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Comment by roel_v | Hacker News Reader

Never used Uber, what's the problem with someone knowing where you're going? Doesn't the app tell the driver before they pick you up? (Well I guess not, or they wouldn't call you...)

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The destination shows up when the ride starts (i.e. you get in the car). Calling beforehand is a an indication that the driver might want to cancel the ride if the destination is "inconvenient" (e.g. from city center to a remote suburb).

Or to a "bad neighborhood"

I don't know why you're using quote, there are legitimately dangerous neighborhoods that someone may not want to drive to at 2:30 AM. Granted, if that's the case, then they shouldn't be Ubering at 2:30 AM, but it's still a legitimate concern.

At least in my experience, "bad neighborhood" more often than not simply means "black people live there."

At least in my experience, there are plenty of nice neighborhoods of mixed ethnicity and absolute shit neighborhoods regardless of ethnicity.

This is a big problem with taxi drivers is australia. At 2am you'll be lucky to get a taxi home, because they change over at 3, so they don't like to go 10 minutes in the opposite direction.

I'm glad there is the Uber alternative!

It turned into a safety issue too with stories about women being stranded because the fare was 'too low' or 'in the wrong direction' for the driver

Uber is of course a ridesharing service, so it's reasonable for the driver to confirm that you're going the same way they are, to prevent a detour. /s

The app doesn't tell them so they can't cancel based on less desirable destinations.

Uber drivers have called me and said that they want to go to the airport, not anywhere within the city, and then driven in circles, &c.

The risk that they cancel you/reject the ride if they think you aren't going far enough, going too far, going somewhere they are unlikely to get a fare, going into a bad part of town, etc. Uber wants to provide service to where you want to go, not where it is most profitable for the driver to go.

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