DWI arrests spike after Uber/Lyft leave Austin

This just in from; KEYE TV
Source: http://keyetv.com/news/local/dwi-arrests-spike-after-uberlyft-leave-austin


DWI arrests spike after Uber/Lyft leave Austin
BY LINDSAY LIEPMAN WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22ND 2016

DWI arrests have spiked since Uber and Lyft left Austin. The Austin Police Department released new numbers to KEYE TV that show there were 359 DWI arrests from May 9, the day Uber and Lyft shut down, to May 31st of this year. Last year during the same time period, there were 334 arrests. That's a 7.5 percent increase in the weeks following their departure.

"It's an everyday pain that you live with," said Deborah Tatum.

Tatum wishes for one more day with her son Greg. She spends his birthday every May at his grave. "We take lots of balloons and confetti and decorations and we decorate my son's grave. That's all we have of him is his grave," said Tatum.

He was 20 years old when a friend drove drunk and killed Greg and another young person. "When Greg was killed, we made it our mission as a family," said Tatum.

A mission to stop drunk drivers.

Greg's brother started driving for Uber. "When Brian had the chance to drive for Uber that was his goal. To take as many drunks off the road to save the families from going through what we're going through," said Tatum.

She believes Uber and Lyft were saving lives. "I knew the numbers would go up. Everybody knew the numbers would go up," said Tatum.

Tatum would like to see Uber and Lyft return because they made it cheap and easy for drunk drivers to get home safely. "Nobody wants that phone call. No one wants a knock on the door that says you're loved one has died from something that can be prevented," said Tatum.

When asked for a comment on the numbers, APD issued the following statement:

Data set is too limited to draw any conclusions. However, anytime we experience an increase in DWI it is cause for concern.
A number of other factors could also affect those numbers, but KEYE TV will keep tracking them.

Bratty Miami Doctor Fired!

NBC News announced on Apr. 22, 2016 that the "neurology resident with Miami's Jackson Health System has been fired after a controversial video involving an Uber driver went viral in January."

For all the details and video go to: 
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/national-international/Jackson-Health-System-Doctor-Fired-After-Uber-Incident-376774041.html

Keeping up those 5 Star Ratings

A driver wrote in one of the Facebook boards that he was only going to do airport runs to boost his ratings.   I offered some tips:

1 Do not pick up drunks - drunks do not appreciate our services and all we are is a cheap alternative to a Yellow cab.  Let them puke in the Yellow cabs. Grumpy old drunks do nothing for us other than complain about our music or driving abilities. Then when we pick up the next rider they complain of beer fart smells,

2 Get a monthly car wash plan and use it daily- Most car wash businesses offer a monthly rate to professional drivers. For $40 to $60 a month you can get unlimited car washes.  Shop around for the best service in your area.
 
3 Keep FABREEZE in the glove box and use it after pax exits car-  Body order and beer farts offend passengers who get in the back seat after an offending pax.  Good investment!

4 Always introduce yourself to the rider and ask them to tell you if there is anything you can do to make their ride a better experience.  Courtesy warrants 5 stars!

5 Radio off unless they request it. If people get in your car and hear a type of music they dislike, down goes the stars. The last thing Joe Country-Fan wants to hear is Rap or Hip Hop in the car when he gets in.  Same goes for Joe Snoop-Poopy-Scoooper-Fan who does not want to hear shit kicking music cramping his Ghetto life style.

6 Be observant of the pax. If they do not want to chat or are reading, perhaps they may not want conversation. Know when to shut up. Also if the conversation strays to politics try to be courteous of all sides of the political fence.

7 Don't forget to say please and thank you.  Courtesy warrants 5 stars!

8 When the pax exits the vehicle be sure to tell them YOU are giving THEM 5 stars. If they know THEY are getting graded maybe they will think twice about not giving you 5 stars.

Using Uber Pool and Lyft Line to your advantage

On one of the Uber groups on Facebook I read that someone actually texted riders that he (and allegedly many drivers) did not accept Uber Pool rides. Pool and Lyft short rides often end up in an earning of $2.40 or $3.00, which may not be worth the drive to get to the passenger.

Many drivers do not understand the rules of Uber Pool. The rider has two minutes to get into the car. Lyft drivers have one minute to get in the car so here is my solution. Watch the clock!

Use Uber pool to your advantage. All Uber Pool riders have 2 minutes to get in the car and if they are not in 2 minutes after you get there simply cancel ride as a NO SHOW. You make $4 instead of $2.40 on a local trip.

If you give a No Show to a Lyft Line passenger you also make $4 in one minute less.

LAX UPDATE

I got an email from Uber yesterday that had some very important information for those who drop people off at LAX.  Only one trade dress is permitted on your window at a time and the LAX must be below it on the windshield.

This would very much be the same for LYFT as well because the rules are set by LAX, not the ride share apps.

There are new requirements for picking up and dropping off at LAX. In order to avoid fines, make sure you have the required documents. 

REQUIREMENTS: 

• Airport Vehicle Permit Placard for both pickups and drop-offs (please note: drop-off documentation is a new requirement) 
•  Uber 'U' trade dress

GETTING YOUR AIRPORT VEHICLE PERMIT PLACARD:

Take the quick quiz to receive your Airport Vehicle Permit Placard (if you've already passed the quiz, you do not need to retake it). Wait up to 48 hours to receive an email with your temporary placard. Print the temporary placard. Place it on your windshield under the Uber "U" Trade Dress and get started with pickups and drop-offs at LAX. Replace your temporary placard with the one you receive in the mail. It will take 3-5 business days to receive your permanent placard.

California Approves Ride-Sharing Driver Insurance

This article was sent to me by one of the ride share companies I work with:

Insurance policies are being offered that close the gap in insurance coverage and help protect drivers, passengers and pedestrians when ride-sharing vehicles are on the road.

Source:
http://www.govtech.com/fs/California-Approves-Ride-Sharing-Driver-Insurance.html

(TNS) -- Personal taxi-type services like Uber and Lyft have changed the landscape for those working for and using them in some unexpected ways, and related industries are just starting to catch up.

Case in point, State Farm is introducing a new coverage endorsement in California to help fill insurance gaps for its policyholders who use their personal cars to provide rides for this type of Transportation Network Company (TNC), State Farm officials said.

Madison Voss, spokeswoman for Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, said State Farm is one of eight insurers offering coverage to TNC drivers.

“Commissioner Jones has encouraged insurers to develop auto insurance products for TNC drivers and we are pleased to see one of the state’s largest insurers offer a product that protects drivers, passengers and pedestrians.”

State Farm’s new product will be available beginning March 21, according to the California Department of Insurance website.

“More insurers are stepping up to meet the changing needs of California’s sharing economy,” Commissioner Jones says on the site. “State Farm has created a product that closes the gap in insurance coverage and helps protect drivers, passengers and pedestrians when ride-hailing vehicles are on the road.”

The TNC industry is rapidly changing the livery/taxi industry by using the latest mobile technology to facilitate rides for hire,” State Farm officials said. “With these new transportation services in the marketplace, drivers are exposed to new risks.

Insurance provided by TNCs may be limited in scope and coverage, and personal auto policies don’t generally cover the use of personal cars as taxis or livery vehicles, State Farm spokesman Sevag Sarkissian said.

State Farm is adapting to “changing customer needs” by offering a Transportation network Company Driver Coverage endorsement in California, starting March 21, he said.

“This new product is an example of our commitment to our customers and provides them coverage, and peace of mind, when they use their personal cars to provide TNC services,” State Farm Senior Vice President tom Conley said in a statement.

California’s TNCs provide $1 million liability coverage while a driver has a paying passenger or when a driver is on the way to pick up a passenger, but they provide a much lower liability coverage limit when drivers are “just available for hire,” State Farm officials said. They may not provide any medical payments, comprehensive, or collision coverages at all, and they may not cover the driver for injuries or for damage to the driver’s personal car, they said.

The new, optional State Farm TNC Driver Coverage endorsement, fills this gap, company officials said.

“This cost-effective endorsement provides the driver with the full liability coverage limits (s)he has under his/her auto policy during the times the driver is ‘available for hire,’ and provides all other coverages applicable to the driver’s auto policy during all periods of TNC driving,” Sarkissian said.

An Uber website identifies no drivers specifically in Vallejo or Solano County, though Lyft has a Napa/Sonoma counties territory that appears to cover most of Solano County, including Vallejo, Fairfield and Vacaville, according to its website.

©2016 Times-Herald (Vallejo, Calif.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Dealing with Smokers

Nobody should be subjected to the unpleasant odor of a smoker who just put out a cigarette and stuffed the used butt in his or her pocket or cigarette pack.

I recently picked up a gentleman who was not feeling well and leaving work early. It was an Uber Pool and on the way I got a ride request for a second passenger. When we got to the pick up point this woman was on the phone, smoking a cigarette. She put out the smoke and stuffed it in her pocket. Within moments she stuck up the car.

Enough is enough!

I have decided to put this on my LYFT profile and I am placing signs on the windows of my car:

"If you smell like smoke please request another car. This driver is no longer transporting smokers."