bedelman – Page 31 – Uber Scandals

June 14, 2017July 11, 2017

Charged nonexistent “Logan Massport Surcharge & Toll”

In 2013-2014, Uber charged a nonexistent $8.75 “Logan Massport Surcharge & Toll” for rides to or from Boston’s Logan airport. Uber’s web site said was to “cover… Massport fees and other costs related to airport trips.” But neither Massport nor Logan airport charged any such fees. Furthermore, Uber charged an “East Boston Toll” of $5.25, but the largest toll any UberX driver was actually obliged to pay was $3.50. Uber reimbursed drivers for the actual toll and retained the remainder.

Cullinane et al v. Uber Technologies, Inc. No. 1:14-cv-14750-DPW. Massachusetts District Court. December 30, 2014. Complaint. Supreme Court briefing as to Uber’s motion to compel arbitration and avoid litigation (also restating and summarizing merits of the case).

June 14, 2017July 11, 2017

Then-CEO Travis Kalanick boasted about sexual desirability

When a GQ interviewer asked Uber then-CEO Travis Kalanick about the company’s rise making him increasingly desirable to women, he responded “Yeah, we call that Boob-er.”

June 14, 2017June 20, 2017

Analyzed customers’ “Rides of Glory”

Uber staff analyzed passengers’ rides to and from unfamiliar overnight locations to chronicle and tabulate one-night-stands. Uber explained the methodology: “A RoGer [Ride of Glory user] is anyone who took a ride between 10pm and 4am on a Friday or Saturday night, and then took a second ride from within 1/10th of a mile of the previous nights’ drop-off point 4-6 hours later (enough for a quick night’s sleep).”

Uber counted the number of such users in various cities, then assessed the most common such neighborhoods and which weekends have the most ROG’s. Uber published the analysis, including highlighted neighborhood maps, on a corporate blog.

Who’s Driving You? preserved Uber’s since-deleted “Rides of Glory” blog post.

June 14, 2017November 7, 2024

Proposed to “dig up dirt” on reporters

Uber Senior Vice President of Business Emil Michael proposed spending $1 million to target reporters who wrote unfavorable stories about Uber. In particular, Emil proposed to hire researchers and journalists who would publish unflattering research about the reporters’ personal lives.

Coverage from The Verge.

See also Mike Isaac’s Super Pumped (p. 164), reporting specific subjects on which Michael sought opposition research, including a journalist’s marriage and her relationship with her business partner.