By Igor Studenkov
Chicago rideshare drivers continue calling on Uber and Lyft to do more to keep drivers and passengers safe.
Over the past year, drivers voiced concerns about the rise in carjackings and robberies as well as passengers not always wearing masks nor following other coronavirus (COVID-19) mitigation policies.
Uber and Lyft have stated publicly that they have a number of policies to keep drivers and passengers safe, most notably round-a-clock phone support, an app-based panic button that sends information directly to the nearest emergency dispatch, and requiring passengers who do not use credit cards to upload pictures of their government-issued IDs.
The drivers who spoke to Gazette Chicago, however, said those measures are not enough. They’re calling for stronger ID verification and improvements to the emergency call button and phone support.
These concerns have surfaced as rideshare providers mull returning to shared rides, where drivers pick up multiple passengers during the course of a single trip. Lyft announced plans to resume shared rides in July, only to backtrack. The Independent Drivers Guild (IDG) advocacy organization came out against it, saying it not only would pose a health risk during the pandemic but might make cars more tempting targets for robbers.
Lenny Sanchez, IDG’s Illinois chapter founder, told Gazette Chicago the situation has worsened over the past two years.
Crime increases
The number of “drivers that have been victims of carjacking…it’s very alarming,” Sanchez said, noting criminals “are getting really creative. We’ve seen them use tasers to force [drivers] out of the vehicle. We’ve also seen women being targeted by sexual predators of the app, sexually assaulted at gunpoint by people using the applications.”
Sanchez called improvement in recent months “negligible.”
Dorothy Lawson has been a rideshare driver for the past three years because it allowed her to pay the bills while taking care of her mother.
“The first year, I loved it, because I love driving and it gave me a chance to take care of myself and my family,” she said. “With the pandemic, I don’t know what happened. It’s like everyone went crazy.”
Lawson emphasized she was happy to drive essential workers, especially while the stay-at-home order was in effect. During the pandemic, however, nerves got raw and tempers got short for both passengers and other drivers on the road.
“People are really upset, they’re really on edge,” she said.
Lawson told several stories about how she felt unsafe while giving a ride. In one instance, a passenger played with a knife in the back seat, and she was worried not only for her own safety but that she might be pulled over and get in trouble with the police. While she was able to talk to the passenger and the trip ended without incident, she was so stressed that she ended up turning off the apps for the day.
Safety measures
Uber and Lyft have similar safety measures on their respective apps such as 24/7 phone support, some version of the emergency call button that sends information to 911 dispatch, and the ability to share location and route information with friends and family. Both also have features meant to detect crashes and “unusually long stops,” encourage passengers to post profile pictures, and work with police departments to address carjackings.
Both require riders who set up accounts using pre-paid cards, gift cards, and Venmo or PayPal to provide “additional identification,” with Uber specifying that, since spring 2021, it requires such riders to upload a picture of a state ID, a driver’s license, or some other form of identification.
Lyft has safety teams that work with individual drivers who were victims of crime based on their particular circumstances and needs. According to its policy, violent behavior and other violations of its community guidelines get riders permanently suspended.
Sanchez described those measures as “about as effective as a Band-Aid on a bullet wound,” something that Lawson echoed. She described an incident when a passenger’s ex-boyfriend followed her car and made threats. Even with the ability to connect to the emergency dispatch, she could not coordinate with the area police, and she wound up dropping the passenger off at the nearest police station.
Lawson said phone support for drivers falls short because many phone support staff do not have a good grasp of English—especially its idioms. For example, she interacted with a customer service agent who did not understand what the term “carjacking” meant.
“We’re really out here by ourselves,” Lawson reflected. “We have no support.”
Both Sanchez and Lawson said they appreciate rideshare providers now requiring passengers to wear masks, but the current requirement has weaknesses.
“Drivers don’t want to drive because they’re afraid of catching COVID, fighting with people who’re drinking too much,” Lawson said. “When you’d drinking, you don’t care about masks, you don’t care about social distancing.”
She said that, out of concerns for her safety, she changed her behavior, avoiding many West and South Side neighborhoods. Sanchez said Lawson’s case was not unique.
“Many of them are only giving rides out of the airports because they’re more comfortable giving rides to airport employees or people who’ve been through TSA screenings,” Sanchez said. “We’ve seen drivers avoid certain areas and times of day.”
Some drivers also have been violating knowingly the rules prohibiting them from carrying firearms or wearing bulletproof vests.
Lawson repeatedly emphasized she believed rideshare platforms had a “good product” but that, until they address safety concerns, apps cannot live up to their full potential. She supports requiring passengers to put their real names on their accounts, uploading their photos, and going through the kind of background check drivers have to go through.
Sanchez does not necessarily support sharing photos with drivers because it might cause some drivers to discriminate against the passengers. He did feel having photos on file would be a good idea, making it easier to track down anyone who commits crimes while on the app.
“We believe that is the only deterrent that’s going to work,” he said.
Lawson added she would like to limit users’ ability to book rides for other passengers. In many cases, she doesn’t know who she will be picking up, and she has had parents book rides for minors. The apps do not allow riders to accept passengers younger than 18 who are not accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Ordinance stalled
The IDG supports Ald. Brendan Reilly’s (42nd Ward) ordinance, introduced June 25, which would establish a fund to help drivers cover vehicle improvements and vehicle security upgrades. It would cap surcharges, set payment minimums, and ensure most of the fares passengers pay go to the drivers. It also would help improve security for drivers and passengers alike, setting up driver identity verification, increasing penalties for battery against drivers, and creating a process for passengers to report drivers operating vehicles under influence.
Another change the guild wants, Sanchez said, is capping commissions—the amount of money rideshare platforms take from the drivers per ride—instead of capping surcharges. He said that, in recent years, commissions have fluctuated, so drivers did not always know how much money they would keep.
“There’s no need for them to be overcharging the passengers and underpaying the drivers, and I do believe the commission cap of 15% to 20% would solve a lot of issues,” Sanchez said.
The City Council has not acted on Reilly’s ordinance since its introduction.
Sanchez noted the guild continues to oppose any return to shared rides because they would leave drivers with fewer opportunities to disinfect vehicles and make enforcing mask rules even harder than before. Drivers also are concerned multiple passengers might make them a more tempting target for robbers.
“We foresee that, when the shared rides return, there may be a possibility that a criminal might prefer to have a passenger be in the car,” Sanchez explained. “Essentially they get two victims for one crime.”
While the guild continues to fight for improved working conditions, he said the situation is getting to the point where some drivers are leaving the apps. They have “decided it’s not worth the financial risk compared to the reward,” Sanchez said.
“I’ve seen a lot of my friends just quit,” Lawson said. “It’s like, it’s not worth it, and Uber isn’t taking the issue seriously.”
She is considering following suit, even though “I love driving, I love people, I love the interactions” and driving rideshares “helped me be self-sufficient, take care of my family and my kids. But now, looking at the safely concerns, I’m really thinking about stopping driving if they don’t do something about [the problems].”
For the IDG, log on to https://il.driversguild.org/.