Uber is launching a feature that will allow both women riders and drivers across the U.S. to be matched with other women for trips, expanding a pilot program aimed at addressing concerns about the safety of its ride-hailing platform.

Uber launched a feature Monday to allow both women riders and drivers across the U.S. to be matched with other women for trips, expanding a pilot program aimed at addressing concerns about the safety of its ride-hailing platform.

The new feature is being rolled out nationwide despite an ongoing class action lawsuit against the policy in California, filed by Uber drivers who argue that it discriminates against men. Rival ride-hailing company Lyft is facing a discrimination lawsuit over a similar offering that it introduced nationwide in 2024.

  • ryper@lemmy.caEnglish
    282·
    2 months ago

    I suppose now it’s just a matter of time until a transphobe complains that the women-only option matched them with a trans woman.

    • WoodScientist@lemmy.world
      243·
      2 months ago

      Yup, and Uber will cave, saying cis women have a right to “be comfortable.” They’ll ignore that women being comfortable was the main justification for Jim Crow laws.

  • 58008@lemmy.worldEnglish
    154·
    2 months ago

    While understandable, being able to request specific characteristics from your driver, like sex and gender, is putting drivers at risk even more than they already were. Like I can already think of a few dark scenarios and situations that are facilitated by this feature. In fact, this feature opens Uber drivers up as a much more viable source of victims for sex offences, robbery, stalking/inceldom, etc.

    • MyMindIsLikeAnOcean@piefed.worldEnglish
      96·
      2 months ago

      No, women being able to request female drivers doesn’t put them more at risk. It’s puts them much less at risk. Why are you making things up? You fantasizing about “dark scenarios” doesn’t make them likely.

      If you have any friends…chances are you have one or more that have been sexually assaulted after hiring a ride…that’s how common it is.

      • mrgoosmoos@lemmy.caEnglish
        134·
        2 months ago

        you didn’t understand their point.

        being able to choose that a woman will show up increases the availability of somebody getting a woman to show up where they want. this is a non-zero increase in risk for that specific event.

        • MyMindIsLikeAnOcean@piefed.worldEnglish
          510·
          2 months ago

          So your logic is that because it’s theoretically possible for the system to be “gamed”…the option shouldn’t be available for anyone? SMH

          Uber aren’t saints…they’re just reacting to behaviour that’s already happening: A customer can already “vet” their driver and choose somebody with lots of ratings and their preferred (declared) gender etc. This option isn’t creating any additional harm…all it’s doing is adding a filter…and therefore a niche for women who want to provide rides to females and vice versa.

          A criminal lying about who they are won’t be exasperated or eliminated with this new option. There’s no downside.

          • mrgoosmoos@lemmy.caEnglish
            32·
            2 months ago

            I’m not reading your comment since you referred to it as “my” logic, btw

            get some reading comprehension

  • wrinkle2409@lemmy.cafeEnglish
    1611·
    2 months ago

    I don’t like these policies and find them sexist. It is as if men were these wild creatures that women must stay away from and cannot be reasoned with. It is dehumanizing. How would you feel if I could choose not to take rides from people of color because of some bullshit statistic about them being more likely to commit crimes?

    • MyMindIsLikeAnOcean@piefed.worldEnglish
      47·
      2 months ago

      Right. Water is also wet. Why are we saying things everybody knows?

      If you have any friends…odds are one or more have been sexually assaulted after hiring a ride….that’s how common it is. It’s reasonable to give women a less a dangerous option.

          • StarryPhoenix97@lemmy.world
            21·
            2 months ago

            I’m really not that invested. I haven’t used an Uber for years, I’m not a woman, and I don’t work for Uber.

            I wish only safety for those that use it but my dog isn’t in this fight. All woman ride sharing? Cool. I see some issue with male drivers lying. Women drivers getting for-sure trapped by it but being that neither of the situations are likely to happen to me, and my theoreticals aren’t backed up by anything but worry and pessimism.

            The idea gets a thumbs up from me. Just curious how reality and human nature will find a way to ruin good intention.

            • MyMindIsLikeAnOcean@piefed.worldEnglish
              52·
              2 months ago

              Thank for being honest.

              My angle is I have a few friends who’ve been assaulted in cabs and Ubers. Yeah…they were smashed and engaging in risky behaviour…but they didn’t deserve what happened. I’m all about harm reduction.

              Sure…some edge cases will always game the system…but I also can’t think of a reason not to try to address a problem.

  • iopq@lemmy.world
    111·
    2 months ago

    If you think this is fine in the name of safety, how about a white-only option?