Laura Washington: Uber upends problem of 'hailing while black' - Chicago Sun-Times
I flinch every time I get into a taxi. I have been dissed, ignored, waylaid, and mistreated every which way by taxi drivers. If you are African American or live on Chicago’s South or West Side, you know the story. My biggest taxi meltdown came when I hailed a Yellow downtown, late for a meeting. It’s called “hailing while black. A recent survey found that 66 percent of African-American Chicago residents believe that taxi cabs “deliberately refuse to pick up blacks. ” Four of every 10 blacks surveyed said they do not use the city’s taxi services. Even caucasians who participated in the survey agreed that taxis discriminate against African-Americans. UberX, the company’s low-cost car option, connects riders and drivers to economic opportunity. Its drivers are blanketing Chicago. No more hailing while black: 54 percent of UberX trips in the city of Chicago “begin or end in an area deemed as underserved” by taxis and public transportation, the company says. In June, UberX drivers connected more than 500,000 trips on the city’s South and West Sides, according to spokesperson Brooke Anderson. The service is blasting through Chicago’s job deserts. Source: chicago.suntimes.com
