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Governor calls for background checks on Uber, Lyft drivers

WBUR reports Gov. Baker has submitted legislation that would require both background checks and minimum insurance levels for people who drive for services such as Uber and Lyft.

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I just recently signed up to be an Uber driver and they contract to a background check company to do several levels of background check -- license/driving history, city, social to get all the counties you've lived, county reports for all those counties, state reports, and a federal report. They also required proof of insurance. Does Lyft not do so?

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Just found out that all Uber and Lyft cars in NY are TLC-licensed (and inspected) black cars. That seems smart to me, because the muncipality has a hand in registration (and inspection) and there is no cap on either black car or livery licenses. Uber claims to have about 13,000 cars in NYC.

Related Q: What do you have to do in MA to get a Livery plate? Show up at the RMV? There are all sorts of cars with Livery plates hanging out at the Sullivan T stop cab stand. Some are painted like taxis, but don't have medallions, and some look like random people's 1999 Chevy Malibus. Others have taxi plates, but Medford and Arlington medallions. Basically, everything looks illegal.

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The Boston site says

Where may I obtain a Livery or Limousine permit or a Jitney License?
To operate as a Livery or Limousine service within the City of Boston you must file a Business Certificate with the City Clerk's Office. You must be a resident of the City of Boston and provide proof of residency such as a current utility bill; your driver’s license and both addresses must match.
Once registered, you may apply for your Livery or Limousine plates with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, 617-531-4500.

However, if you wish to drop off or pick-up at specific stops within the City of Boston, such as the Airport, MassPort areas, Convention Centers, and/or hotels, you must apply in addition for a Jitney license. Applications must be conducted in person at the Office of the City Clerk.

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After you've passed your Welcome Ride, we'll begin your background check. We cannot run your background check before this. Since we run both national and county background checks, please allow anywhere from two days to two weeks for this to complete.

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...that an Uber driver did an AMA on /r/boston and said a buddy with a felony conviction sailed right through the check.

I don't understand the minimum insurance thing. MA drivers already have to carry minimum insurance. Uber drivers are more likely to be driving carefully and legally than the general population, lest they get bad reviews...

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I don't think a felony conviction should automatically disqualify you from driving for Uber. It should depend on what the actual felony was, and how much time has passed.

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Some person on the internet said his buddy with a felony passed the background check? Well there's a reliable source if I've ever heard one. Case closed. We can all go home.

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Maybe it's higher liability coverage?

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I can almost guarantee you that your personal auto policy doesn't cover rides for hire.

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On when Governer Baker will introduce legislation that would require re-testing of licensed drivers.

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.

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or walking shoes.

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It's extremely rare that a bicycle causes personal injury or property damage except to the bicycle's rider. Motorized vehicles kill countless people daily plus tremendous amounts of property damage.

The heavier the vehicle, the more wear and tear to the roadway. Trucks, car, etc are why roads need to be repaved and maintained frequently whereas sidewalks and paths last much, much longer.

This is why you need to register and pay for your car but not your bike. When bikes start weighting 2000lb and sometimes smash though the sides of buildings then they will need to be registered too.

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Bicycles aren't inherently dangerous compared to cars, true. I see LOTS of cyclists, however, who flagrantly disregard the laws of traffic - when there's no reason to do so. They sail through red lights, ride on the sidewalk, ignore pedestrians crossing the street, etc., etc. I don't know what a reasonable solution would be, but it REALLY pisses me off (as a pedestrian, since I don't drive) to see cyclists acting like they're immune to all laws and rules of common sense/decency.

Again, it's just an annoyance for me, but I bet this kind of flippant attitude to the rules of the game (traffic-wise) has led to plenty of accidents.

N.B. I am not talking about all cyclists. I've seen plenty of chuckleheads, but I've seen some sensible ones, too. I hope someday they're all sensible.

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Why does it REALLY piss you off so much? Do you not see just as many, if not more, pedestrians or motorized vehicle drivers violating? I do see just as many, if we're going to be weighing anecdotes here. Hell, I sometimes don't wait for the walk light or a cross walk when walking too. I do rolling stops on Stop signs in a car and often, when on a highway, go well over the posted speed limit [along with everyone else].

Sometimes a little organized chaos is a good thing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIthEM6pDqw

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How does this differ from original hiring processes?

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Formalizes standard industry practice in the MGLs. Any future competitors will have to follow the standards and not cut corners. Keeps a company being formed or the existing companies from being sued for the employment practice by all the people rejected by Uber/Lyft as unsuitable.

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and they have insurance coverage for when the driver is on a trip.

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of background checks and/or insurance coverage that Gov. Baker is wanting legislation for, no?

You should really read (or even reread) the article.

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they should have to do the MA-CORI, which only shows crimes committed in Massachusetts.

A serial killer who just moved from NH would come up clean on their CORI and get a good-to-go!

(Source: I worked for a company that only ran CORIs on employees who had recently relocated. Yup, in two weeks you managed not to commit a serious crime in MA, you must be a good person.)

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I moved here from NH, and Uber ran a background check in both states...

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Uber is smarter than my former employer, who ran a large number of children's programs.

Put your kid in an uber and skip youth basketball.

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"criminal background check" and "$1 million minimum coverage “as soon as” a ride is accepted", both of which Uber and Lyft list on their websites.

The bill is making it mandatory and yes, probably specifying exact types. But both are already in place in some form by the companies.

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the driver arrested in houston of rape had just gotten out of federal prison for some pretty serious charges that got him 18 yeras and the much ballyhooed uber background checks did NOT flag him.

there were more examples such as this before him and surely there are more revelations yet to come...

unless and until uber and lyft stop trying to scam and game the system by being petulant on the issue of real background checks?

prohibit them from operating every where IMHO

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Auntie Uber Juan?

This is pretty funny: https://www.google.com/search?q=%22auntie+uber+juan%22

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Unless ist followed by what items in a background are disqualified for the job.

If someone got a DUI in 1993, can they drive an Uber in 2015? Can they volunteer to chaperone their kids' scool field trip? What if the DUI was in 2011?

What about a "rapist" who dated a 15 yr old when they were 19? Can they drive an Uber now that they're 30? Can they volunteer?

People keep demanding background checks. I say please either hold your tounge or complete the thought and specify what types of backgrounds are allowed.

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please correct me if I'm wrong but I think cabs have a special provision that allows them to carry something like $20k in insurance, when the rest of us are required to carry a $100k minimum

I learned this when my driver ran a stop sign and I was injured in the resulting collision, and couldn't recover much because of this special provision

so anybody driving an Uber is already better insured than a cab, no?

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Actually I think this is more likely the cab companies only carrying the state minimum ($20k) and most private insurance companies offering a much larger amount ($100k) as part of their standard plan.

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