Uber is letting women avoid male drivers and riders in the US

Perceived Need and Safety Concerns

• Many see the feature as “unfortunately necessary” given widespread reports of creepy or harassing male drivers and the power imbalance of being trapped in a stranger’s car who knows your address.
• Several women share stories of aggressive advances, boundary-pushing questions, and fear during rides; others say most women they know have had at least one bad Uber experience.
• Some argue women would rationally pay a premium for safer rides; others note it’s unjust if women must pay more to achieve comparable safety.

Discrimination and Civil Rights Debate

• Strong disagreement over whether this is acceptable “safety-based filtering” or unlawful sex discrimination.
• Critics argue: men are a protected class under civil rights law; letting customers systematically avoid male drivers is analogous to allowing racial or sexual-orientation filters.
• Supporters respond: customers already choose based on personal comfort (e.g., gynecologists, trainers); this is risk-mitigation, not animus.
• Commenters reference existing lawsuits against Uber/Lyft and legal concepts like “bona fide occupational qualification,” noting it’s unclear if this will withstand judicial scrutiny.

False Accusations vs Assault Risk

• One subthread debates the risk of men being falsely accused vs the far higher prevalence of women being assaulted.
• Some men say they now avoid being alone with unfamiliar women; others call this disproportionate fear given low incidence of false accusations.

Platform Responsibility vs Workaround

• Many frame the feature as a band-aid: Uber avoids deeper fixes such as rigorous background checks, employer-level accountability, and stronger vetting common in traditional taxi systems.
• Others counter that taxis have their own assault history and that apps simply make incidents more visible.

Alternatives and Design Ideas

• Proposed measures: mandatory in-car cameras and audio with shared access, stricter screening and interviews, harsher penalties and mandatory reporting, physical dividers, women-only ride services or separate brands.
• Some worry growing reliance on segregation and automation (Waymo) reflects and worsens a broader low-trust, fear-driven society.

Practicality and Adoption

• Questions about feasibility given that ~80% of drivers are men; matches may be slow or limited, varying by region.
• Some note similar features already exist (Lyft, Bolt, Empower, women-only services in Europe), suggesting demand is real but operational impact is unclear.