If you’ve ever wondered why your Uber And Lyft waits are taking so long, this study may have the answer.
If you are Black and/or a woman living in Seattle or Boston, there is a possibility that Uber and Lyft drivers are discriminating against you.
Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and the University of Washington all studied 1,500 rides in Seattle and Boston over the course of two years and found some interesting trends. According to BBC, Black riders experienced longer wait times and more frequent cancellations than white riders, while women were more likely to be overcharged or taken on longer routes.
In Seattle, Black riders waited 28% longer to be accepted than their white counterparts. In Boston, riders with “Black sounding names” being picked in low-density areas were three times as likely to have their trips cancelled.
The study also stated that the women taken on longer trips were usually being driven around by “chatty” drivers who were flirting.
Upon learning of the study, Uber issued a statement to BBC saying, “Discrimination has no place in society, and no place on Uber. We believe Uber is helping reduce transportation inequities across the board, but studies like this one are helpful in thinking about how we can do even more.” Lyft issued a similar statement saying they were proud of the work they have done so far in providing affordable transportation service in places “which taxis have historically neglected.”
Photo: Twitter
