The connection between Uber and the February 20th shooting spree in Kalamazoo caught the attention for Automotive News writer Nick Bunkley.
The Kalamazoo native covers Ford for Automotive News. He used to live near the Cracker Barrel Restaurant and attended Mattawan High School. One of the victims, 17 year old Tyler Smith was a student at Mattawan.
Bunkley, and other reporters who cover the automotive industry, have been following Uber closely. Bunkley wrote about the connection between Uber and the Kalamazoo shooting. He spoke with WMUK’s Gordon Evans.
Bunkley says while Uber’s system of background checks has come under scrutiny, it’s hard to see how it played a role in the shooting. Bunkley says accused shooter Jason Dalton didn’t have a criminal record or anything else that would have caught the attention of someone deciding if he should drive for Uber.
But Bunkley says the idea of adding a “panic button” to the Uber app should be given more thought. It was added in India after a driver attacked a passenger. Bunkley says the reports of a man who got a ride from Dalton earlier in the day, and said Dalton was driving erratically, may have been a warning sign. Bunkley says currently there is no good way to contact Uber quickly to notify them about a driver’s behavior.
Uber says people who have trouble should call 911. But Bunkley says the company may have a better idea of where the driver is and how to find them in a timely manner if they get a report.
