ride sharing

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Scam or Side Hustle? Gaming the Citi Bike Reward System

New York Times explores the lucrative gig some see as unethical

(Newser) - A few savvy New Yorkers have figured out how to game a Citi Bike program that rewards members who help move bikes to locations with low inventory—to the tune of thousands of dollars every month. While the side hustle requires a lot of time, coordination, and exercise to earn...

Cops: Texas Lyft Driver Was Forced to Drive to Florida

Kidnapping suspect is arrested, and driver was unharmed

(Newser) - A Lyft driver in Texas is safe after police say a customer forced him at gunpoint to drive more than 1,300 miles to Florida, reports WFAA . The ordeal took place Friday night when a suspect identified as 23-year-old Miguel Hernandez pulled out a gun instead of exiting the vehicle...

Uber, Lyft Drivers to Get $32.50 Per Hour in State Settlement

Drivers in Massachusetts will also get new benefits, protections

(Newser) - Drivers for Uber and Lyft will earn a minimum pay standard of $32.50 per hour under a settlement announced Thursday by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, in a deal that also includes a suite of benefits and protections. The two companies will also be required to pay a combined...

Uber, Lyft Say They're Quitting Minneapolis

City council voted to pass ordinance increasing driver wages

(Newser) - Lyft and Uber vowed to cease operations in Minneapolis after the city's council voted Thursday to override a mayoral veto and require that ride-hailing services increase driver wages to the equivalent of the local minimum wage of $15.57 an hour. Lyft called the ordinance "deeply flawed,"...

Your Ride to the Airport on Wednesday Could Get Tricky

Uber, Lyft, DoorDash won't offer rides to or from airports in 10 US cities in protest for fair wages

(Newser) - Looking to catch a flight on Valentine's Day to visit your love? You may not be able to count on catching an Uber or Lyft to the airport, depending on where you live. That's because drivers for the two ride-sharing apps, as well as for food delivery app...

NY AG: Uber, Lyft Cheated Drivers, Will Pay $380M

Settlement also gives drivers guaranteed sick pay, minimum hourly pay

(Newser) - Uber and Lyft didn't admit fault in a settlement to resolve wage-theft claims in New York state—but they agreed to cough up $328 million to cover back pay and benefits for around 100,000 current and former drivers. New York Attorney General Letitia James said the settlement, $290...

Price of 3-Mile Uber Ride Startles Uber CEO
Uber CEO's Reaction to Cost
of 3-Mile Ride: 'Oh My God'
in case you missed it
Aug 6, 2023 11:20 AM CDT

Uber CEO's Reaction to Cost of 3-Mile Ride: 'Oh My God'

'Wired' writer shares conversation about the tab in new article

(Newser) - Wired reporter Steven Levy fittingly took an Uber to the company's annual product event in May. It was a 2.95-mile ride from downtown New York City to the West Side, and the cost was "nuts," in Levy's telling. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi seemingly agrees. In...

Cops: Rideshare Driver Kidnapped, Raped Women

John Pastor-Mendoza charged with 41 felonies involving 10 victims

(Newser) - A rideshare driver in Denver raped or attempted to rape at least 10 women between 2018 and this year and there may be more victims, authorities say. John Pastor-Mendoza, 41, has been charged with 41 felonies, including 10 counts of kidnapping his victim to commit a sexual offense and eight...

Police: Case of Mistaken Ride-Sharing Car Ended in Rape

Suspect has been arrested in connection with May incident in Nashville

(Newser) - More than four months after a woman says she was kidnapped in Nashville and raped by a man she wrongly thought was a ride-share driver, police say an arrest has been made. Randall Corey Johnson, of Lebanon, Tenn., has been charged in connection with the May 24 incident, reports the...

British Ruling Could Affect Gig Workers Worldwide

Country's top court says Uber drivers are workers

(Newser) - A landmark ruling against Uber from Britain's top court could provide the framework for better protection for gig workers around the world, lawyers say. The country's Supreme Court ruled Friday that Uber drivers are workers, not independent contractors, and are entitled to minimum wage and vacation time, the...

10 Oddest Things Left Behind in an Uber

Not surprising: phones. Maybe a little surprising: a bubble machine

(Newser) - If you've ever left something behind in a cab or an Uber, you'll be able to commiserate with the forgetful folks who've made it onto Uber's 2020 Lost & Found Index . The company released its fourth annual list on Tuesday, detailing some of the most common...

Uber Was Supposed to Ease Traffic. We Got the Opposite

Studies suggest ride-sharing makes congestion worse

(Newser) - In the early days of Uber and Lyft, executives and proponents made bold promises of reducing traffic. "If every car in San Francisco was Ubered, there would be no traffic," then-CEO Travis Kalanick famously said five years ago. The idea was that multiple strangers would be sharing rides...

Passengers Call for a Lyft, Get Will Smith as Driver

Actor was promoting 'Bad Boys for Life'

(Newser) - Four Florida passengers were in for a shock when actor Will Smith answered their Lyft call and gave them a ride around town, the AP reports. The actor was in Miami promoting his new movie, Bad Boys for Life, over the weekend. He picked up four riders in a 2020...

London Refuses to Renew Uber's License
London Just
Broke Up With Uber
Nov 25, 2019 4:52 AM CST

London Just Broke Up With Uber

Company deemed 'not fit and proper'

(Newser) - London's transit authority says it is not renewing Uber’s license to operate in the British capital. Transport for London cited "several breaches that placed passengers and their safety at risk." The company's license expires at midnight Monday. Uber vowed to appeal the decision. The company...

State Says Uber Owes $650M for Misclassifying Workers

Company disputes New Jersey ruling

(Newser) - New Jersey is seeking around $650 million from Uber in taxes and penalties, saying the ride-hailing company misclassified its drivers as independent contractors. The decision is the latest setback for Uber and other companies in the so-called "gig economy" that rely heavily on contract labor to deliver the services...

Uber Loses Another $1.16B
Uber Loses Another $1.16B
Nov 5, 2019 12:30 AM CST

Uber Loses Another $1.16B

Company says it will be making money by 2021

(Newser) - The losses at Uber are mounting, but the ride-hailing heavyweight now predicts it will be profitable in about two years. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said Monday that the company's goal is to reach profitability—when adjusted for interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization—for the full year of 2021, the AP...

Uber Lays Off Another 435 Workers
Uber Lays Off
Another 435 Workers
Sep 11, 2019 2:21 AM CDT

Uber Lays Off Another 435 Workers

Company is trying to 'move toward profitability'

(Newser) - After losing more than $50 million a day in the second quarter of 2019, Uber is tightening its belt. The company announced the layoffs of 435 people in its product and engineering teams Tuesday, which works out to around 8% of both teams, TechCrunch reports. The company said in a...

Uber Posts Biggest-Ever Quarterly Loss

Company lost $5.24B in 3 months

(Newser) - Uber lost $5.24 billion in the second quarter of 2019—its largest quarterly loss ever—after making huge stock-based payouts in the months following its initial public offering. The ride-hailing giant says it paid $3.9 billion in stock-based compensation and expenses during the quarter. It also paid $298...

They Thought They Were in an Uber—Until It Drove the Wrong Way

2 women 'fortunate' to have escaped unknown suspect in SC

(Newser) - Police in South Carolina say two women are "very fortunate" to have escaped a man they believed to be an Uber driver, in a case with parallels to the murder of Samantha Josephson . The two women, who haven't been named, were awaiting an Uber outside a Hilton Head...

Parents Target Uber After 12-Year-Old Kills Herself

Benita Diamond's family says ride-sharing company should never have transported her to suicide site

(Newser) - Uber has a clear-cut policy listed on its site about transporting minors: If you're under 18, you can't ride without someone 18 or over, and drivers should turn away anyone they think might be underage. That policy is why a Florida mom and dad are now urging the...

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