Uber is a transportation and technology service dedicated to transporting guests to their desired location. Many people across the globe utilize the service because it is convenient and efficient. However, is cheaper service worth safety concerns?
The recent shootings involving an Uber driver in Kalamazoo, Mich., have sparked a debate as to whether or not the Uber service is safe to use and whether or not we should trust Uber drivers. It would be very important to note that there have been other safety concerns with Uber that have not received as much publicity as the Kalamazoo incident.
A 2014 article by Aimee Picchi on cbsnews.com, “The rising safety issues that could throttle Uber,” discusses the ongoing safety concerns of the transportation company. In many different cases, prior users of the Uber service have complained and filed lawsuits regarding problems of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and kidnapping.
Some do not believe that Uber is doing all that it can to ensure customer protection. “The high-profile cases for Uber come at a time when it’s battling a pushback from some government officials and critics who contend it doesn’t do enough to protect consumers, ” says Picchi.
The executives of the company also do not seem to take safety considerations seriously. In one case where a woman was complaining to Uber services about a driver sexually harassing her, the company only offered her a $31 credit, according to Picchi’s article.
As if those claims are not serious enough, one executive made unwise comments regarding journalists and their reporting. “On top of these incidents, the company recently apologized for a senior executive’s suggestion that Uber should dig up dirt on journalists who are critical of the company,” says Picchi.
With all of the safety concerns surrounding Uber, is it still wise to use their service? From the experiences of some of NCC’s community, it is.
Some at North Central College, whether they are professors or students, have said they use Uber. Professor Chetan Chawla, assistant professor of management, has utilized the Uber service many times throughout his life and does not seem at all bothered by the safety concerns.
Chetan Chawla
Professor Chawla said: “I’ve used Uber many times and it’s fantastic. The incidents and accidents are not statistically representative of my experience. They’re just random incidents.”
Ben Zastrow, current student at North Central College, said: “I have used Uber several times. Uber has, in fact, been enjoyable. I have not had any issues before.”
Just as well, Alex Boleyn, also a current student, has used the Uber service before and has nothing negative to say about it. Boleyn said: “Uber was pretty good. I’ve only used it once in my life. It was a pretty good experience with no issues.”
