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Uber's Terrifying 'Ghost Drivers' Are Freaking Out Passengers in China (qz.com)

Posted by msmash on from the ghost-drivers dept.

Several Chinese publications are reporting that "ghost drivers" are frightening Uber passengers into paying for trips they didn't take. Passengers in Tianjin, Qingdao, Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou have been canceling Uber rides after seeing creepy driver profile pictures pop up in the app. Quartz reports: Passengers using the ride-hailing app in several Chinese cities have reported seeing their requests picked up by drivers with creepy profile photos of zombie faces. According to Chinese news site Sixth Tone, the point of these ghostly profiles is to scare passengers into canceling the trip, so they are fined for a few yuan (less than a dollar), which goes to the driver. Other passengers have reported seeing their rides accepted, but then their trips were "started" by the driver on the app before they even get to the car. These "ghost rides" last less than a minute, with the driver charging customers between 8 and 15 yuan (about 1 to 2 dollars) for a ride that never happened. Calls to the drivers in these cases are never picked up, according to The Paper, a state-owned media. Passengers can however eventually be reimbursed by Uber China if they lodge a complaint.

10 of 81 comments (clear)

  1. How does that happen? by olsmeister · · Score: 2

    I thought one of the selling points of Uber was that customers could review the drivers, and so you knew in advance you were getting someone you could trust?

    1. Re:How does that happen? by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 3, Informative

      customers could review the drivers so we can call them 1099 workers and get out of the stuff that comes with w2 ones.

  2. Simple Solutions by Ronin+Developer · · Score: 5, Interesting

    to the "ghost rides".

    Modify the Uber app so that the rider has to confirm the start of the ride on their mobile device.

    Reporting of "scary" profile pics should be simple as well - simple snapshot and forward - If proven - the driver takes a hit on their next 5 drives - say $1-2 per drive.

    Problem solved.

    1. Re:Simple Solutions by Grishnakh · · Score: 2

      What is it with people like you and your advocacy of slap-on-the-wrist punishments? This pathetic little punishment won't fix the problem; the solution is to ban these drivers for life once the company finds out that they're doing this. Uber is a private company and has every right to terminate a business relationship with a driver who is willfully harming its business and reputation this way, and absolutely should.

    2. Re:Simple Solutions by plopez · · Score: 2

      That's called firing people and turns into an employer/employee relationship.

      --
      putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
    3. Re:Simple Solutions by meta-monkey · · Score: 2

      When a report comes in the driver has the options to respond:

      1. "Yes, I was making scary faces and I'll stop now."

      2. "I'm just really ugly."

      Then they can get a star on their profile that says "driver fugly, not actual zombie."

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
  3. Re:Is there anyone in China who isn't crooked? by vikingpower · · Score: 2, Informative

    Don't any decent people live over there?

    No.

    Or do all the decent ones simply say "screw this" and leave, because the Chinese people I meet locally are great people.

    Yes.

    --
    Religous speak to God. Insane are spoken to by God. When all shut up, one can finally hear Shostakovich in peace
  4. Well, you have to hand it to those Chinese. by hey! · · Score: 2

    They sure are enterprising.

    [I say this as someone who is Chinese; irony disclaimers apply]

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  5. Re:Is there anyone in China who isn't crooked? by fluffernutter · · Score: 2

    You don't think it would be the same here if we didn't have regulations on everything?

    --
    Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
  6. Re:That isn't frightening by freeze128 · · Score: 2

    The photos don't look scary. They look like they have been stretched using some photo-manipulation software, and just look stupid. The 3rd profile picture just looks completely normal to me. Maybe there is some sort of cultural difference that makes the Chinese people suspicious of these pictures, but to me, it just looks like a 13 year old youtuber screwed around with the photos. It's UNPROFESSIONAL, sure, but I'm not scared. ("I ain't 'fraid of no ghost!")