Uber has changed course and is supporting the WhatsMyName hashtag. It’s now recommending passengers ask drivers, “What’s my name.”
From Uber safety tips:
In addition to the Check Your Ride safety steps, you can also ask the driver to confirm your name before you get in the car. Your driver sees your first name in their app, and your driver’s first name is displayed to you in your app. To safely exchange names, you can ask, “Who are you here to pick up?” The driver may also ask you to confirm their name for their own peace of mind.
This is new. The way it’s written, you would assume it’s always been this way. It has not. Uber has always recommended drivers ask passengers their name to ensure they are in fact the person who requested the ride. From Uber’s online driver training:
It’s good practice to ask your rider’s name to ensure the right person who requested pickup is in your vehicle. Confirm the destination, ask the rider about a preferred route, and then start driving.
Believe it or not, some Uber passengers try to get free rides by claiming after the fact the driver picked someone up other than them. It happens every day. More specifically, it happens every night. People tend to pull this scam at night or early morning when their drunk. I don’t like drunk people. It’s one of the many reasons I don’t drive at night.
Why did Uber not let drivers know they now support #WhatsMyName?
The fact that Uber rolled this out without notifying drivers is a problem. For example, take a look at the following video:
The driver claims to have clocked over 5,000 rides and because of this, he knows the correct procedure. In reality, the opposite is true. If you’ve clocked over 5,000 rides, you probably don’t have time to comb through Google and Twitter to find new and contrary information published by Uber.
That in itself can be a full-time job.