Discussion: Uber Says Suspected Michigan Gunman Was Driver For Service

system1 · February 21, 2016, 8:01pm

Discussion for article #246295

sherlock1 · February 21, 2016, 8:20pm

pshah · February 21, 2016, 8:29pm

Uber’s firearms policy prohibits both drivers and passengers from carrying firearms in an Uber vehicle.

It’s very interesting to me that private companies almost invariably choose to ban guns from their premises. If the NRA’s argument was correct, wouldn’t they choose the opposite?

In the real world, there are actual consequences to guns being carried in public, carried brightly as if they were no more dangerous than a smartphone.

Unfortunately, all we get from the NRA are glib one-liners parroted endlessly by their minions.

1gg · February 21, 2016, 8:33pm

I guess someone was unhappy about his tip.

lestatdelc · February 21, 2016, 8:47pm

So the Martin Scorsese sequel to the story of Travis Bickle is called Uber Driver.

deminimis · February 21, 2016, 9:10pm

I’m not exactly sure how Uber can ban a driver from carrying a gun in their own vehicle. Beyond having it as a meaningless policy in their terms of service, which would seem to be more of a legalistic CYA. The drivers are private contractors in their own privately owned vehicle.

I suppose if one were to pull a gun on a passenger, Uber could decide to no longer allow them to drive for the service.

afblac · February 21, 2016, 9:59pm

Another white guy exercising his right to bear arms.

mondfledermaus · February 21, 2016, 10:38pm

I tell you the most dangerous group of people are middle aged, white males. And you can’t move to the suburbs to avoid them…

darcy · February 21, 2016, 11:32pm

“Uber’s firearms policy prohibits both drivers and passengers from carrying firearms in an Uber vehicle.”

I wonder if Uber has any hiring policies? What a way to make a buck.

magical_panda · February 22, 2016, 12:44am

When are white leaders going to stand up and loudly denounce this type of violence from white people?!

mondfledermaus · February 22, 2016, 1:03am

That’s not violence. It’s FREEDOM!!!

radgal70 · February 22, 2016, 1:26am

Yet another reason on the ‘never use Uber’ side of the ledger.

fiftygigs · February 22, 2016, 3:14am

How’s that “enforcing laws on the books” working for you, conservatives?

bunjmaster · February 22, 2016, 4:29am

I would speculate that it has to do with the insurance that they carry on each passenger and car. It would blow their costs through the roof if they explicitly allowed their drivers to carry loaded weapons

horrido · February 22, 2016, 1:31pm

Oh, so your in the practice of grouping people, huh?

mondfledermaus · February 22, 2016, 3:08pm

You probably have no problem with grouping as long as it’s limit to dark skinned people of the right religion.

boidster · February 22, 2016, 5:33pm

Let me start by saying I’m not really an Uber defender or promoter. Mostly ambivalent at the moment, since my location and lifestyle mean that I am almost never in need of a car service.

Having said that

A) I’m not sure “guy goes nuts and starts shooting people” and “works for Uber” have any sort of correlation, or at least not one that is statistically significant to a larger extent than “guy goes nuts” and “drove a taxi”.

B) The two times I used Uber over Christmas (two round trips, so 4 drives in all) it was a completely satisfactory experience. Very quick pickup, clean cars (or a crew-cab truck, in once case), and seemingly very convenient for the Uber member who arranged the trip. No money changes hands, no CC is swiped, it’s all done in the app. I can see why the service is doing fairly well.