Uber Knows if You are Hammered

FrgMstr

Just Plain Mean
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Uber is working to detect if the person requesting a ride is drunk before the driver gets there, according to this patent. It is rumored that Lyft is working on an app to help you determine if your Uber driver is a murderer or rapist. Hopes are that these two technologies will be used together in harmony, that way people waking up in strange places will already be used to that.

According to the patent, the algorithm would be able to look out for the user making typos, not precisely clicking on links and buttons, the way they are holding their phone, their walking speed and how long it takes to request a ride.
 
My only issue with this is that, they push the idea of people using these services instead of driving themselves while drunk. Now all of a sudden it's a problem to use these services while drunk. I mean, I get it if you are throwing up inside the Uber vehicle or whatever, there are limits to everything, but make up your damn minds...
 
Yea, too much bullshit to consider for something as simple as a ride, which is something you need when you are DRUNK.

Can't wait till this invasive crap is reigned in, and in the meantime, get your stupid app off my phone.
 
Instead of wasting time in that, why doesn't uber come up with a product that they can sell it's drivers that will protect their cars?

Oh wait, because now Uber is going to further use this metadata to sell to companies for more money.
 
I mean if you're picking someone up at a bar, chances are they're drunk.
Or picking someone up after 1am any day of the week. Seems like it shouldn't be too difficult to decipher.

My wife can be a terrible drunk and we left my brother in law's house well after 2am this weekend after a theme party... driver knew it when we got in - told me not to worry about her, he'll give me 5 stars when we got home lol.
 
Problem solved.


Smartphone-Breathalyze-L.jpg
 
My only issue with this is that, they push the idea of people using these services instead of driving themselves while drunk. Now all of a sudden it's a problem to use these services while drunk. I mean, I get it if you are throwing up inside the Uber vehicle or whatever, there are limits to everything, but make up your damn minds...


IMHO, if I am planning onobeing sober, I'm just going to drive myself. Why would I need an Uber?

Other than maybe the rare "getting a ride back from a mechanic that doesn't do loaners" what other purpose is there to Ubers than getting rides when you are not sober enough to drive?

I guess it depends on how they are planning to use the information.

I'd be OK with a drunk surcharge to help compensate drivers a little extra for dealing with drunk passengers bullshit and the occasional cleanup needed.

If they plan on using it to deny drunk people rides, then that could be a real problem.

Picture this scenario:

Girl has had too much to drink (or maybe has been roofied) realizes something is not right and decides to get the hell out of there and orders an Uber.

Uber app tells the driver the passenger is very drunk, and the driver says "fuck that, I don't need someone puking in my car" and cancels the ride.

Girl is stranded and then gets raped.

This is not the type of publicity the "new and improved" Uber wants.
 
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My only issue with this is that, they push the idea of people using these services instead of driving themselves while drunk. Now all of a sudden it's a problem to use these services while drunk. I mean, I get it if you are throwing up inside the Uber vehicle or whatever, there are limits to everything, but make up your damn minds...


I'm not sure that is what they're targeting here. They may be using it to calculate different rates, as drunk people have looser wallets. E.g. if the app detects that you're drunk, that $8 rate is displayed as $10 with a hidden surcharge.

It'd be a form of AI driven dynamic pricing which is popping up in a lot of places. Amazon uses dynamic pricing on goods - add something to your cart and then navigate away, after a certain period when you return, the price will be lower for your cart item.

The idea behind DP is that not everyone has a one size fit all threshold, so why offer the same discount to all people when you can capture some with a smaller discount (or even an increase). Shopping data can clue the system in on what your threshold might be.
 
Aren't cabs FOR drunk people?
And you better not have a speech impediment or speak poorly in the local language, or have a condition that impairs your movement!
 
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