Uber Asks Everyone To Stop Making It The New Tinder (sfgate.com)

Ride-sharers have been using Uber and Lyft "carpool" apps to meet dates -- and now Uber's trying to stop it. An anonymous reader quotes SFGate: This week Uber updated their community guidelines to discourage passengers from using the ride-sharing app as a hook-up opportunity. Some Uber and Lyft riders have been using the car-pooling option as a way to meet or hook up with others. But Uber is not pleased and has advised users to not flirt or touch passengers. "It's OK to chat with other people in the car. But please don't comment on someone's appearance or ask whether they are single," Uber's guidelines state.
Their new policy now specifically states that "Uber has a no sex rule. That's no sexual conduct between drivers and riders, no matter what."

Comments

Independent contractor?

[duckintheface]

One more piece of evidence (if more were needed) to show that the "independent contractor" fantasy is phony. Uber wants to call it's drivers contractors so they don't have to pay minimum wage or offer benefits. But if drivers really were contractors, it would be none of Uber's business if flirtation or consensual sex were on the menu of services offered.

I don't think it matters at this point

[rsilvergun]

the courts are pretty well stacked with a pro corporate / anti-worker bias. The folks who favor Uber's model have been taking over the courts by winning local elections via heavy money spending and gerrymandering for 20 years. I guess it's just another example of our "post-truth" society. If Uber was going to lose on facts they would have done so by now. Hell, they've more or less won every court case so far. Worker's rights went out the window when the blue collar and white collar guys started fighting among themselves and solidarity went out the window...

Re: I don't think it matters at this point

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe that is the case in the US, but elsewhere Uber has lost some major cases, including being kicked out of some countries altogether. I have no sympathy at all for companies whose business model is "illegally profit by avoiding social responsibility" by either tax dodging or in this case avoiding giving their workers due privileges.

Single people hook up anywhere, news at 11

[Kjella]

They can make up any rules they want, if people take an interest they'll try flirting regardless. Compliments and open ended questions will for the most part get you clear feedback if your interest is wanted or unwanted. The rule is just there to punish those who think they're at a meat market or don't take a hint or outright rejection and starts being a dick to the point where they get a complaint filed against them. It's basically like hooking up anywhere except Tinder, it's not like that's the only place it happens...

They're "settling" their big California case

[rsilvergun]

it's only a matter of how much they pay. But that won't change how they treat employees as contractors when it's convenient for them. Still no benefits, not workman's comp, no unemployment insurance payments and no matching Social Security or Medicare payments.

It's especially bad for SS & Medicare. The 'gig' economy is going to be a big part of dismantling what's left of the safety net. It'll pull billions out of those systems and then the right wing will point to a lack of funds as a reason to privatize the system (they don't want to do away with it, they want to pocket the money for themselves...)