The News Wheel
1 Comment

Uber Driver Blames GPS for Impromptu Stairs Incident

Decrease Font Size Increase Font Size Text Size Print This Page

Photo: CBS Philly

This past Monday in San Francisco, an Uber driver had an exhilarating adventure that made headlines. The GPS on his Uber map instructed him to steer down a flight of stairs. Thankfully no one was hurt.

Apparently, the driver (who insisted on being identified as “Fred”) made a wrong turn outside a Safeway store when he was traveling down Market Street. He stated that he’s been driving with Uber less than a year.

The story continues to take a turn for the worse (no pun intended) when a tow truck unsuccessfully hooked up to the car and attempted to rescue it from its awkward position parked on the stairs. The cable snapped, causing the car to propel into a trash can, then a fire hydrant.


Perks of Used: Benefits of opting for an older ride


route - Reduce Sunshine Glare on Your Windshield

Uber is investigating the incident, especially since the same GPS-inspired mishap happened a few years ago back in 2014, when a Vina Cab driver turned down that same set of stairs.

Though the rideshare company is currently slogging through the aftermath of the fatal self-driving Uber vehicle crash, it might also want to initiate a side project of putting its drivers through a basic GPS/navigation training system.

It might also want to consider using non-Uber navigation apps which tend to be more accurate. Waze, Navmii, and Google Maps are just three of the effective apps that users recommend.

In the meantime, here’s a video that the company should consider including in its GPS/navigation training program if it implements one.


Maintenance Smarts: Why it’s important to rotate your vehicle’s tires


News Sources: New York Post, Alvia