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Scary... Shooter in Kalamazoo, MI working as Uber driver between shootings

Discussion in 'Non-Vegas Chat' started by cphllps, Feb 21, 2016.

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  1. cphllps

    cphllps High-Roller

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  2. breanna61

    breanna61 Super Moderator

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    That is very unsettling to say the least.
     
  3. lithium78

    lithium78 VIP Whale

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    I have never and will never use Uber for rides. I like the fact that taxi drivers need to have a medallion and they are generally screened pretty well by the cab companies. I'm willing to pay a little extra for that. Hiring an Uber driver means you are basically just jumping into a random stranger's car. Not a very safe idea at all.
     
  4. NickPapageorgio

    NickPapageorgio OG of the Sal Sagev Hotel

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    Sorry but I have a hard time understanding thought processes such as this. This was Joe Schmo. He's your next door neighbor, your grocery bagger, your Starbucks barista, college student, mechanic, Boy Scout troop leader etc. Why does what he did have any impact at all on your choice to do business with Uber? Taxi cab drivers are saints with background investigations that absolve them of involvement in any potential crimes?

    We shouldn't overdramatize situations. This was a tragic situation, and unfortunately they do happen. Should we avoid gas stations, Home Depots and elementary schools? With this logic, we should just avoid Las Vegas. Come on.

    Nick:beer:
     
  5. breanna61

    breanna61 Super Moderator

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    I agree that these types of scenarios are wrong place at the wrong time. I assume the fares he had between shooting sprees tipped well ;)
     
  6. NickPapageorgio

    NickPapageorgio OG of the Sal Sagev Hotel

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    I do find it odd (if the reporting is accurate) that he seemingly completed the fares and didn't cause them any harm.

    Nick:beer:
     
  7. RealSolGlow

    RealSolGlow MIA

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    A few of his victims were his customers. He shot them as they exited his vehicle.
     
  8. Frankr163

    Frankr163 High-Roller

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    My thoughts exactly!!
    Isn't that the first thing we were taught by our parents, "Don't get into a car with a stranger"
     
    Anniversary Trip
  9. cjohnson202

    cjohnson202 VIP Whale

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    So what would a background check find??

    I take Uber all the time, never once have I been worried about my safety. This guy could have worked ANYWHERE and the result would have been the same.
     
  10. lithium78

    lithium78 VIP Whale

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    Read this website and see if you have the same opinion. It's a list of all the many, many incidents of violence, rape, and theft from Uber and Lyft drivers:
    http://www.whosdrivingyou.org/rideshare-incidents

    I stand by what I said because it's based on reality.
     
  11. NickPapageorgio

    NickPapageorgio OG of the Sal Sagev Hotel

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    Which ones? The reports aren't stating that any of his customers were killed.... The timeline is below:

    About 6 p.m. Saturday: A woman was shot multiple times at the Meadows Townhomes on G Avenue in Richland Township, northeast of Kalamazoo. The woman is expected to survive.
    About 10 p.m.: A man and his 18-year-old son were shot and killed on the car lot at the Seelye Kia of Kalamazoo dealership at 4102 Stadium Drive in the city of Kalamazoo.
    About 10:15 p.m.: Five people -- four women and a 14-year-old girl -- were shot in two vehicles in the parking lot of the Cracker Barrel restaurant at 9th Street and I-94 in Oshtemo Township. The four women died and the girl was critically injured.
    About 12:45 a.m. Sunday: a Kalamazoo County sheriff’s deputy spotted a car matching the description of the shooter’s vehicle was spotted exiting a parking lot at a downtown Kalamazoo bar. The deputy stopped the car and the man was arrested peacefully. A semi-automatic handgun was found in the car.

    Nick:beer:
     
  12. NickPapageorgio

    NickPapageorgio OG of the Sal Sagev Hotel

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    "There’s no common denominator with any of these,” Matyas said, before detailing each shooting. “This person was just waiting in the parking lot of the apartment complex. The one at … the dealership, they were looking at cars. The ones at Cracker Barrel, they were just sitting in their cars. “There is absolutely no common denominator … through race, age, anything.”

    Nick:beer:
     
  13. mattjs33

    mattjs33 Low-Roller

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    Sorry but my feeling at this point is I don't trust Uber at all. My wife was in the process of buying concert tickets online last week, and within minutes her credit card company notified her of possible fraudulent charges. All of them were Uber charges. There simply no way an individual got the number and made those trips that fast. Right or wrong, I think they came right from Uber and for that I don't trust them. I've read too much about how they keep tabs on their customers and whatnot to feel 100% comfortable with them.
     
  14. bubbakitty

    bubbakitty Doing retirement again and happily so....

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    I am getting old. My problem with über lyft or whomever is one more server with my credit card information. I am such a lightweight.
     
  15. NickPapageorgio

    NickPapageorgio OG of the Sal Sagev Hotel

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    Unfortunately, electronic banking is the future. Smartphone POS (point of sale, not piece of shit) payment systems will be mainstream in the very near future, so that should, well, not put you at ease.

    Nick:beer:
     
  16. bubbakitty

    bubbakitty Doing retirement again and happily so....

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    Haha. I am still a throw the guy a 20 and exit with bag sort of guy. Damn. Can you stand in the pick up area and thumb a ride? Except honeymooners that is. Lol
     
  17. nhcris

    nhcris VIP Whale

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    It is disturbing and I am uncomfortable getting in a cab or an Uber car by myself at night. It's just that I already know the cab driver is going to rob me, although only for a few dollars. Uber drivers have been unfailingly polite and courteous.

    Is there a web site that gathers information on cab drivers that have committed crimes or just Uber?

    The credit card thing is a blessing for me, as I don't like rummaging around in my purse looking for correct change.
     
  18. nhcris

    nhcris VIP Whale

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    First thing I noticed about this website is the following. Not exactly unbiased.

    "We are an initiative of the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA). TLPA has been the leading source of for-hire vehicle industry knowledge since its founding in 1917."

    Here's an article that seems is a little less biased, and speaks to this issue, though it is almost a year old. http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/03/are-taxis-safer-than-uber/386207/

    One interesting stat I picked up is that 10% of Boston Taxi drivers failed Uber's background check. They also discuss (in general terms) crimes committed by taxi drivers and the difference in the way Uber vs the taxi companies respond. It was a pretty interesting read.

    Clearly, there are bad apples driving both cabs and Uber cars. We all have to make our own decisions, but be careful whose statistics you believe.
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2016
  19. pleasemum

    pleasemum High-Roller

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    I use paypal so no need to leave a VISA number with uber if you are not comfortable. Just use paypal for all your electronic transactions. Easy
     
  20. eaglejohn

    eaglejohn VIP Whale

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    I drive for uber and it took about 2 weeks to get all my credentials, credit check and background check completed. And I am squeaky clean. I also drove a cab many years ago, and trust uber/lyft drivers more. Cars are usually newer and cleaner. Geez, it's not like I never heard of a cabbie going nuts.
     
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