make sure you watch the video. They've got the accused Uber driver's reactions in court; he's either a good actor, or there's more to this story.
> 
> Meanwhile, good work by the TV station to expose the flimsiness of Uber BC:
> 
> ...


Yup.
2012.

I count 4 years.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

drexl_s said:


> Ok, I take bart train home and sit next to a young woman; talk to her, then I turn sicko and rape her 6 days later. Is that a reflection on bart, or that is ok because it is random chance encounter. Well, wait, you don't think driver/rider is a random chance encounter? There are sickos in all professions, look at cops, don't you think they went through background checks as well? I am sick of hearing anything with "uber" to be some omg story. As if it is somehow their fault.


That scenario is comparable to meeting on Uber Pool.

The Driver is the train Conductor.


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

drexl_s said:


> Ok, I take bart train home and sit next to a young woman; talk to her, then I turn sicko and rape her 6 days later. Is that a reflection on bart, or that is ok because it is random chance encounter. Well, wait, you don't think driver/rider is a random chance encounter? There are sickos in all professions, look at cops, don't you think they went through background checks as well? I am sick of hearing anything with "uber" to be some omg story. As if it is somehow their fault.


Actually cops do get locked up for abusing their power. Not often enough IMO but it happens.


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> That scenario is comparable to meeting on Uber Pool.
> 
> The Driver is the train Conductor.


yes, but the bad pool pax raping another pax wasn't part of Uber guarntee that the driver was BG checked. I agree though this is a whole other problem for lawsuits with Uber. Does the pool product state that it has no responsibility to assure the pool pax isn't a criminal? Seems like that should be made very clear to customers before they choose POOL


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

DriverX said:


> yes, but the bad pool pax raping another pax wasn't part of Uber guarntee that the driver was BG checked. I agree though this is a whole other problem for lawsuits with Uber. Does the pool product state that it has no responsibility to assure the pool pax isn't a criminal? Seems like that should be made very clear to customers before they choose POOL


I foresee aweful things coming from Pool in the future.

If I were a SERIAL KILLER,I would take pool all the time.

Especially at bar closing time.

Nice house

. . . you live alone ?


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## drexl_s (May 20, 2016)

DriverX said:


> Actually cops do get locked up for abusing their power. Not often enough IMO but it happens.


This guy will get locked up as well, aren't you tired of having the media always blame somebody else for another person's actions? It is like the perpetrator is no more responsible because the blame is being shifted to someone else. Here it is uber, gun victims, it is the gun laws and gun makers, "going postal" it is the work load... seriously, that has to stop. Hold the people responsible for their actions , and focus on what makes people go crazy, not on the tools they use (uber to meet people, gun to kill people) this media stunt of using uber will not help anything with all the rapists walking around, in fact, nothing will change as all the focus is on the damn background checks and the rapists continue to walk among us.


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> I foresee aweful things coming from Pool in the future.
> 
> If I were a SERIAL KILLER,I would take pool all the time.
> 
> ...


Its a great warning to tell women when you pick them up at a bar at night. "Oh hi I see you took POOL, this one girl told me about a pool pax that stalked her after seeing where she was dropped off once. So how was your night?"

lol


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## drexl_s (May 20, 2016)

tohunt4me said:


> I foresee aweful things coming from Pool in the future.
> 
> If I were a SERIAL KILLER,I would take pool all the time.
> 
> ...


If I was a serial killer/rapist, I would avoid pool. Just like the Craigslist killer of prostitutes, found from pattern; here, even easier as no anonymity when using app.


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## Demon (Dec 6, 2014)

drexl_s said:


> This guy will get locked up as well, aren't you tired of having the media always blame somebody else for another person's actions? It is like the perpetrator is no more responsible because the blame is being shifted to someone else. Here it is uber, gun victims, it is the gun laws and gun makers, "going postal" it is the work load... seriously, that has to stop. Hold the people responsible for their actions , and focus on what makes people go crazy, not on the tools they use (uber to meet people, gun to kill people) this media stunt of using uber will not help anything with all the rapists walking around, in fact, nothing will change as all the focus is on the damn background checks and the rapists continue to walk among us.


Uber messed up, they should be blamed for it.


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

drexl_s said:


> This guy will get locked up as well, aren't you tired of having the media always blame somebody else for another person's actions? It is like the perpetrator is no more responsible because the blame is being shifted to someone else. Here it is uber, gun victims, it is the gun laws and gun makers, "going postal" it is the work load... seriously, that has to stop. Hold the people responsible for their actions , and focus on what makes people go crazy, not on the tools they use (uber to meet people, gun to kill people) this media stunt of using uber will not help anything with all the rapists walking around, in fact, nothing will change as all the focus is on the damn background checks and the rapists continue to walk among us.


Your making the point of the NRA that uber doesn't rape you, the drivers do. Uber is the weapon some drivers use to rape but look man it's not protected by the second amendment. Uber is selling a product that it claims comes with a BG check. Clearly they sold a faulty product and they were negligent. Cars are being recalled left and right for faulty things like an accelerator getting stuck and look what happened to VW after it obfuscated and intentionally deceived regulators. Your arguement only works when its the public interacting with the public. When you put a third party in the mix who is selling a product with an expecation of that product being BG checked they have an obligation to do the due diligence,


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

DriverX said:


> Its a great warning to tell women when you pick them up at a bar at night. "Oh hi I see you took POOL, this one girl told me about a pool pax that stalked her after seeing where she was dropped off once. So how was your night?"
> 
> lol


Where i drive, I wait until the women get their door open before I leave for safety.

It amazes me and appalls me how many people do not carry their keys when they go out.

Even worse,they all seem to use the same hiding place.

Because of this,if we had pool,I could not stick around to ensure their safety.


----------



## drexl_s (May 20, 2016)

DriverX said:


> Your making the point of the NRA that uber doesn't rape you, the drivers do. Uber is the weapon some drivers use to rape but look man it's not protected by the second amendment. Uber is selling a product that it claims comes with a BG check. Clearly they sold a faulty product and they were negligent. Cars are being recalled left and right for faulty things like an accelerator getting stuck and look what happened to VW after it obfuscated and intentionally deceived regulators. Your arguement only works when its the public interacting with the public. When you put a third party in the mix who is selling a product with an expecation of that product being BG checked they have an obligation to do the due diligence,


So you are blaming uber for failing background check. But, if uber is performing bg checks, then we need to know what level of service and who they are using, obviously they have failed, not uber. I mean, if you want to play blame game, let's do it right. Oh, I know, they are probably only a million dollar company with no deep pockets to sue, so forget them, and keep focus on uber.


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

drexl_s said:


> If I was a serial killer/rapist, I would avoid pool. Just like the Craigslist killer of prostitutes, found from pattern; here, even easier as no anonymity when using app.


No anonymity ?

Anyone with any type of debit card can set up an account under anyone's name.


----------



## drexl_s (May 20, 2016)

tohunt4me said:


> No anonymity ?
> 
> Anyone with any type of debit card can set up an account under anyone's name.


I was under impression you could not use reloadable visa cards to set up accounts with uber.


----------



## ChinatownJake (Jan 3, 2016)

drexl_s said:


> I am sick of hearing anything with "Uber" to be some OMG story. As if it is somehow their fault.


There's definitely a lot of rideshare clickbait these days, with outlets preferring Uber over Lyft.

Here however, I think the local ABC-TV affiliate in Boston did a solid job. They dug deeper, attended the court hearing and also, clearly frame the Uber component as just the starting point.


----------



## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

TBone said:


> Blaming the victim? smh


No, like I posted originally, blaming the parents of the victim. Sexual predators have been lurking on social media for years. As a father of 3 I know how much we need to stay on top of this. Now granted all my children are much older now, but there has always been a threat of harm caused to the uninformed.


----------



## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

drexl_s said:


> So you are blaming uber for failing background check. But, if uber is performing bg checks, then we need to know what level of service and who they are using, obviously they have failed, not uber. I mean, if you want to play blame game, let's do it right. Oh, I know, they are probably only a million dollar company with no deep pockets to sue, so forget them, and keep focus on uber.


THe buck stops with Uber here not the BG check company becasue the rider is purchasing the service from Uber. Now Uber can sue the BG company themselves if they think they can recoup their losses, but don't they own the BG company anyway? Corporations use ICs precisely for this reason, to obfuscate responsibility and lay it off on others. BUT this case clearly sets the precedent that argument will not hold up. how else can I explain this to you? go argue with a lawyer if you don't believe me, it;s above my pay grade to have to prove this.


----------



## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> No, like I posted originally, blaming the parents of the victim. Sexual predators have been lurking on social media for years. As a father of 3 I know how much we need to stay on top of this. Now granted all my children are much older now, but there has always been a threat of harm caused to the uninformed.


I thought SEAL guys were bound to duty, honor and the protection of the innocent US civilians or something like that, but who knows maybe they just like to shoot things. Would you be cool with McDonalds serving up you kid a spoiled burger that put her in the ICU? Would you just say no big deal mistakes happen or would you go afer McDOnalds for damages? Your way of thinking is that your only recourse should be to blame the the burger flipper for not knowing the meat was bad and or blame the victim for assuming the burger was safe to eat. You give a pass to dear old Ronald McDonald for providing the burger flipper and your kid with the tainted meat in the first place.


----------



## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> Where i drive, I wait until the women get their door open before I leave for safety.
> 
> It amazes me and appalls me how many people do not carry their keys when they go out.
> 
> ...


Thats great if you can actually see the entrance. Plus if its a apartment building who knows what goes on in the halls. All I can do is guarantee that I'm not a violent criminal who might put them in danger. I'm willing to prove that I really am who I am saying I am to my pax. I don't think it's too much to ask. some pax probably don't give 2 sh*ts who driving them so long as its cheap, but others want to have a comfort zone. I don't think its unreasonable. I draw the line at bodily fluids being drawn.

I think that if Uber continues to roadblock better BG checks they're asking to get hit with the same regulations cab companies have. This is one of those battles that is probably smarter not to fight. Just beef up the checks and require someway to prove identity. Uber blew it in Austin because apparently other companies are filling the void with vetted drivers proving that Ubers resistance was unnecessary and a strong arm tactic that doesn't have to be tolerated by local officials.


----------



## stuber (Jun 30, 2014)

Taxi Driver in Arizona said:


> Uber drivers sure are a rapey bunch.


It seems so. Then again, there's not the same kind of interest in reporting about criminal cab drivers. It could be that both TNCs and taxi industry are equally infested with criminals.


----------



## stuber (Jun 30, 2014)

DriverX said:


> Thats great if you can actually see the entrance. Plus if its a apartment building who knows what goes on in the halls. All I can do is guarantee that I'm not a violent criminal who might put them in danger. I'm willing to prove that I really am who I am saying I am to my pax. I don't think it's too much to ask. some pax probably don't give 2 sh*ts who driving them so long as its cheap, but others want to have a comfort zone. I don't think its unreasonable. I draw the line at bodily fluids being drawn.
> 
> I think that if Uber continues to roadblock better BG checks they're asking to get hit with the same regulations cab companies have. This is one of those battles that is probably smarter not to fight. Just beef up the checks and require someway to prove identity. Uber blew it in Austin because apparently other companies are filling the void with vetted drivers proving that Ubers resistance was unnecessary and a strong arm tactic that doesn't have to be tolerated by local officials.


Unfortunately, the Uber model only works with massive saturation and a constant source of fresh recruits and their cars. Thus, anything that impedes the flow must be eliminated.


----------



## UberXTampa (Nov 20, 2014)

Uber needs drivers... More drives... Any drivers... Maybe even criminals and undocumented ones. How about those who have no work permit? It probably needs them too in order to monopolize a market fragmented by 1000s of smaller cab companies. Incidents like that are cost of doing business when you are as big as uber.


----------



## painfreepc (Jul 17, 2014)

drexl_s said:


> I was under impression you could not use reloadable visa cards to set up accounts with uber.


A credit card is not a ID, Merchants legally is not supposed to even ask you for identification to use your credit card.


----------



## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

OC Lady Uber Driver said:


> The account holder is the responsible party in Uber's eyes. If someone else uses that account, it's still on the account holder. A teenager's behavior is the responsibility of their parents. Know your kids, love your kids, talk to your kids every day. Open, honest communication with your kids helps them build build confidence and stay safe out in the world.


I don't care how she was raised, whether she was illegally using the account (she may not have known the TOS anyway if it is her parents' account--she had no reason to read it if so), or how stupid her behavior was (16 year olds DO stupid things) that does not make it her fault she was raped.

The driver should be in prison, clearly. But Uber pushes its service as safe, does not do ANYTHING to prevent minors from using it, and hired a known felon, which could have been prevented with a real background check. Had it not done so the driver would never have met the kid.

There is clearly a problem here and saying "She wasn't raised properly" is just another way of blaming the victim.


----------



## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

painfreepc said:


> Yeah that would be the last thing uber would want because that would mean they would have to raise the fare, why?
> 
> Because there will be way more the demand then there are drivers,
> Anxn the only way to lower demand will be to raise the fare.


We have all that in houston. Still so many drivers it barely surges even without guarantees. But folks are desperate and will drive for nothing. I hate to think how low the rates would be without the city requirements.

"It's the economy, stupid!"


----------



## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

drexl_s said:


> If I was a serial killer/rapist, I would avoid pool. Just like the Craigslist killer of prostitutes, found from pattern; here, even easier as no anonymity when using app.


It's called a stolen credit card. Just pickpocket some drunk person at the bar. Anonymity ensured.


----------



## UberHammer (Dec 5, 2014)

drexl_s said:


> Ok, I take bart train home and sit next to a young woman; talk to her, then I turn sicko and rape her 6 days later. Is that a reflection on bart, or that is ok because it is random chance encounter. Well, wait, you don't think driver/rider is a random chance encounter? There are sickos in all professions, look at cops, don't you think they went through background checks as well? I am sick of hearing anything with "uber" to be some omg story. As if it is somehow their fault.


If a BART worker rapes a rider, yes that reflects on BART.


----------



## Squirming Like A Toad (Apr 7, 2016)

Fuzzyelvis said:


> I don't care how she was raised, whether she was illegally using the account (she may not have known the TOS anyway if it is her parents' account--she had no reason to read it if so), or how stupid her behavior was (16 year olds DO stupid things) that does not make it her fault she was raped.
> 
> The driver should be in prison, clearly. But Uber pushes its service as safe, does not do ANYTHING to prevent minors from using it, and hired a known felon, which could have been prevented with a real background check. Had it not done so the driver would never have met the kid.
> 
> There is clearly a problem here and saying "She wasn't raised properly" is just another way of blaming the victim.


To be realistic, a 16 year old girl who gets in a car with a ****** like that, you can figure out what the problem is. Doesn't make it OK, but things happen for a reason.


----------



## observer (Dec 11, 2014)

Another Uber Driver said:


> You missed the point. This guy had an eight page criminal record that got by a private background check but a Law Enforcement background check showed it.
> 
> The second qu0ted sentence does link it to Uber. The main point, though, is the quoted poster's first sentence. This guy's eight page criminal record
> cleared a private background check but not a law enforcement background check. We have more than one person on these Boards who insists that the private background check is sufficient and that a law enforcement background check does not render more criminal information. Here, again, is another incident where the private background check failed. Further, some people do not understand that one person raped is three too many. Had this guy's true criminal background come to light in a private background check, you would hope that no TNC would accept him.
> ...


Because she's SIXTEEN years old. There have been many, many instances of twenty, thirty, forty year olds with bad judgement. Bad judgement has no age limit.


----------



## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

DriverX said:


> So I guess your kids are perfect and never do stupid stuff. We really shouldn't require ID checks at liquor stores either becasue hey it's on the account holder, you know the one paying for the booze. I can understand this line of thinking if it's coming from a Libertarian who bought in early on Trump. Clearly Uber failed to do the proper BG check and they hired a violent felon and set him up with a minor becasue they have taken no interest in assuring that unaccompanied minors will not be picked up. IN FACT they only made a POLICY about this a couple months ago until after more than one incident occurred. Previously if you asked them what the policy was they told you it was up to your discretion as a driver to make the decision on who gets a ride or in this case a rape.
> 
> Your attitude sounds like your blaming the victims parents for not raising her better. I guess your parenting skills are so superior that your kid will be protected forever by the lessons you taught them... what a crock! As a mom, I"d think you'd have more compassion for a kid being stalked and raped by a driver that wasn't vetted properly, but in the current political climate, the despicable people never cease to amaze.
> 
> We should expect more from our corporate overlords or we will continue to spiral downwards into a place like India.


Uh.... What the hell has Trump got to do with this? Sounds more like a Bill Clinton.


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

UberXTampa said:


> Uber needs drivers... More drives... Any drivers... Maybe even criminals and undocumented ones. How about those who have no work permit? It probably needs them too in order to monopolize a market fragmented by 1000s of smaller cab companies. Incidents like that are cost of doing business when you are as big as uber.


And to think.
Uber could have had driver retention.
If they had only paid their drivers fairly.
If Uber hadn't blown A BILLION IN COMMUNIST CHINA !

IF Uber hadn't squandered millions on 24 hour recruitment advertising.

If Uber compensated the " "PARTNERS".

You can not buy word of mouth advertising !

You can not UN BURN PARTNERS THAT UBER HAS ROBBED !

IT WILL TAKE YEARS FOR UBER TO UN RUIN ITS REPUTATION.

IF THEY EVER EVEN BEGIN TO TRY !


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

observer said:


> Because she's SIXTEEN years old. There have been many, many instances of twenty, thirty, forty year olds with bad judgement. Bad judgement has no age limit.


Bad judgement has no level of Uber manager either.

Bad judgement affects all ages and levels.


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

painfreepc said:


> A credit card is not a ID, Merchants legally is not supposed to even ask you for identification to use your credit card.


When does an Uber driver ever handle a credit card ?

What is the ONLY thing Uber will cancel a ride for ?

A CREDIT CARD.

AS LONG AS THE CREDIT CARD WORKS,UBER IS HAPPY.

END OF STORY.

ONLY UBER VALIDATION OF RIDERS,IS CREDIT AND PAYMEMT.


----------



## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

Squirming Like A Toad said:


> I don't believe they did a background check on him. If you were in the state pen, there's a record.
> 
> No he didn't rape anyone during a Uber ride and he wasn't a registered sex offender, but a felon of any kind is not what you want responsible for the safety of others in unsupervised situations.


Would you be surprised that there is a movement to suppress background checks because they are "discriminatory"?


----------



## Kalee (Feb 18, 2015)

I'm confused. Who is the white guy in the mugshot on the feature page of this thread and why is that picture being used?
The alleged Uber driver rapist is a black guy.


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## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

TBone said:


> This is the real reason ewber doesn't want real background checks and because all the illegal immigrants working 100 hours a week for peanuts would get ejected.


No they wouldn't. There's no history of them here in the US. Ever been to a big city and taken a cab? Most the drivers are immigrants. They can be war criminals in their home country (as a NYC cabbie was) and still pass a BG check here.


----------



## ninja warrior (Jan 10, 2016)

Kalee said:


> I'm confused. Who is the white guy in the mugshot on the feature page of this thread and why is it being used?
> The alleged Uber driver rapist is a black guy.


It's called "whitewashing"?


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Kalee said:


> I'm confused. Who is the white guy in the mugshot on the feature page of this thread and why is it being used?
> The alleged Uber driver rapist is a black guy.


Such a RACIST PORTRAYAL !

DEPICTING THE RAPIST AS WHITE !

GLAD YOU CAUGHT THAT.

I AM OFFENDED NOW.


----------



## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

Kalee said:


> I'm confused. Who is the white guy in the mugshot on the feature page of this thread and why is it being used?
> The alleged Uber driver rapist is a black guy.


Because that would be racist?


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Rat said:


> Would you be surprised that there is a movement to suppress background checks because they are "discriminatory"?


You mean they could behead an entire village,then come here with a spotless background ?
Untill a survivor recognizes them I suppose.


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Rat said:


> Because that would be racist?


I think portraying the RAPIST as white is RACIST.
ESPECIALLY if it is an inaccurate and false PORTRAYAL.


----------



## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

painfreepc said:


> I can be witness to the fact that most everyone seems to trust Uber and Lyft drivers but not taxi drivers,
> 
> In my 11 years driving Taxi at least a few dozen times someone has come outside to question me, sometimes even ask for my ID, even take the license plate number of my taxi before they let their loved one, wife or daughter get into my taxicab,
> 
> ...


I drove a taxi over ten years and never did anyone ask me for ID. I never took a drug test, either. I've seem cab drivers I sure wouldn't ever let drive a member of my family. Your assumption that cab drivers are fully vetted is quite wrong.


----------



## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

tohunt4me said:


> You mean they could behead an entire village,then come here with a spotless background ?
> Untill a survivor recognizes them I suppose.


How does one survive beheading?


----------



## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

tohunt4me said:


> That scenario is comparable to meeting on Uber Pool.
> 
> The Driver is the train Conductor.


Uber pool is a lawsuit waiting to happen


----------



## Slavic Riga (Jan 12, 2016)

Rat said:


> Would you be surprised that there is a movement to suppress background checks because they are "discriminatory"?


Round up all the people that belong to that movement & you will find that all of them have skeletons in their closets & it surfaced after the background checks.


----------



## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

DriverX said:


> They already finger print the cabbies so clearly you concern about it extending to riders is hyperbolic. We know or at least should know the risks as a driver and that's part of what we are being PAID for. The rider is given the expectation of a service they are buying that includes a vetted driver. NOt the other way around. Your argument is pretty ridiculous because you would need to extend that to every business where public interaction occurs, but when you buy a cheeseburger you aren't signing a contract with McDonalds that says your burger wasn't cooked by a violent felon. Uber claims your burger is untainted, thats the deal they made.


Wait... You're getting PAID???


----------



## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

Slavic Riga said:


> Round up all the people that belong to that movement & you will find that all of them have skeletons in their closets & it surfaced after the background checks.


Actually, they're all left-wing Democrats. So, basically, you are correct.


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Slavic Riga said:


> Round up all the people that belong to that movement & you will find that all of them have skeletons in their closets & it surfaced after the background checks.


Or an " Agenda" which they wish to push.


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Rat said:


> Actually, they're all left-wing Democrats. So, basically, you are correct.


You mean " SOCIALISTS & COMMUNISTS"


----------



## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

DriverX said:


> Actually cops do get locked up for abusing their power. Not often enough IMO but it happens.


A cop in Florida got "not more than 1 year", which became 30 days, for raping 4 teenagers in Florida. He served his time in a mobile home outside the prison that had been the guards break area.


----------



## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

stuber said:


> It seems so. Then again, there's not the same kind of interest in reporting about criminal cab drivers. It could be that both TNCs and taxi industry are equally infested with criminals.


Are we even sure the incidence for either is outside the norm for the general population?


----------



## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

tohunt4me said:


> You mean " SOCIALISTS & COMMUNISTS"


Isn't that what I said?


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Rat said:


> Actually, they're all left-wing Democrats. So, basically, you are correct.


What the " revolutionaries" fail to grasp is govt. WONT be what they think it will be when they make it Omnipotent, & they WONT be running it

You dispose of the revolutionaries.
Revolution over,get rid of the activists.

Last thing any one wants is a bunch of BORED ACTIVISTS just sitting around . . . .


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Rat said:


> How does one survive beheading?


By hiding and not being discovered in order for it to happen.

Or,one could always join the beheaders
. .


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

observer said:


> Because she's SIXTEEN years old. There have been many, many instances of twenty, thirty, forty year olds with bad judgement. Bad judgement has no age limit.


True.

If you READ THE STORY ,she was basically hitch hiking on the internet.


----------



## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

drexl_s said:


> If I was a serial killer/rapist, I would avoid pool. Just like the Craigslist killer of prostitutes, found from pattern; here, even easier as no anonymity when using app.


As you only share a ride,as millions do every day, I don't think that is going to lead the cops to you.


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Rat said:


> A cop in Florida got "not more than 1 year", which became 30 days, for raping 4 teenagers in Florida. He served his time in a mobile home outside the prison that had been the guards break area.


Florida.
More per capita incarceration than any other state.

PRISON INDUSTRY.

Let WACKENNHUT GLOBAL SECURITY lock up your kids & family in a nice PRIVATIZED for PROFIT PRISON !

they can sew gloves to sell to China !

WACKENHUT DOG POUND coming soon to lock up your pets also.

Did you see where PRIVATIZED prisons were DEMANDING more prisoners from judges or they were going to sue the local governments that they held CONTRACTS with ?

No good can come from that.


----------



## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

tohunt4me said:


> What the " revolutionaries" fail to grasp is govt. WONT be what they think it will be when they make it Omnipotent, & they WONT be running it
> 
> You dispose of the revolutionaries.
> Revolution over,get rid of the activists.
> ...


That's what wars are for, to dispose of excess population


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> Florida.
> More pee capita incarceration than any other state.
> 
> PRISON INDUSTRY.
> ...


Then there was THIS years ago.
Selling kids to prisons.
Also DETROIT recently.
Also prisons DEMANDING MORE prisoners under threat of lawsuit.
Prisons provide labor cheaper than illegals

Very dangerous all of this.


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Rat said:


> That's what wars are for, to dispose of excess population


Wars and food additives.

Got to love Monsanto.

Corn that makes its own pesticide.

Then ,the U.N. says " let them eat bugs".


----------



## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

tohunt4me said:


> By hiding and not being discovered in order for it to happen.
> 
> Or,one could always join the beheaders
> . .


Meaning...by not getting beheaded?


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Rat said:


> Meaning...by not getting beheaded?


Let's face it.

We " elect" the best criminals.


----------



## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

tohunt4me said:


> Wars and food additives.
> 
> Got to love Monsanto.
> 
> ...


Scatologists (scatology is the science of studying ancient poop) say early man's diet consisted mainly of eating bugs.


----------



## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

tohunt4me said:


> Let's face it.
> 
> We " elect" the best criminals.


Looks that way this year anyway


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Rat said:


> Looks that way this year anyway


Looks that way EVERY year.

What is the NATIONAL DEBT?

23 TRILLION ?

THAT IS THE AMOUNT STOLEN FROM THE UNBORN & IMMIGRANTS.

THEY WILL PAY THAT " DEBT" to members of a racketeering organization who GOT RICH NOW off of the money.

When the next batch gets into office,they will want their " SHARE" also.

It never ends.

" fleecing the sheep"

When they start building walls,I'm getting out.
It will be built to keep us from escaping.


----------



## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

tohunt4me said:


> Looks that way EVERY year.
> 
> What is the NATIONAL DEBT?
> 
> ...


Not just the unborn and immigrants. Everybody.


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Rat said:


> Not just the unborn and immigrants. Everybody.


I can dodge picking up their tab.

Many can not.

Many wealthy people drive part time for the tax write off.Uber is a good loss


----------



## painfreepc (Jul 17, 2014)

Rat said:


> I drove a taxi over ten years and never did anyone ask me for ID. I never took a drug test, either. I've seem cab drivers I sure wouldn't ever let drive a member of my family. Your assumption that cab drivers are fully vetted is quite wrong.


I guess it just depends on where you drive taxi, I know of a company out in the Inland Empire where the few years I drove there most of the drivers did not have a taxi permit and never took a drug screen,

Over the 11 years I drove taxi maybe about a dozen people asked to see my driver's license but I only had two separate occasions an officer asked to see my taxi permit,

First time was at LAX a quick check of my paperwork to make sure I was a real taxi driver because my taxi has smiley faces all over it,

Second time was at John Wayne Airport I almost got arrested and my car impounded because I dropped off at arrival..


----------



## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

painfreepc said:


> I guess it just depends on where you drive taxi, I know of a company out in the Inland Empire where the few years I drove there most of the drivers did not have a taxi permit and never took a drug screen,
> 
> Over the 11 years I drove taxi maybe about a dozen people asked to see my driver's license but I only had two separate occasions an officer asked to see my taxi permit,
> 
> ...


Most serial killers had a clean record until they got caught with two freezers full of body parts.....


----------



## Millennium Falcon 888 (Aug 14, 2016)

Sad to say, such news gives the majority of clean and honest Uber drivers a bad name...


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## furlonium (Mar 17, 2015)

observer said:


> EVERETT, Mass. -
> 
> An Uber driver from Boston with a lengthy criminal record is accused of raping a teenage girl in July.
> 
> ...


Reminds me of this:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2070250/


----------



## Cape67 (May 17, 2016)

Fingerprinting won't weed out 100% of the "bad guys" but it would definitely reduce the prevalence of stories like this. There's a reason why the FBI uses it, it just works, across State and even International lines. From taxi drivers to teachers to nurses to day care workers to real estate agents, it remains mandatory step to working in any of these (and many more) fields.

Eventually these stories are going to have a significantly negative impact on Uber. Pax will revert to traditional taxis or other methods to get around, just like they did before Uber/Lyft/Sidecar et al. Most licensure venues require the *person* to pay for their FD-258 cards to be processed through Identi-GO or other affiliates (usually about $40-60 per set of prints.)

Ideally, Uber could consider a new service level for drivers who have voluntarily had fingerprints, like "Uber X certified" or something like that. But I doubt they would ever realize this has to be done eventually, as long as there is money coming in.

Would you go for fingerprint processing verification if it cost you initially about $40 give or take (plus five to "roll" at the Sheriff's office -about the cost of a basic interior detail) and thereby increased your marketability as a driver? If the answer is "no" then maybe this line of work isn't for you.


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## uber strike (Jan 10, 2016)

you don't have to have a criminal record to rape or commit a crime. new crimes are committed every minute. i believe the terms of service are that minors must be accompanied by an adult. 
btw, you cannot add someone on snap without their phone number or username. uber does not give us the riders phone number.


----------



## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

This is 100℅ on Uber.
They hired a psychopath who was simply acting in character.
Too bad the city of Everett has changed.
30 years ago it was a conservative Catholic Italian stronghold which would have metered out its own justice on this animal had he been able to get out on bond.


----------



## UofMDriver (Dec 29, 2015)

drexl_s said:


> This is no reflection on uber. He did not rape her while she was a pax. He could have picked any victim, guy is a sicko for sure, but putting this on uber. Hell no.


Is the sicko a qualified Uber driver? If he is Uber has a major background check problem.


----------



## u-Boat (Jan 4, 2016)

DriverX said:


> We know or at least should know the risks as a driver and that's part of what we are being PAID for. The rider is given the expectation of a service they are buying that includes a vetted driver. NOT the other way around.


So rideshare drivers should assume risk but not riders? Horse****. If Govt is gonna require the biometric data of drivers to keep riders safe then they should also collect the biometric data of riders to keep drivers safe. Anything less is a double standard. Govt regulates both passengers and crew when it comes to air travel do they not? You can't just board an airplane without being properly screened... correct?

If a female college student driving uBer is raped by one of her riders are you going to blame uBer or Govt for failing to protect her?


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## ninja warrior (Jan 10, 2016)

u-Boat said:


> So rideshare drivers should assume risk but not riders? Horse****. If Govt is gonna require the biometric data of drivers to keep riders safe then they should also collect the biometric data of riders to keep drivers safe. Anything less is a double standard. Govt regulates both passengers and crew when it comes to air travel do they not? You can't just board an airplane without being properly screened... correct?
> 
> If a female college student driving uBer is raped by one of her riders are you going to blame uBer or Govt for failing to protect her?


The fundamental difference between air travel and taxi's in terms of security checks would be that there aren't 100-150 people boarding the same taxi as you.


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## Squirming Like A Toad (Apr 7, 2016)

Rat said:


> Would you be surprised that there is a movement to suppress background checks because they are "discriminatory"?


Well sure, if they did legit background checks different people would be Uber drivers. Some of the current ones would fail and others would have no visible background to check.

Bigger problem is the one driving the car isn't the one who passed the background check.


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## Euius (May 19, 2016)

DriverX said:


> Uber is ignoring proper BG checks to flood the market with drivers.


No, from the information in the media article, his criminal record is from 2008. That's 8 years ago.

Uber policy is to exclude felonies within the last seven years, except for sex and violent crimes which are forever. His drug conviction is not a violent felony, so he passed the background check because he didn't violate the background check.

Note that, given there's nothing in his record not listed in the article, he could also be a taxi driver in SF. The SFMTA has an even more lenient background requirement than Uber does. Fingerprinting would be used, and it wouldn't matter. His history doesn't violate the requirements.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> What the " revolutionaries" fail to grasp is govt. WONT be what they think it will be & they WONT be running it
> You dispose of the revolutionaries. Revolution over,get rid of the activists.


Bonaparte certainly did that.

Herr Schicklgruber got rid of Roehm and most of the Brownshirts.

Mussolini never did get rid of the Blackshirts, though, he simply employed them as thugs to keep them busy. He kept them around in case he needed them again. The mullahs in Iran do similarly with the Revolutionary Guard.

Read _*Darkness at Noon*_ by Arthur Koestler. It is about a Bolshevik's experience after the Russian Revolution.



tohunt4me said:


> Let's face it.We " elect" the best criminals.


Do not laugh; Camden, New Jersey once had one of its major crack dealers elected mayor. When asked about it, this guy told the man from the press that nobody else wanted the job, so somebody had to do it.



uber strike said:


> you don't have to have a criminal record to rape or commit a crime.


You do not, as the Kalamazoo business illustrates. Still, violent criminals have a high rate of recidivism. The law enforcement background checks identify more of them and keep them out of it, which reduces the odds of having a violent crime committed against a passenger.


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## Ms.Doe (Apr 15, 2016)

u-Boat said:


> Still no response from anyone regarding fingerprinting uBer RIDERS? Anyone else out there recognize the hypocrisy? Right now people with violent criminal backgrounds can set up real or fake uBer rider accounts with little more than a prepaid debit card and untraceable cell phone. What's to stop an uBer rider from raping an uBer driver? What's to stop an uBer rider from carjacking and murdering an uBer driver? If you're going to fingerprint drivers you'd better be prepared to fingerprint EVERYONE utilizing taxi, limo or rideshare for transportation.


I could not agree with you more!


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

u-Boat said:


> So rideshare drivers should assume risk but not riders? Horse****. If Govt is gonna require the biometric data of drivers to keep riders safe then they should also collect the biometric data of riders to keep drivers safe. Anything less is a double standard. Govt regulates both passengers and crew when it comes to air travel do they not? You can't just board an airplane without being properly screened... correct?
> 
> If a female college student driving uBer is raped by one of her riders are you going to blame uBer or Govt for failing to protect her?


I wouldn't be blaming anyone, but her lawyers will be. SInce we are speaking in hypotheticals, if that rapist pax has gotten complaints in the past from other drivers and Uber ignored them when they should have deactivated the pax, you better bet there is a lawsuit there! THat's a gold mine, and UBer would probably settle quick.

You don't have to give finger prints to fly or be subjected to a BG check so there's no comparison.

The whole concept of work is risk for money. The most obvious is with jobs like lumber jack, fire fighter, police, driver, stunt man....

So no it's not Hores S its precedent.


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## Ziggy (Feb 27, 2015)

UberLaLa said:


> The last line in the video is what this IS all about. _Uber responded....the last criminal record is more than seven years old._
> 
> That, and the fact that fingerprint background checks will help confirm the potential driver is who they say they are.
> 
> Uber drivers are not bad people, but some bad people will see Uber driving as a way to gain access to new victims. We as drivers need Uber to do a better job of keeping bad people out of our line of 'work.'


Had a driver in Austin complain to me that the Austin fingerprints ordinance were unfairly targeting him; because he had a felony conviction 20 years ago. Uber & Lyft both let him drive ... but the new mandatory fingerprint requirements were going to keep him from driving for a legitimate TNC; albeit, he was happy that ArcadeCity had started operating in Austin, so he'd still be able to drive for them. Note: ArcadeCity does not require fingerprints nor is it legal to operate in Austin ... and APD had ticketed numerous AC drivers and impounded their cars.


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## uber strike (Jan 10, 2016)

Another Uber Driver said:


> Bonaparte certainly did that.
> 
> Herr Schicklgruber got rid of Roehm and most of the Brownshirts.
> 
> ...


exactly, THE KALAMAZOO UBER KILLER had no criminal history. 
UBER sign up anybody. they do not interview drivers. they just sign up online and have no idea what these drivers are like. no feel for their personality and character. uber must stop mass sign ups. 
uber has the highest turn over of any company in the world. they cannot keep their drivers due to below minimum wage in cities like Los Angeles, Detroit, and Orange County.
uber must begin to focus on keeping their experienced and trusted drivers. what is the purpose of riders rating drivers if uber will sign up in mass and these drivers start at 5 stars? you end up with a whole new batch of drivers that are not tried and found true.
uber must not continue to sign up men like Dalton. uber must stop signing up men that are deranged and unstable. in the videos of Dalton it is clearly visible that this man is unstable. when asked why he killed those people he stated that the uber app was telling him to do it. had uber interviewed this driver instead of online sign ups, many assaults, beatings and rapes can be avoided. especially if uber ensures riders that they will keep their best rated, experienced, tried and true drivers on the platform.


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## Squirming Like A Toad (Apr 7, 2016)

uber strike said:


> exactly, THE KALAMAZOO UBER KILLER had no criminal history.
> UBER sign up anybody. they do not interview drivers. they just sign up online and have no idea what these drivers are like. no feel for their personality and character. uber must stop mass sign ups.
> uber has the highest turn over of any company in the world. they cannot keep their drivers due to below minimum wage in cities like Los Angeles, Detroit, and Orange County.
> uber must begin to focus on keeping their experienced and trusted drivers. what is the purpose of riders rating drivers if uber will sign up in mass and these drivers start at 5 stars? you end up with a whole new batch of drivers that are not tried and found true.
> uber must not continue to sign up men like Dalton. uber must stop signing up men that are deranged and unstable. in the videos of Dalton it is clearly visible that this man is unstable. when asked why he killed those people he stated that the uber app was telling him to do it. had uber interviewed this driver instead of online sign ups, many assaults, beatings and rapes can be avoided. especially if uber ensures riders that they will keep their best rated, experienced, tried and true drivers on the platform.


They can't. How can they screen out drivers with no criminal history, by whether or not they think he's a nice guy? Either you're a convicted felon or you're not. This guy was.

It's kind of like buying a gun. It is rare that a person chooses for his first crime shooting someone, so the background checks for firearms work well in legitimate businesses. We accept that there will be rare people with clean records who go to the gun store and buy a gun, and then kill somebody. Same with Uber drivers. But a gun dealer would never get away with selling a gun to someone who served time, and it should be the same for us.

Not to get political, but it's complicated by the low standards for immigrants in general, and there are a lot of drivers who are immigrants. The State Department has limited capability to determine the background of people from certain countries, and Uber has much less of a capability. When the US is accepting "refugees" who throw away their documents because they don't want to reveal where they're really from or their true identity Uber can't do anything other than refuse to activate someone because of their country of origin which is illegal. Doesn't apply here because this guy was a native, but in a general sense I do not see the problem of criminal drivers getting any better.


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## Txchick (Nov 25, 2014)

DriverX said:


> Because they can't pass a real BG check.


Correct!!!


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## uber strike (Jan 10, 2016)

Squirming Like A Toad said:


> They can't. How can they screen out drivers with no criminal history, by whether or not they think he's a nice guy? Either you're a convicted felon or you're not. This guy was.
> 
> It's kind of like buying a gun. It is rare that a person chooses for his first crime shooting someone, so the background checks for firearms work well in legitimate businesses. We accept that there will be rare people with clean records who go to the gun store and buy a gun, and then kill somebody. Same with Uber drivers. But a gun dealer would never get away with selling a gun to someone who served time, and it should be the same for us.
> 
> Not to get political, but it's complicated by the low standards for immigrants in general, and there are a lot of drivers who are immigrants. The State Department has limited capability to determine the background of people from certain countries, and Uber has much less of a capability. When the US is accepting "refugees" who throw away their documents because they don't want to reveal where they're really from or their true identity Uber can't do anything other than refuse to activate someone because of their country of origin which is illegal. Doesn't apply here because this guy was a native, but in a general sense I do not see the problem of criminal drivers getting any better.


do you want me to post the video of Dalton? you mean to tell me uber would not have been able to tell this guy was deranged if they would have spoken to him before putting him on the platform to pick up customers?


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## Cou-ber (Jul 23, 2015)

drexl_s said:


> This is no reflection on uber. He did not rape her while she was a pax. He could have picked any victim, guy is a sicko for sure, but putting this on uber. Hell no.


I don't think uber is being blamed but this incident and the guy's history does suggest Uber's background checks are bullshite at minimum. If Uber was even doing actual background checks with a company for half the price it claims it pays for an individual driver then it would have revealed this guy's spotty past. I highly doubt Uber is checking 100% of its drivers. I'm sure it writes off the fees for 100% of drivers but no way in hell do they perform one for every single applicant. It's my understanding the checks they do do are only for the state in which the driver resides so my crimes outside of Texas won't even register. Phew. And shoot if Trump can designate Obama as the founder of ISIS, why can't Uber be blamed for this rape? It isn't, clearly, but let's blame it nonetheless.


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## Ziggy (Feb 27, 2015)

Uber has massive retention issues ... a study released by Uber itself shows that the company's driver retention rate is not impressive. Just one year after becoming an active Uber driver, only about 50% of users are still around.

Here's the study written by Uber (https://goo.gl/v4DNL9) ... if Uber's telling their investors that that have a 50% attrition rate, it's probably closer to 75%

Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/article/uber-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-cm591739#ixzz4HNBPcFiO


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## Cou-ber (Jul 23, 2015)

u-Boat said:


> Still no response from anyone regarding fingerprinting uBer RIDERS? Anyone else out there recognize the hypocrisy? Right now people with violent criminal backgrounds can set up real or fake uBer rider accounts with little more than a prepaid debit card and untraceable cell phone. What's to stop an uBer rider from raping an uBer driver? What's to stop an uBer rider from carjacking and murdering an uBer driver? If you're going to fingerprint drivers you'd better be prepared to fingerprint EVERYONE utilizing taxi, limo or rideshare for transportation.


Ugh this is such an irrelevant argument. Drivers and riders are not equals. The pax are not being paid by Uber to perform a service. They are the consumers. You can't say "well if we have to then they do too". It's moronic. When I was a teacher in HS-s with uniforms the students would argue that if they had to wear them then teachers did too. Dumb. They aren't equals either. A person with a criminal history should not be shut out of a service for his/her past. If he has the dough, the service should not discriminate. End of story. I find it so *****y when drivers whine about this. If ya don't want to be fingerprinted because the pax aren't then don't drive. Money is money and a buck from a convict has the same value as a buck from a nun.


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## Ziggy (Feb 27, 2015)

Cou-ber said:


> I don't think uber is being blamed but this incident and the guy's history does suggest Uber's background checks are bullshite at minimum.


What about that driver in Houston that have 12+ aliases and an active felony warrant, that only came to light when he went through the FBI fingerprints BG in Houston? Honestly, it's puzzling why a company wouldn't want to do everything possible to protect its paying customers. What's next ... an airline that gives you a plastic bag instead of an oxygen mask in the event of cabin depressurization?


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

Cou-ber said:


> I don't think uber is being blamed but this incident and the guy's history does suggest Uber's background checks are bullshite at minimum. If Uber was even doing actual background checks with a company for half the price it claims it pays for an individual driver then it would have revealed this guy's spotty past. I highly doubt Uber is checking 100% of its drivers. I'm sure it writes off the fees for 100% of drivers but no way in hell do they perform one for every single applicant. It's my understanding the checks they do do are only for the state in which the driver resides so my crimes outside of Texas won't even register. Phew. And shoot if Trump can designate Obama as the founder of ISIS, why can't Uber be blamed for this rape? It isn't, clearly, but let's blame it nonetheless.


It's not the rape they are blamed for, it's their gross negligence in misrepresenting the product they are selling.


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

Ziggy said:


> What about that driver in Houston that have 12+ aliases and an active felony warrant, that only came to light when he went through the FBI fingerprints BG in Houston? Honestly, it's puzzling why a company wouldn't want to do everything possible to protect its paying customers. What's next ... an airline that gives you a plastic bag instead of an oxygen mask in the event of cabin depressurization?


If they do fingerprints it costs more and its more proof drivers are employees.


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## Ziggy (Feb 27, 2015)

DriverX said:


> If they do fingerprints it costs more and its more proof drivers are employees.


We do fingerprints in Austin too. FBI fingerprints check is $40; most TNCs reimburse the driver ... and for that matter the retail price of an Uber Checkr BG is also $40 (https://checkr.com/pricing/) .. so fingerprints definitely do not cost more. I got my fingerprints back & got my city ID in 1 day ... I can't remember how long Uber took, but it certainly was more than 1 day.


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## uber strike (Jan 10, 2016)

Ziggy said:


> Uber has massive retention issues ... a study released by Uber itself shows that the company's driver retention rate is not impressive. Just one year after becoming an active Uber driver, only about 50% of users are still around.
> 
> Here's the study written by Uber (https://goo.gl/v4DNL9) ... if Uber's telling their investors that that have a 50% attrition rate, it's probably closer to 75%
> 
> Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/article/uber-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-cm591739#ixzz4HNBPcFiO


proof that mass sign ups hurt uber in the long run. uber has had a lot of trusted, professional, experienced, 5 star drivers that they lost due to pay cuts. now they must continue mass sign ups with no interview. deranged men like the kalamazoo killer should not be driving uber passengers.


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## observer (Dec 11, 2014)

Euius said:


> No, from the information in the media article, his criminal record is from 2008. That's 8 years ago.
> 
> Uber policy is to exclude felonies within the last seven years, except for sex and violent crimes which are forever. His drug conviction is not a violent felony, so he passed the background check because he didn't violate the background check.
> 
> Note that, given there's nothing in his record not listed in the article, he could also be a taxi driver in SF. The SFMTA has an even more lenient background requirement than Uber does. Fingerprinting would be used, and it wouldn't matter. His history doesn't violate the requirements.


His assault and battery conviction was from 2012, four years ago. Which is a violent crime and he should never have been allowed to drive. His license had also been suspended multiple times in last year, because of outstanding warrants.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_coverage/2016/08/uber_missed_driver_s_battery_conviction


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## Squirming Like A Toad (Apr 7, 2016)

Cou-ber said:


> I don't think uber is being blamed but this incident and the guy's history does suggest Uber's background checks are bullshite at minimum. If Uber was even doing actual background checks with a company for half the price it claims it pays for an individual driver then it would have revealed this guy's spotty past. I highly doubt Uber is checking 100% of its drivers. I'm sure it writes off the fees for 100% of drivers but no way in hell do they perform one for every single applicant. It's my understanding the checks they do do are only for the state in which the driver resides so my crimes outside of Texas won't even register. Phew. And shoot if Trump can designate Obama as the founder of ISIS, why can't Uber be blamed for this rape? It isn't, clearly, but let's blame it nonetheless.


The rape is the fault of the rapist, but Uber is not running its business properly if it allows a felon to represent them on the road. Enhancing background checks will increase the quality of the driver population which will invariably increase the quality of service and also the income of the remaining drivers.

As a driver with impeccable behavior I do not appreciate having to share the occupation and compete for fares with someone like this, nor the possibility that my pax might be wondering if I'm another raping Uber driver. It's a disgrace to all of us.


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## LA Cabbie (Nov 4, 2014)

Ziggy said:


> We do fingerprints in Austin too. FBI fingerprints check is $40; most TNCs reimburse the driver ... and for that matter the retail price of an Uber Checkr BG is also $40 (https://checkr.com/pricing/) .. so fingerprints definitely do not cost more. I got my fingerprints back & got my city ID in 1 day ... I can't remember how long Uber took, but it certainly was more than 1 day.


Uber background checks with CheckR would be totally useless if you got someone else with a clean record to sign-up in your place. Uber knows that. Of course with a real background check you can do that as well. But no right minded citizen would ever want to be in a national/fbi/police database in the stead of a criminal especially if official government license is permitted to you. If I ever let anyone else drive the cab under my id and they get caught, I don't want to think of all the bad stuff that I would be charged with. I don't remember if the government when they are to issue you a permit make you sign that this is to be used by and only you or else you are in big trouble...?


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## Cou-ber (Jul 23, 2015)

Ziggy said:


> What about that driver in Houston that have 12+ aliases and an active felony warrant, that only came to light when he went through the FBI fingerprints BG in Houston? Honestly, it's puzzling why a company wouldn't want to do everything possible to protect its paying customers. What's next ... an airline that gives you a plastic bag instead of an oxygen mask in the event of cabin depressurization?


They give us one?? Score! I thought you brought your own,


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## Cou-ber (Jul 23, 2015)

Ziggy said:


> What about that driver in Houston that have 12+ aliases and an active felony warrant, that only came to light when he went through the FBI fingerprints BG in Houston? Honestly, it's puzzling why a company wouldn't want to do everything possible to protect its paying customers. What's next ... an airline that gives you a plastic bag instead of an oxygen mask in the event of cabin depressurization?


Right. Exactly. Why resist??

As a consumer, knowing such a "safeguard" exists, makes me feel more comfortable and smart. Therefor, I will consume more.

Good Little Consumer. Good girl.

Uber wins.


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## Cou-ber (Jul 23, 2015)

Squirming Like A Toad said:


> The rape is the fault of the rapist, but Uber is not running its business properly if it allows a felon to represent them on the road. Enhancing background checks will increase the quality of the driver population which will invariably increase the quality of service and also the income of the remaining drivers.
> 
> As a driver with impeccable behavior I do not appreciate having to share the occupation and compete for fares with someone like this, nor the possibility that my pax might be wondering if I'm another raping Uber driver. It's a disgrace to all of us.


I think you missed my sarcasm.


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## UberLou (May 5, 2015)

I have said this many many times before. A driver gets busted for committing a crime and other drivers come to his/her defense but you hand out a free bottle of water and they jump you like you are the biggest piece of shizit in the world. Priorities people, Priorities.


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## Cou-ber (Jul 23, 2015)

Ziggy said:


> What about that driver in Houston that have 12+ aliases and an active felony warrant, that only came to light when he went through the FBI fingerprints BG in Houston? Honestly, it's puzzling why a company wouldn't want to do everything possible to protect its paying customers. What's next ... an airline that gives you a plastic bag instead of an oxygen mask in the event of cabin depressurization?


What a dick, Why would you even allow yourself to seek a job that requires prints with that history? I'd not heard of this tool.


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## u-Boat (Jan 4, 2016)

Cou-ber said:


> Ugh this is such an irrelevant argument. Drivers and riders are not equals. The pax are not being paid by Uber to perform a service. They are the consumers. You can't say "well if we have to then they do too". It's moronic. When I was a teacher in HS-s with uniforms the students would argue that if they had to wear them then teachers did too. Dumb. They aren't equals either. A person with a criminal history should not be shut out of a service for his/her past. If he has the dough, the service should not discriminate. End of story. I find it so *****y when drivers whine about this. If ya don't want to be fingerprinted because the pax aren't then don't drive. Money is money and a buck from a convict has the same value as a buck from a nun.


Drivers and riders are not equals? Talk about a dumb argument. No matter how you slice it, it's two unknown parties alone in a car together. It's a vulnerable situation for both sides and both have every right to be kept safe. If Govt feels the need to round up the biometric data of every rideshare, taxi, bus and limo driver, then they also need to collect the biometric data of EVERY RIDER. If fingerprinting is truly about safety then anything less is horse****!

What makes you so special as a rider to deserve a driver's trust? A rider with a violent criminal history can easily steal someone's phone or setup a fake account, request an uBer in a remote location and carjack/rape/murder the driver. Rideshare drivers are performing a service to the public and also have an equal right to be kept safe!

Fyi Cou-Ber, If you haven't already picked up on it, I'm playing devil's advocate here. Neither drivers or riders should be fingerprinted. If you don't feel safe, don't utilize rideshare. Drive yourself, ride the bus, or walk. Simple as that.

How about opening your eyes and realizing what fingerprinting is really all about? It's a convenient tool to justify the existence of bloated local/state Govts and to help keep the status-quo livery racket competition-free.


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## u-Boat (Jan 4, 2016)

ninja warrior said:


> The fundamental difference between air travel and taxi's in terms of security checks would be that there aren't 100-150 people boarding the same taxi as you.


Fair enough. Perhaps not the best analogy to illustrate my point. But you understand what I'm getting at right? If security checks are about safety, then EVERYONE has a right to be kept safe. Pilot or passenger. Anything less is hypocritical and discriminatory


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## u-Boat (Jan 4, 2016)

DriverX said:


> The whole concept of work is risk for money. The most obvious is with jobs like lumber jack, fire fighter, police, driver, stunt man...


Risk for money? Who said anything about making money driving rideshare? Rideshare driving is more of a philanthropic endeavor. A 100% tax deductible, non-profit venture.


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## Copperwolf359 (Jul 26, 2016)

I can see the strong feelings on this debate. However, it boggles my mind why some people are so dead set against fingerprinting for drivers. I am livescanned (Digital Fingerprints) annually for my clearances in my "real" job. Takes less time than traditional ink prints and the turnaround is much faster. Honestly, when I signed up to drive I was stunned I did not need to have one completed for Uber.

Contractors in California to work on sites like school properties are required to pass a livescan, this does not beholden the school districts to see them as employees. I think the argument is baseless quite honestly. If Uber wanted to avoid that argument they could require that the contractor (Driver) pay for their own fingerprint background and provide proof of such at the time of sign-up.

For those that wish to not undergo the process? Well, even better for the ones that do. Less competition from persons that possibly should not be there to compete in the first place.


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## UberLaLa (Sep 6, 2015)

Copperwolf359 said:


> ... *If Uber wanted to avoid that argument they could require that the contractor (Driver) pay for their own fingerprint background and provide proof of such at the time of sign-up.*
> 
> *For those that wish to not undergo the process? Well, even better for the ones that do. Less competition from persons that possibly should not be there to compete in the first place.*


I have been on the fence with this...but this comment just pushed me over to realize Uber/Lyft are more concerned about making it _easy to sign up_ as a new driver, then passenger safety.


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## CSA (Aug 9, 2016)

There's no question that Uber's background checks are poor. If a news station can dig up records from 2012 but a supposed thorough background check can't, then something has gone very awry. It's mind-boggling that Uber doesn't voluntarily opt for more stringent BG checks! Don't they have enough problems? Shoring up the ever more glaring void in their BG check system seems like a no-brainer. There are endless rationalizations for why drivers and Uber might vote against law enforcement background checks. Thing is, Uber puts themselves on the hook when advertising rider safety based on their BG check system when it fails; which seems to happen a lot.

Think about it, how many times could you fail at the same exact task in your own life (or job) before the people around you were like, "Hey, stop acting like you don't suck at this. Because you do?"


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Cou-ber said:


> Ugh this is such an irrelevant argument. Drivers and riders are not equals. The pax are not being paid by Uber to perform a service. They are the consumers.
> 
> When I was a teacher in HS-s with uniforms the students would argue that if they had to wear them then teachers did too. Dumb. They aren't equals either.


While I never did buy completely the _*Quod licet Jovi non licet bovi*_ argument, there is something to it in this case.

One thing that causes me to laugh is that those who so vehemently disagree with the fingerprinting argument have no problem handing over personal and banking information to a private firm that is the target of thousands of hackers. Trust Wall Street but do not trust the Police?

As it is not quite yet November, 2016, I still have more worries about identity theft than I do about the plain, black stepvans and helicopters. I will, of course, re-assess that after the election.


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## Squirming Like A Toad (Apr 7, 2016)

Cou-ber said:


> I think you missed my sarcasm.


Oh I got it. I was augmenting it not gainsaying it.


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## drexl_s (May 20, 2016)

Cou-ber said:


> I don't think uber is being blamed but this incident and the guy's history does suggest Uber's background checks are bullshite at minimum. If Uber was even doing actual background checks with a company for half the price it claims it pays for an individual driver then it would have revealed this guy's spotty past. I highly doubt Uber is checking 100% of its drivers. I'm sure it writes off the fees for 100% of drivers but no way in hell do they perform one for every single applicant. It's my understanding the checks they do do are only for the state in which the driver resides so my crimes outside of Texas won't even register. Phew. And shoot if Trump can designate Obama as the founder of ISIS, why can't Uber be blamed for this rape? It isn't, clearly, but let's blame it nonetheless.


Well, let's hope they go public and then the audits will reveal the truth behind their background checks. I don't follow it closely, so not sure how they meet the criteria today if they are required to check everyone. Penalties would be severe and if all this is true, I am sure someone from the govt has already talked to them.


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## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

UberLaLa said:


> I have been on the fence with this...but this comment just pushed me over to realize Uber/Lyft are more concerned about making it _easy to sign up_ as a new driver, then passenger safety.


That, I believe, is Uber's main objection. They need a constant influx of new drivers to replace the disalusioned who leave.


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## Ziggy (Feb 27, 2015)

Copperwolf359 said:


> I can see the strong feelings on this debate. However, it boggles my mind why some people are so dead set against fingerprinting for drivers. I am live-scanned (Digital Fingerprints) annually for my clearances in my "real" job. Takes less time than traditional ink prints and the turnaround is much faster. Honestly, when I signed up to drive I was stunned I did not need to have one completed for Uber.


Ditto. Been fingerprinted nearly every year since I was 21 when I got them to join the USAF ... and every year thereafter to keep my TS-SCI clearance.


Copperwolf359 said:


> For those that wish to not undergo the process. Well, even better for the ones that do. Less competition from persons that possibly not be there to compete in the first place.


Plus an added bonus ... less drivers = more trips for those of us who aren't felons. In this case, less drivers = more income for non-felon drivers; unlike Uber's math which is "lower fares = more income". Personally, I'd rather "more trips at higher fares with non-felons = more income for drivers & slightly higher fares for pax". That's fair ... pax don't have to stress about jumping into a car with a felon and drivers make more money.


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## UberLaLa (Sep 6, 2015)

Ziggy said:


> Ditto. Been fingerprinted nearly every year since I was 21 when I got them to join the USAF ... and every year thereafter to keep my TS-SCI clearance.
> Plus an added bonus ... less drivers = more trips for those of us who aren't felons. In this case, less drivers = more income for non-felon drivers; unlike Uber's math which is "lower fares = more income". Personally, I'd rather "more trips at higher fares with non-felons = more income for drivers & slightly higher fares for pax". That's fair ... pax don't have to stress about jumping into a car with a felon and drivers make more money.


Nah, many passengers are too cheap to pay for a _safer ride._


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## Ziggy (Feb 27, 2015)

Rat said:


> They need a constant influx of new drivers to replace the disalusioned who leave.


As the Uber's report above indicates, they tend to sour 50% of their drivers within 1 year; though honestly it's probably more like 70%.

One thing we can all be certain of, Uber will not be listed on the "Best Companies to Work For" any time soon ... though if there were a proper "Worst Companies" list they'd likely find themselves on that one.


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## ChiGal (Mar 29, 2016)

ChinatownJake said:


> Make sure you watch the video. They've got the accused Uber driver's reactions in court; he's either a good actor, or there's more to this story.
> 
> Meanwhile, good work by the TV station to expose the flimsiness of Uber BC:
> 
> ...


I always always always believe the victim first. However reading this story without watching the video the red flags start at Snapchat. How would the uber driver have the alleged victim's snap chat user name or phone number to add her if she did not give either to him? We don't have access to either of those things. I'm not saying he didn't rape her. I'm just saying there is more to the story.


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## Ziggy (Feb 27, 2015)

UberLaLa said:


> Nah, many passengers are too cheap to pay for a _safer ride._


Probably right ... evidenced by the fact that people are posting their address on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/ArcadeCityAustin/) and jumping into gypsy cabs (Arcade City) ... most with no commercial insurance. Cops have been running sting operations - ticketing & impounding these gypsy cabs ...


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## Rick Deckard (Aug 20, 2016)

This skin job is on my short list.


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## dnlbaboof (Nov 13, 2015)

why did she consent to the second ride after he stalked her......................they might have had a mutual lovefest 16 is the age of consent there??? right


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## OnTheLoose (Jul 10, 2016)

So much I want to say to you all since I used to work for a background screening company for many years and knew it well before Livescan gained popularity. 

In short though, I don't see any legal harm coming to Uber for this one. There is still so much grey area when it comes to the FCRA as it applies to background checks and due diligence. It would all depend on the guidelines Uber has set up for what crimes they consider acceptable and if they have been consistent in following those guidelines. 

Maybe there was a record in 2012 but it was expunged. Maybe according to Uber, the details of the incident made it such that the screening company, following Uber's guidelines, had to report it as "no record". 

Whatever the case, everyone should be crystal clear on this point. Uber will never fingerprint unless it is of some benefit to them. I. E.: Create a whole division called Uber Trusted or some shit where they've convinced riders and drivers to pay for their own drug screening and fingerprint and pay/charge higher rates to ensure safety of all parties... Who the hell knows. 

Right now they have private companies accessing public records. It's all very free and easy. It's the cheapest way to be compliant. Tighter screenings would just mean more money spent and less drivers for them because they would be finding all sorts of shit on people. 

Uber has gone from being a sleek company where proud drivers made $2k a week to some sort of pyramid scheme Walmart of ridesharing. This is why the Lyft experience is better. That quick mentor session scares off a lot of crazies. 

I wouldn't mind being fingerprinted, being paid better for it and having less ants to compete with though. How nice would that be?


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## UberLaLa (Sep 6, 2015)

OnTheLoose said:


> So much I want to say to you all since I used to work for a background screening company for many years and knew it well before Livescan gained popularity.
> 
> In short though, I don't see any legal harm coming to Uber for this one. There is still so much grey area when it comes to the FCRA as it applies to background checks and due diligence. It would all depend on the guidelines Uber has set up for what crimes they consider acceptable and if they have been consistent in following those guidelines.
> 
> ...


How much would it cost drivers if they paid for the full-on finger printing background check themselves?

And, Lyft has phased out the Mentor program...


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## Cou-ber (Jul 23, 2015)

u-Boat said:


> Drivers and riders are not equals? Talk about a dumb argument. No matter how you slice it, it's two unknown parties alone in a car together. It's a vulnerable situation for both sides and both have every right to be kept safe. If Govt feels the need to round up the biometric data of every rideshare, taxi, bus and limo driver, then they also need to collect the biometric data of EVERY RIDER. If fingerprinting is truly about safety then anything less is horse****!
> 
> What makes you so special as a rider to deserve a driver's trust? A rider with a violent criminal history can easily steal someone's phone or setup a fake account, request an uBer in a remote location and carjack/rape/murder the driver. Rideshare drivers are performing a service to the public and also have an equal right to be kept safe!
> 
> ...


I had to be finger printed as a teacher. I got no qualms with it. I'm not doing anything wrong and if they want my identity they can have it. If a given job requires this then that's what you do. If I don't want to be printed, then I guess I'm not doing that job.

If my prints are on file I will never be a Jane Doe.

Should I be fp'd to shop at Macy's or Nordstrom's? Eat at Tony's or McD's? Fly to LA?

My fingerprints are always with me. I rarely wear gloves. I leave their mark everywhere, little whispers that confirm I was here. So what?

My eyes are so open, like Ullysseys' eyes pinned so open, and see no rationale in "like driver like rider" logic. It's assumed risk. Cash has no prejudice.


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## Cou-ber (Jul 23, 2015)

UberLaLa said:


> How much would it cost drivers if they paid for the full-on finger printing background check themselves?
> 
> And, Lyft has phased out the Mentor program...


I paid $40 at HR Block.


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## Cou-ber (Jul 23, 2015)

UberLaLa said:


> How much would it cost drivers if they paid for the full-on finger printing background check themselves?
> 
> And, Lyft has phased out the Mentor program...


Lyft isn't in Houston


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## crookedhalo (Mar 15, 2016)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> Why the hell is a 16 yo posting on Snapchat that she missed a bus. Then accepting a ride. Her parents did a horrible job of raising her. This isn't the first and definitely won't be the last.


Way to blame the victim, asshat


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

crookedhalo said:


> Way to blame the victim, asshat


 I would blame you if you were her mom. You do know that children are a direct result of their parents. Do you have children? Do you speak with your children about predators? Do your children know not to go online and give personal info? Do you go through your children's phone? Do you know that online acts of crime against minors has increased 2300% in the last 10 years. As a father of 3 I give no space to any parent that slacks off. We MUST stay aware and prepared for our children. With crimes against children at an all time high I will never say IT WON'T HAPPEN TO MY CHILD. I did not blame the victim. I blamed the parents of the victim. Just a heads up, don't call someone an asshat that has given their life for their country.


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## crookedhalo (Mar 15, 2016)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> I would blame you if you were her mom. You do know that children are a direct result of their parents. Do you have children? Do you speak with your children about predators? Do your children know not to go online and give personal info? Do you go through your children's phone? Do you know that online acts of crime against minors has increased 2300% in the last 10 years. As a father of 3 I give no space to any parent that slacks off. We MUST stay aware and prepared for our children. With crimes against children at an all time high I will never say IT WON'T HAPPEN TO MY CHILD. I did not blame the victim. I blamed the parents of the victim. Just a heads up, don't call someone an asshat that has given their life for their country.


 Hey asshat, you haven't given your life for your country as you are here obviously still alive. I have served also and don't use my disabled veteran status to act like an asshat. And victim shaming is victim shaming, it's like saying "did you see her clothes, she asked to get raped". So instead of teaching your daughters how not to get raped, you should teach your son's not to rape.


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

crookedhalo said:


> Hey asshat, you haven't given your life for your country as you are here obviously still alive. I have served also and don't use my disabled veteran status to act like an asshat. And victim shaming is victim shaming, it's like saying "did you see her clothes, she asked to get raped". So instead of teaching your daughters how not to get raped, you should teach your son's not to rape.


I hope your CO didn't look down on you for your comprehension. Please read my original post about parenting. Maybe after reading it 4 or 5 times you might understand where I place the blame. And please post something that shows of your service. Any honorable veteran would never resort to name calling. My son is on the left, I would never have to tell him not to rape. You're a horrible person!


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> Just a heads up, don't call someone an asshat that has given their life for their country.


You're a ghost?


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

Fuzzyelvis said:


> You're a ghost?


Yes mam. I'm the scariest myth that you wish you would never cross. Yet I would lay my life on the line so that you can keep loving your cats.


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## Cou-ber (Jul 23, 2015)

I'm pretty sure being a veteran doesn't close one off to achieving the Asshat Title. All are eligible. I must confess your incredulous reaction about a 16 year old posting on snapchat or whatever suggested to me you laid some blame on the victim. No mention of the parents until your follow up post. 

In defense of parents of 16 year old-ish beings, I gotta say, it'd behoove you to not present so self-righteously. Good solid parents can have crappy kids that do great things and really crappy parents can have fantastic kids that do horrible things. Being caught or worse for either end of the spectrum is an ever-changing combo of forces and circumstances. 

Both my parents raised me and both were stellar role models and actively present and involved in all aspects of my life. They told me so many things, likely many lessons you too were taught, but I sometimes dismissed them and got bit in the ass. This was NOT a reflection of their parenting but rather one of my rebellious, thrill seeking predisposition and any teenagers propensity to do the opposite of what she is told is correct. A parent isn't a failure because their kid was stupid. That's totally unfair and lacks compassion for the parents who might not have all the resources and such you might have at your disposal. The kid needed to get to school and rather than inform mom or dad that she missed her transport she tried to fix the problem herself and she made a crappy choice. To conclude from such that her parents are substandard is what an asshat would do.


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

Cou-ber said:


> No mention of the parents until your follow up post.


Go to the very 1st page of this thread and completely read the 7th post.


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## UberLaLa (Sep 6, 2015)

First, Thank you both SEAL Team 5 & crookedhalo for your services. Nobody is blaming any victims here....nor is anyone calling anyone names that are all that bad. Breath...we all on the same team.


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

Cou-ber said:


> Both my parents raised me and both were stellar role models and actively present and involved in all aspects of my life. To conclude from such that her parents are substandard is what an asshat would do.


Just by your screen name I can tell we are speaking of two completely different times. When you were a child there was no such thing as internet or social media. Our big thing was Saturday morning cartoons. Today any 8 year old with a phone is only one click away from a sexual predator. Our parents use to tell us not to get rides from strangers. Today's parenting is much more then checking Halloween candy. In no way did I ever blame the teen. However, I do mention that children are a direct reflection of their parents. Media has become such a big influence on children's lives that almost every parent with a SUV has monitors in them so kids can keep being influenced. A top selling point in some vehicles now is WiFi. All this social media crap prevents parents from talking with their children. And just like my very 1st post on this thread stated, this sure won't be the last we hear of a rape of an Uber pax.


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## Cou-ber (Jul 23, 2015)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> Just by your screen name I can tell we are speaking of two completely different times. When you were a child there was no such thing as internet or social media. Our big thing was Saturday morning cartoons. Today any 8 year old with a phone is only one click away from a sexual predator. Our parents use to tell us not to get rides from strangers. Today's parenting is much more then checking Halloween candy. In no way did I ever blame the teen. However, I do mention that children are a direct reflection of their parents. Media has become such a big influence on children's lives that almost every parent with a SUV has monitors in them so kids can keep being influenced. A top selling point in some vehicles now is WiFi. All this social media crap prevents parents from talking with their children. And just like my very 1st post on this thread stated, this sure won't be the last we hear of a rape of an Uber pax.


Saturday mornings were bliss and tv ended at 11 to the Star Spangled Banner, static, then color bars if you were flossy which I was not. My bars were black and white.

You are right. Won't be the last time.

Worse than anything else about all this social media is the loss of genuine "think time" or just a prolonged, uninterrupted time of silence and limited external stimuli. 25 year olds and under are constantly distracted and/or interrupted by alerts, notifications, updates, dings pings and jing -a-lings. No thought can be completed when every waking hour is punctuated by these, pulling a person's thoughts in completely different and usually unrelated directions. We've lost the ability to ponder and this results in unremarkable insights and observations that lack any significant depth and no hint of analysis or reflection. We have become Pavlov's dogs and I apologize for this insult to dogs. Thought is barely occurring. Ideas are left unexplored and forgotten, withered. How can this even stand a chance of survival when disparate stimuli is constantly streaming thru our phones and redirecting our brains to something new and mostly inconsequential. Stimuli response stimuli response. Like Like Like thumbs up smiley face to crying gif snapchat Facebook Twitter and your worth gets boiled down to your number of likes even if you report something awful (going in the can, see you in 8 to 10; just found out it's malignant; watch my fight video, selfie #2,543,773; #sorrynotsorry.) this phenomenon I hold responsible for Trump's candidacy and disturbing popularity. No one is thinking. No one can and if presented with a tiny window within which one could most rush to occupy that moment with a quick app game or to catch up with fb notifications or taking yet another selfie. Life for too many is experienced indirectly and passively thru the filter of a phone and the delivery of status updates and 7 second vines or simple snatches of one dimensional moments that allow you to react in basic emojis, not words, too cumbersome, but someone else's depiction of your emotional intelligence and prescribed range of 6 chicken broth emotions.

We are capable of brilliant, kaleidoscopic emotions using a language that allows for such broad reach but we've neglected it by permitting others we might it even really know or like to supply their feedback and reactions in a flipping cartoon image.

How this pertains to this rape no longer concerns me but it might helptoexplain the girl's stupidity and why this happened.

An 8 year old with a phone is the death of innocence. It murders that child's ability to ponder. Logic gets completely compromised, common sense is stunted and reflection of the sort that grants one to genuinely and meaningfully apply information in such a way that growth or enlightenment can occur, simply does not occur. Certainly way less than before the advent of cells, at minimum.

I remember long road trips and miles of silence in between rounds of eye spy or alphabet license relays. Gazing out a window, hearing our bodies live and breathe and indulging our brains in fancy in efforts to fill the time or forget the boredom. The kids in those SUVs are denied this practice of self inspection and fed a Disney buffet that gives the eyes a great display but starves the mind of its predisposition to process info and input in any profound way. Just receive this stimuli and when it ends more will follow. Consume consume consume don't question just receive receive receive and you won't conceive anything of real value or worth or substance.

The brain atrophies, imagination dissolves, relationships suffer, become flimsy and grossly shallow and concepts like reflection or philosophizing or critically thinking become trivial and meaningless. Nothing of depth can be sustained in this environment. The concept of loyalty is diluted to retweets shares and followers, if not completely abandoned for whatever might be currently trending.

We are supposed to be better with time and subsequent generations. DNA a combo of the genetic best from the genetic best of the genetic....blah blah blah and as a species sure we are stronger, better looking, taller, living longer and all that but mentally we have got to be colossal let downs. Huge disappointments to our species and the planet that provided so much in abundance for us to thrive but we haven't. Our brains are smaller, our senses less tuned and developed. We are just lobotomies with sex drives and cool gadgets but no indication of evolving to a stage any would defend as elevated or superior to the stage prior.

I fear what we could be is now what we won't ever be because moving from one stage to the next in our evolutionary journey seems only giant leap away from being able to access the potential to aspire for better.

I really gotta put the peace pipe down before I visit this forum so I don't have record of my internal chaos.

Joy. If possible. Peace.


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

Cou-ber said:


> Saturday mornings were bliss and tv ended at 11 to the Star Spangled Banner, static, then color bars if you were flossy which I was not. My bars were black and white.
> 
> You are right. Won't be the last time.
> 
> ...


Wow, that was awesome. And I do remember the road trips as a family playing license plates. I remember seeing an Alaska plate when I was around 7 and my parents explaining the big far off state. I thought that was so incredible that someone traveled so far. Your post is fantastic. Thank you!!


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## UberLaLa (Sep 6, 2015)

Cou-ber said:


> Saturday mornings were bliss and tv ended at 11 to the Star Spangled Banner, static, then color bars if you were flossy which I was not. My bars were black and white.
> 
> You are right. Won't be the last time.
> 
> ...


Such a pure and true post. Good stuff...

Made me think of a couple of things. I read a few months ago about how much 'think time' people used to have before television. And, this picture which screams volumes about Globalization:










Note: Look closely at his belt...


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## Cou-ber (Jul 23, 2015)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> Wow, that was awesome. And I do remember the road trips as a family playing license plates. I remember seeing an Alaska plate when I was around 7 and my parents explaining the big far off state. I thought that was so incredible that someone traveled so far. Your post is fantastic. Thank you!!


Thank you for the inspiration. I do applaud your parenting and obvious awareness that with daughters, fathers today must be acutely aware of the monsters that hope to feast upon them. Wish the fathers of my 2 got this. You didn't blame the victim. I retract this and apologize for being hasty and taut. Be well brother.


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## Cou-ber (Jul 23, 2015)

UberLaLa said:


> Such a pure and true post. Good stuff...
> 
> Made me think of a couple of things. I read a few months ago about how much 'think time' people used to have before television. And, this picture which screams volumes about Globalization:
> 
> View attachment 56980


I'd really like to read that article please.

How wretched of me that I looked to the man's hands and sort of wanted him to be holding an iPhone. On that iPhone i expect to see the Uber passenger app open the driver 3 minutes from his destination?

Read Peter Hamil's essay "Crack and the Box". (Or close to that title...)It's an older piece but so profound and important. Substitute the tv for the cells now and it's today. Good stuff.


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## UberLaLa (Sep 6, 2015)

Cou-ber said:


> I'd really like to read that article please.
> 
> How wretched of me that I looked to the man's hands and sort of wanted him to be holding an iPhone. On that iPhone i expect to see the Uber passenger app open the driver 3 minutes from his destination?
> 
> Read Peter Hamil's essay "Crack and the Box". (Or close to that title...)It's an older piece but so profound and important. Substitute the tv for the cells now and it's today. Good stuff.


Look closely at his belt...


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## Cou-ber (Jul 23, 2015)

UberLaLa--how moronic and stoned am I that I just got the organic fanny packing cell and hula of devices. The flip flops. I blame the weed, my glasses ain't in reach and the image is splintered by my phone's cracked screen then feebly repaired with the cheaper version of scotch tape. Totally feel you. Great.


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## UberLaLa (Sep 6, 2015)

Cou-ber said:


> UberLaLa--how moronic and stoned am I that I just got the organic fanny packing cell and hula of devices. The flip flops. I blame the weed, my glasses ain't in reach and the image splintered by my phone's cracked screen then feebly repaired with the cheaper version of scotch tape. Totally feel you. Great.


That is in Papua New Guinea where 86% of the population have no electricity or running water, but everyone has a cell phone now and can get every bit of the internet via data cards.


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## observer (Dec 11, 2014)

UberLaLa said:


> That is in Papua New Guinea where 86% of the population have no electricity or running water, but everyone has a cell phone now and can get every bit of the internet via data cards.


Two months ago, no signal here.









Went there last week and recieved a text. Good? Bad?


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## UberLaLa (Sep 6, 2015)

observer said:


> Two months ago, no signal here.
> View attachment 56981
> 
> 
> Went there last week and recieved a text. *Good? Bad?*


That is the $60 million dollar question....really.

I feel like I was born too soon and would have loved to be a kid today with all the internet and technology. But I am also 'older and more mature' so it does not influence me the same way it might have if I were a teenager today.

If you're a movie fan, give _Avalon_ a view. It portrays a brilliant 60 year journey of a family in pre-television America up to modern day. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099073


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## Cou-ber (Jul 23, 2015)

observer said:


> Two months ago, no signal here.
> View attachment 56981
> 
> 
> Went there last week and recieved a text. Good? Bad?


Not sure which but I'm leaning towards bad.


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## observer (Dec 11, 2014)

Cou-ber said:


> Not sure which but I'm leaning towards bad.


Me too, I used to go to my dads ranch to "hide". It's a good place to go and just rejuvenate.

The site in the pic is where I'm building my retirement home/shop. Since there had been no signal before, I had been thinking of ways to get internet/text/phone. Now that I have it, I'm not so sure I want it.


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## observer (Dec 11, 2014)

UberLaLa said:


> That is the $60 million dollar question....really.
> 
> I feel like I was born too soon and would have loved to be a kid today with all the internet and technology. But I am also 'older and more mature' so it does not influence me the same way it might have if I were a teenager today.
> 
> If you're a movie fan, give _Avalon_ a view. It portrays a brilliant 60 year journey of a family in pre-television America up to modern day. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099073


I took my 14 year old daughter with me to Mexico a couple weeks ago (That's where pic in this thread and my avatar were taken, Jalisco, Mexico). I could have added Mexico service to her phone, but purposely didn't, she had a blast.

We worked on the ranch, fixing fences, cutting brush, hiking, hiking, and more hiking, learning to drive (turns out she's pretty good), learning Spanish, making new friends, learning about how her grandparents grew up, where they lived, how people live and survive there today and met many many new relatives. She can't wait to go back in December.

I am very glad I did not hook up service for her phone.


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## UberLaLa (Sep 6, 2015)

observer said:


> I took my 14 year old daughter with me to Mexico a couple weeks ago ...
> *
> I am very glad I did not hook up service for her phone.*


And so is she...


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## Cou-ber (Jul 23, 2015)

observer said:


> Me too, I used to go to my dads ranch to "hide". It's a good place to go and just rejuvenate.
> 
> The site in the pic is where I'm building my retirement home/shop. Since there had been no signal before, I had been thinking of ways to get internet/text/phone. Now that I have it, I'm not so sure I want it.


The site is Valhala. Lucky man.


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## Cou-ber (Jul 23, 2015)

observer said:


> Two months ago, no signal here.
> View attachment 56981
> 
> 
> Went there last week and recieved a text. Good? Bad?


Why do you go to Papua New Guinea so frequently?


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

UberLaLa said:


> That is in Papua New Guinea where 86% of the population have no electricity or running water, but everyone has a cell phone now and can get every bit of the internet via data cards.


How do they charge them with no electricity???


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Cou-ber said:


> Why do you go to Papua New Guinea so frequently?


What you really mean is "why does he come back"?


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## Cou-ber (Jul 23, 2015)

Copperwolf359 said:


> I can see the strong feelings on this debate. However, it boggles my mind why some people are so dead set against fingerprinting for drivers. I am livescanned (Digital Fingerprints) annually for my clearances in my "real" job. Takes less time than traditional ink prints and the turnaround is much faster. Honestly, when I signed up to drive I was stunned I did not need to have one completed for Uber.
> 
> Contractors in California to work on sites like school properties are required to pass a livescan, this does not beholden the school districts to see them as employees. I think the argument is baseless quite honestly. If Uber wanted to avoid that argument they could require that the contractor (Driver) pay for their own fingerprint background and provide proof of such at the time of sign-up.
> 
> For those that wish to not undergo the process? Well, even better for the ones that do. Less competition from persons that possibly should not be there to compete in the first place.


Uber did make me pay for my fingerprinting.

Uber would be saving money big time if it embraced the ordinance written for them 2 years ago. Uber could totally eliminate the costs of Thousands and thousands of background checks. I have oft thought it would not surprise ime if it was learned Uber never really did most of the background checks it claims to have performed. Nonetheless, with existing Houston requirements and the fact that in the 4th largest city (or is it 3rd now by population??) has no TNC competitor, uber succeeding here is a no brainet for even the most challenged and least savvy to fail to realize certain profit. We'd be its cash cow. If it's really losing billions, someone already noted, raising Houston rates would be instant cash flow. Shoot, only getme would fail with such ideal conditions.


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> Why the hell is a 16 yo posting on Snapchat that she missed a bus. Then accepting a ride. Her parents did a horrible job of raising her. This isn't the first and definitely won't be the last.


When I was 16, I hitchhiked if I missed the bus or couldn't afford the 40 cents.

My parents were fine, even though hitchhiking isn't that much more dangerous than what this gal did.


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

I_Like_Spam said:


> When I was 16, I hitchhiked if I missed the bus or couldn't afford the 40 cents.
> 
> My parents were fine, even though hitchhiking isn't that much more dangerous than what this gal did.


Aren't you a male? I believe the female of our species is raped/sexually assaulted 1000 times greater than her male counterpart. Unless of course you belong to the Catholic religion.


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

Cou-ber said:


> Nonetheless, with existing Houston requirements and the fact that in the 4th largest city (or is it 3rd now by population??)


You will be the third pretty soon if Chicagoans keep killing their citizens. Just heard on CNN this morning that more Americans have been killed in Chicago in the last 4 years then in the entire 15 years of war in Afganistan.


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

UberLaLa said:


> That is in Papua New Guinea where 86% of the population have no electricity or running water, but everyone has a cell phone now and can get every bit of the internet via data cards.


How do they charge their phones w/o electricity?


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## UberLaLa (Sep 6, 2015)

Fuzzyelvis said:


> How do they charge them with no electricity???


Community generators. Just like they don't have "running water" doesn't mean they don't have _water. 
_
Cou-ber - I have only been to PNG once, and that was for my day job, I was there for 5 weeks.

TwoFiddyMile - How you been, Mang? Actually, coming back is heaven - we had to travel with two armed guards, one with an M-16 and the other a sawed-off...


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

UberLaLa said:


> Community generators. Just like they don't have "running water" doesn't mean they don't have _water.
> _
> Cou-ber - I have only been to PNG once, and that was for my day job, I was there for 5 weeks.
> 
> TwoFiddyMile - How you been, Mang? Actually, coming back is heaven - we had to travel with two armed guards, one with an M-16 and the other a sawed-off...


I'm surviving bro.
Kids went back to school today.
I'd bet $5 that dispatch offers me a $90 Cleveland NC run while I'm halfway through that @#$$ted pickup line.


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