A 12-Year-Old Died After Taking An Uber Alone. Drivers Say They Can’t Afford To Reject Kids. [BuzzFeed]

It's difficult enough to be asking the awkward question of asking for IDs and potentially saying no (and sometimes getting dinged with negative ratings.  What if your bottom line also depended on it. This is the saddest thing..

"They will say, 'Well, no, we don't want you to do that,' but in fact, the way that they handle all their bonuses and rewards, that’s exactly what they’re doing," one driver said.

An Uber driver arrives at an address to pick up a passenger, only to find out the person requesting the ride is a child alone.

It happens all the time across the US even though it is against the ride-hailing company's terms of service.

Uber requires all account holders to be at least 18 years old and explicitly prohibits children from riding without an adult. But as news that a 12-year-old died by suicide after taking an Uber by herself showed, the policy hasn't deterred parents and kids from using the service or prevented drivers from transporting them anyway.

There is obviously a painful misalignment and conflict of interest.

"It's painful to pass on rides," said Jeff Byrnes, a former Uber driver based in Southern California. "You get a strong surge and you pull up and it's a minor. Most drivers are not going to turn that down, largely because they can’t afford to."

Current and former drivers told BuzzFeed News that Uber, instead of encouraging drivers to reject ride requests for children, incentivizes them to accept all rides regardless of whether they're against the app's policies. Those incentives come in the form of bonus pay and surge pricing, along with penalties for drivers who…

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It's difficult enough to be asking the awkward question of asking for IDs and potentially saying no (and sometimes getting dinged with negative ratings.  What if your bottom line also depended on it. This is the saddest thing..

"They will say, 'Well, no, we don't want you to do that,' but in fact, the way that they handle all their bonuses and rewards, that’s exactly what they’re doing," one driver said.

An Uber driver arrives at an address to pick up a passenger, only to find out the person requesting the ride is a child alone.

It happens all the time across the US even though it is against the ride-hailing company's terms of service.

Uber requires all account holders to be at least 18 years old and explicitly prohibits children from riding without an adult. But as news that a 12-year-old died by suicide after taking an Uber by herself showed, the policy hasn't deterred parents and kids from using the service or prevented drivers from transporting them anyway.

There is obviously a painful misalignment and conflict of interest.

"It's painful to pass on rides," said Jeff Byrnes, a former Uber driver based in Southern California. "You get a strong surge and you pull up and it's a minor. Most drivers are not going to turn that down, largely because they can’t afford to."

Current and former drivers told BuzzFeed News that Uber, instead of encouraging drivers to reject ride requests for children, incentivizes them to accept all rides regardless of whether they're against the app's policies. Those incentives come in the form of bonus pay and surge pricing, along with penalties for drivers who cancel or accept fewer rides.

Look at the bind drivers are in.

"They punish you if you reject rides with minors, if you reject rides with infants without car seats, if you reject rides with too many passengers," said Dave F., who drives part time for Uber in the Chicago area. "They will say, 'Well, no, we don't want you to do that,' but in fact, the way that they handle all their bonuses and rewards, that’s exactly what they’re doing."

Occasionally, Uber offers drivers a consecutive-ride bonus, which rewards them with extra pay if they accept three rides in a row, but if drivers cancel for reasons including an unaccompanied minor, they miss out on the additional money, said Dave, who asked that his last name not be published for fear of retaliation from his employers.

Canceling a ride can also negatively impact drivers' cancellation rates, which they need to keep to a minimum in order to continue receiving rewards. As their wages have decreased, drivers have become more reliant on these rewards programs.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/skbaer/uber-drivers-incentivized-kids-pay-benita-diamond

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