He drove to a sheriff’s office substation in a strip mall where a deputy took a report, but the driver said he was nervous the whole time because the customer can track the package via the Uber app. “Immediately, I assumed it was some kind of narcotic.” “All I could see inside was one little baggy that had two crystalized forms in there,” the driver said. Inside the plastic bag was a smaller, clear baggy. The driver said he took the bag, drove away and eventually pulled over to take a closer look. The customer wanted it delivered to a suburban home 14 miles away. A driver in Tampa said he suspected something was off when a customer waiting at a curb handed him a mostly empty plastic grocery bag. Some Uber Connect drivers have gone to the police with suspicions about packages they are assigned to deliver. In the quarter ending June 30, Uber reported positive cash flow for the first time ever. Uber, based in San Francisco, has been trying out a series of new services including party-bus rentals and expanded grocery delivery in a push to become profitable. The customer can monitor the driver’s location throughout the delivery. The driver arrives and takes the package at the customer’s door or at the curb, and then drives it to the delivery point. A customer uses Uber’s app to enter pick-up and drop-off locations, view the price, add instructions if they wish, and agree to terms and conditions listing prohibited items such as drugs, alcohol, medication and firearms - instances that may be reported to the authorities, according to the company. It works like the company’s passenger service. Uber announced its courier service in April 2020, during the initial Covid-19 disruptions, so people could send items such as “ an extra roll of much-needed toilet paper” to loved ones. The alleged drug packages add to a long list of challenges already facing some people who drive for Uber, such as carjackings, few guaranteed benefits, opaque formulas to determine pay, few options for bathroom breaks and an on-and-off corporate ambition to replace human drivers with robots. Three of the six drivers provided photos they had taken of what they suspected were drugs they were handed to deliver. Each of the six drivers provided NBC News with screenshots as evidence that they drove for Uber. “The misuse of shipping and transportation platforms to deliver illicit drugs is an industry-wide issue, and we will continue partnering with law enforcement to address it,” the company said.įive of the six drivers agreed to speak with NBC News about their experiences on condition of anonymity to protect their safety because they said they feared retaliation from drug dealers and from Uber. The company declined a request for an interview. “When we receive this type of report, our global safety team investigates and may take actions ranging from deactivating the relevant account to reporting the issue to law enforcement,” Uber said in a statement in response to written questions. Uber said that using its services for illegal activity is expressly prohibited, and that it takes reports of drug deliveries via Uber Connect very seriously. He provided NBC News with screenshots to confirm his identity and work for Uber. He asked not to be identified to protect his safety. And it’s just not worth it for 13 bucks,” said a driver in Southern California. “Even not knowing, you’re still caught holding the bag. On sites such as Reddit, which does not require verification that someone is a driver, people have wondered what kind of trouble they could get in if police pulled them over or if an irate customer found out they reported a package to authorities. While it’s not clear how often drugs are an issue for Uber’s package delivery service, it’s a hot topic in online forums for drivers.
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