crimethink
31st October 2016, 05:11 PM
The horror! Uber drivers are afraid for their lives.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/10/31/boston-study-uber-finds-evidence-racial-discrimination-drivers/V0Y4Zpv0jglK1pbXIRvGDN/story.html
A new study of race in Uber found the company’s drivers in Boston canceled pickups of riders with African-American sounding names at double the rate of those with names more likely to belong to a white person.
The study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research looked at 1,500 rides on Uber and its competitor, Lyft, in Boston and Seattle to determine whether customers with African-American sounding names experienced discrimination in the form of longer wait times for pickup and more rejections or cancellations of their requests.
The Boston result, according to NBER, had “significant evidence of racial discrimination” in the form of cancelled rides: riders with African-American names had 10.1 percent of their rides cancelled after being initially accepted, compared to 4.9 percent cancellations for white names. Black names had even higher rates of cancellations than women, the researchers found.
The economists tested their theory using research associates in Boston who created two separate profiles to order Uber rides -- one with a name that seemed black, one with a name that seemed white.
In a statement, Uber said it has helped improve transportation for low-income and minority neighborhoods in Boston. The company has previously publicized research suggesting Uber fulfills ride requests from underserved neighborhoods at a better rate than taxi companies.
“Discrimination has no place in society, and no place on Uber,” said Rachel Holt, the company’s head of North American operations. “We believe Uber is helping reduce transportation inequities across the board, but studies like this one are helpful in thinking about how we can do even more.”
The researchers also booked rides with Uber’s top competitor, Lyft, using the same experiment, but did not find the same cancellation rates. The researchers theorize that could be because of the different ways Lyft and Uber drivers find out about their riders: Uber drivers don’t learn the names of their passengers until after they accept the fare; Lyft drivers, however, receive the name of the rider and a photo before accepting the ride.
This, the NBER theorizes, may result in Lyft drivers choosing to ignore African-American sounding names altogether, so that “any discrimination occurs prior to accepting the initial request.”
Lyft spokesman Adrian Durbin said: “Because of Lyft, people living in underserved areas— which taxis have historically neglected—are now able to access convenient, affordable rides. And we provide this service while maintaining an inclusive and welcoming community, and do not tolerate any form of discrimination.”
The research was conducted over an eight-month period ending in March 2016. In Boston the economists tested 451 rides with Uber and 460 with Lyft. In Seattle, it tested 208 rides with Uber, and 222 with Lyft, and another 143 rides with a similar company in that city, Flywheel. The study was led by researchers at MIT, the University of Washington, and Stanford University.
One big divergence between the Boston and Seattle results was that African-American sounding riders in the west coast city experienced longer wait times to be picked up than white, by about 30 percent. In Boston, there was no difference in wait times between African-American and white-sounding names, “presumably because of the denser network of drivers in the Boston area,” according to the study.
Also in Boston, the researchers found that female riders were more likely to be driven for longer periods of time than male riders on the same route, and were charged higher fares. That finding comes amid continued concerns about women’s safety using the ride-hailing technology, as Uber drivers have in several instances sexually assaulted female passengers both in Boston and elsewhere in the country. In some cases, the researchers say, this could be the result of drivers “flirting to a captive audience.”
The researchers suggest a few possible solutions to the discrimination problem, including doing away with a system in which drivers know riders names prior to picking them up. Instead, riders and drivers could be given a “unique passcode” to recite to one another to prove their identity at the start of the ride.
They note a potential downside, however: If a driver is in fact racist and is unable to screen the rider ahead of time, he or she may give a rider of another race a poor review at the end of the ride in the company’s electronic rating system.
Additionally, the companies could perform “audits of driver behavior” to seek out discriminatory action, the study suggests.
And to address lengthened trips for female riders, they suggest instituting fixed fares between pick-up and drop-off points.
The Uber-Lyft study dovetails with similar research in other fields, including that of another powerhouse New Economy company—Airbnb. Research has shown that users with African-American sounding names seeking lodging through the service with are less likely to be accepted by home-owners. Airbnb has acknowledged the problem, issuing a report on how the company will address it and asking users to pledge not to discriminate.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/10/31/boston-study-uber-finds-evidence-racial-discrimination-drivers/V0Y4Zpv0jglK1pbXIRvGDN/story.html
A new study of race in Uber found the company’s drivers in Boston canceled pickups of riders with African-American sounding names at double the rate of those with names more likely to belong to a white person.
The study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research looked at 1,500 rides on Uber and its competitor, Lyft, in Boston and Seattle to determine whether customers with African-American sounding names experienced discrimination in the form of longer wait times for pickup and more rejections or cancellations of their requests.
The Boston result, according to NBER, had “significant evidence of racial discrimination” in the form of cancelled rides: riders with African-American names had 10.1 percent of their rides cancelled after being initially accepted, compared to 4.9 percent cancellations for white names. Black names had even higher rates of cancellations than women, the researchers found.
The economists tested their theory using research associates in Boston who created two separate profiles to order Uber rides -- one with a name that seemed black, one with a name that seemed white.
In a statement, Uber said it has helped improve transportation for low-income and minority neighborhoods in Boston. The company has previously publicized research suggesting Uber fulfills ride requests from underserved neighborhoods at a better rate than taxi companies.
“Discrimination has no place in society, and no place on Uber,” said Rachel Holt, the company’s head of North American operations. “We believe Uber is helping reduce transportation inequities across the board, but studies like this one are helpful in thinking about how we can do even more.”
The researchers also booked rides with Uber’s top competitor, Lyft, using the same experiment, but did not find the same cancellation rates. The researchers theorize that could be because of the different ways Lyft and Uber drivers find out about their riders: Uber drivers don’t learn the names of their passengers until after they accept the fare; Lyft drivers, however, receive the name of the rider and a photo before accepting the ride.
This, the NBER theorizes, may result in Lyft drivers choosing to ignore African-American sounding names altogether, so that “any discrimination occurs prior to accepting the initial request.”
Lyft spokesman Adrian Durbin said: “Because of Lyft, people living in underserved areas— which taxis have historically neglected—are now able to access convenient, affordable rides. And we provide this service while maintaining an inclusive and welcoming community, and do not tolerate any form of discrimination.”
The research was conducted over an eight-month period ending in March 2016. In Boston the economists tested 451 rides with Uber and 460 with Lyft. In Seattle, it tested 208 rides with Uber, and 222 with Lyft, and another 143 rides with a similar company in that city, Flywheel. The study was led by researchers at MIT, the University of Washington, and Stanford University.
One big divergence between the Boston and Seattle results was that African-American sounding riders in the west coast city experienced longer wait times to be picked up than white, by about 30 percent. In Boston, there was no difference in wait times between African-American and white-sounding names, “presumably because of the denser network of drivers in the Boston area,” according to the study.
Also in Boston, the researchers found that female riders were more likely to be driven for longer periods of time than male riders on the same route, and were charged higher fares. That finding comes amid continued concerns about women’s safety using the ride-hailing technology, as Uber drivers have in several instances sexually assaulted female passengers both in Boston and elsewhere in the country. In some cases, the researchers say, this could be the result of drivers “flirting to a captive audience.”
The researchers suggest a few possible solutions to the discrimination problem, including doing away with a system in which drivers know riders names prior to picking them up. Instead, riders and drivers could be given a “unique passcode” to recite to one another to prove their identity at the start of the ride.
They note a potential downside, however: If a driver is in fact racist and is unable to screen the rider ahead of time, he or she may give a rider of another race a poor review at the end of the ride in the company’s electronic rating system.
Additionally, the companies could perform “audits of driver behavior” to seek out discriminatory action, the study suggests.
And to address lengthened trips for female riders, they suggest instituting fixed fares between pick-up and drop-off points.
The Uber-Lyft study dovetails with similar research in other fields, including that of another powerhouse New Economy company—Airbnb. Research has shown that users with African-American sounding names seeking lodging through the service with are less likely to be accepted by home-owners. Airbnb has acknowledged the problem, issuing a report on how the company will address it and asking users to pledge not to discriminate.