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Uber has a solution for chatty drivers
We've all been there. You've had a long, tiring day, and you hail a ride to get home. Your driver is nice, but they're perhaps a little too eager for some chit-chat and to play their favorite radio station, when you'd like a modicum of peace and quiet. Sure, you can ask them to turn down the volume and hold the small talk, but that's invariably awkward. So, if you're riding in an Uber Black or Uber Black SUV, you'll be able to request a silent ride using a Quiet Mode option in the Uber app.
US federal judge rules that UberBlack drivers are not employees
Uber has been fighting the perception that its drivers should be employees for quite some time. Both the UK and the state of California have concluded that drivers should be considered employees and entitled to silly things like minimum wage, holiday pay and other benefits. Now, however, a US judge in Philadelphia has ruled that UberBlack drivers are not, in fact, employees under federal law.
Volkswagen ponders a luxury Uber rival with Porsche cars
Last week, the Volkswagen group dumped $300 million into Gett, a taxi hailing-cum-ride sharing app that's big outside of the US. Now, the company has revealed that it's pondering a rival to Uber Black by offering private drivers access to its higher-end vehicles. Details are scarce since it's a single line reference in a very long press release, but VW says that it's looking at a "special chauffeur service" that features "premium brands, such as Audi and Porsche." What that looks like in reality is anyone's guess, although the idea of getting ferried around in an Audi RS 7 does have some appeal.
Uber driver takes passengers on a 10-minute car chase through Washington D.C.
We've had enough trips in taxis, buses, shuttles, Ubers and Lyfts to last a lifetime, but none like the one Ryan Simonetti apparently went on yesterday. The Washington Post reports that Simonetti is the CEO of Convene and was in town on business, preparing to head back to a company office in the area Tuesday afternoon. A self-described "diehard Uber fan," he booked a trip but when they went to the car there was a D.C. Taxi Inspector discussing something with the driver. As the ride started, the inspector followed, and turned on his lights. The driver told Simonetti "I'm sorry, we're going to have to run this red light" before take off down I-395, resisting the rider's calls to stop, saying he would get a $2,000 fine. After an eight to ten-minute chase at "well above the speed limit," Simonetti's threats finally convinced the driver to let them off at an exit ramp, before he took off the wrong way on that ramp and escaped into Virginia.
Lyft's new premium service hauls you around in high-tech style
So you're out on the town with five of your best buddies, and you want a posh ride to the next party without paying a premium for Uber SUV or a limo. Are you stuck? Not after today -- Lyft has unveiled Plus, a high-end service which promises luxuriant ridesharing that won't hit your bank account quite so hard. Choose the new tier and a customized Ford Explorer will show up with room for six and one of the company's better-rated drivers. It's a technology haven on the inside, to boot. You get power outlets to recharge your gadgets, and drivers have Spotify Premium access to handle your song requests.