by Aramie Louisville Vas – We knew this was coming, right? Fake Uber drivers.
Residents of Chicago have been warned that twice now (only twice?), people waiting for Uber rides have been approached by a four-door, black Chevy Impala. Earlier this month in the Old Town and River North neighborhoods, suspects invited the passengers into the Impala then robbed them of their debit card and pin information. The Uber app is supposed to send riders a photo of their driver, license plate number and a description of the vehicle. Either this didn’t happen, or the passengers just hopped into any old car claiming to work for Uber.
This has been reported in news outlets as a new thing, but back in March 2014 a female passenger sued Uber when her male driver pretended to get lost in the city, then locked the doors and sexually assaulted her after she refused an invitation for dinner and sex. In 2013, Jennifer Gomez left her iPhone in an Uber driver’s car while bar hopping. She then contacted the driver, who demanded a $500 ransom.
Uber responded to Gomez’s complaint by email: “Our driver operations team has deactivated his account until he returns your phone. I really hope this works.” Other Uber customers have been hit by multiple charges and “surge” charges without their consent or notification, resulting in bills for short distances topping hundreds of dollars.
Look, it’s up to you whether you want to try this trend, or just let the licensed cabbies do their job. Maybe it’s an issue of natural selection. Uber doesn’t care about you. Cab companies have a livelihood to maintain, their vehicles are well-marked, and they issue deep and complete background checks for all drivers. Uber, as per their fine print, doesn’t have to do a damn thing about your safety or your complaints.
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