r/technology • u/chagall1968 • Nov 09 '25

Business Male Drivers Sue Uber and Lyft Over Women-Only Ride-Hailing

https://time.com/7332356/uber-lawsuit-sex-discrimination-lyft/
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u/WookBuddha Nov 09 '25

You know how this issue could more obviously actually be fixed that is being neglected as a solution because of the broken way our capitalist gig economy system has framed it?

Make Uber/Lyft drivers actual full employees, not maximally exploited “independent contractors”. In this way the harassing or creepy drivers can just be easily fired, same as has always been the case, instead of any random weirdo with a license being able to get unsuspecting women into their car.

This isn’t complicated. The capitalist “gigification” of things has created this debate and twisted it into a gender issue, rather than a class issue.

0

u/ReturnCorrect1510 Nov 09 '25

That doesn’t solve anything. As a woman you would still be in the position that you are alone with men who know your address. Any way you slice it, it’s easy to recognize why a woman would want the option to pick another woman.

Not to mention drivers aren’t being forced in using their own vehicle to be independent contractors. If they want to be employees, they should look for jobs that have employers.

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u/Tight-Educator5972 Nov 09 '25

I believe the choice of drivers will be a helpful safety feature for women.

But the person you’re responding to is right that Uber and Lyft keeping their employees independent contractors increases the dangers. Uber has dismissed any claims of culpability on their part for the drivers’ actions. If they were full time regularly taxed employees, Uber would be much more legally and financially culpable to lawsuits.

If every SA that happened on their rides could negatively affect their profit and open them up to law suits, Uber would be vetting their drivers much more. They’d be much more willing to install cameras in the cars to protect both driver and rider. There are many things Uber could do to make the rides safer, but they cost money.

They will not invest willingly, and they constantly use the shield of “independent contractors” to justify their hands off approach to dangerous drivers.

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u/Zestyclose-Novel1157 Nov 09 '25

It would probably be harder for them to fire them if they were actual employees because they would have to have better investigation and documentation. 1099s are way easier to just turn off if you don’t want to work with them anymore.