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Comment by yefim | Hacker News Reader

How are they vetting drivers? I wouldn't trust a driver if all they had to do to qualify is download the Waze app.

The Bay Area does casual carpool without it ever being in the news. It's been going on for decades. I took it almost every day for 3 years and never had an issue.

It sounds like Google might be tapping into the strong community that exists rather than starting something new.

Once they have a critical mass of robberies, stabbings, etc., then the machine learning can easily filter out undesirable drivers. Not a problem.

Are you ironic? Do you see what's strange in that? Machine learning isn't exempt of racism. Google has a lot of background on people, but it's generally accepted as unethic to filter undesirable people based on generalizations, even if they were statistically correct.

I think you missed the satire but you raise an interesting perspective. For example, if machine learning knows through a user's phone that they match the locations of someone who drink drives will their online persona be disciplined without their knowledge? The scenario takes a twist if that person was actually a bar worker and not a drinker. Who do we appeal to to reclaim our online reputation if all the patterns match but we are a false positive case?

I can't tell if you're continuing the jocular tone of your parent or if you're serious that this is the concern that actually came to your mind first. I charitably hope it's the first.

Haha, looking through your comment history, you have absolutely no right to be using such a concescending tone.

Does your resume include any position besides "old, disgruntled, unhappy, friendless programmer"?

The OP was being sarcastic.

The students at my Alma Mater (University of Waterloo) organize similar carpools to/from Toronto via Facebook Group. The only vetting for drivers and passengers alike is that you have to claim to be a student on Facebook.

It's extremely popular nonetheless.

If it's a subgroup of https://www.facebook.com/groups/groupsatwaterloo/ then it would require an @uwaterloo.ca email to join the group.

Ah, you're right. It's been a while :)

As part of registration, the app asks for your work email address, and sends a verification email there. The pilot program is only open to few companies around Google Mountain view, like LinkedIn.

Google knows everything. A person's search/browsing history is more revealing, and arguably more predictive, than a dated background check.

They have the ability, but whether they actually violate everyone's privacy is hopefully a theoretical matter.

I probably would. It's not like Taxi companies have a great track record of choosing their drivers.

Most people are decent. If they are giving you a ride in their private car, then consider that they are taking a chance on you as well.

Looks like for now at least, they'll be using the HR department of participating big companies as Customer Service. If your colleague screws you over on your way to work, who you gonna call?

Washington DC has had un-vetted ride sharing since the late 80s (slugging). Never had an incident.

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