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| VIEW EVENT INFORMATION: Lyft |
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Top 10 On Apple’s App Store! |
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About the organization Lyft:
Type: Business
Sub-Types: Application Software, Telecommunication, Telecommunication Software, Transport, Social Networking Agent |
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Notable Organizations: Lyft, Techcrunch
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| Lyft’s app has surged in the App Store thanks to the “Delete Uber” campaign which took place via social media over the weekend. People were angry that Uber appeared to be taking advantage of a taxi strike at JFK in order to promote its car-hailing service. The company had tweeted that surge pricing at JFK had been switched off, shortly after the NY Taxi Workers Alliance called for a stop on pickups at the airport in response to what they said was the “inhumane, unconstitutional ban of Muslim refugees and travelers.”
The Taxi Workers Alliance had asked all drivers, Uber included, to not pick up at JFK on Saturday, January 28th from 6 PM to 7 PM as a means of protesting Trump’s immigration and refugee ban.
“We cannot be silent. We go to work to welcome people to a land that once welcomed us,” the taxi union had written on Twitter.
Uber’s response, which informed customers it had switched off surge pricing at JFK, was seen as an attempt to undercut the strike while also taking advantage of the situation to promote its own app. People said it was turning Uber drivers into scabs.
The company denied this was the case, saying that the tweet was only meant to tell customers they could use Uber to get to and from JFK at normal rates, despite the protests.
Often, Uber has been accused of jacking up its rates when users needed its help the most, like during snowstorms or after hurricanes, and other times where there’s high demand and not many options, like New Year’s Eve. In other words, the tweet was meant to be its way of saying that it wouldn’t take advantage of the situation at JFK in a similar way.
But Uber’s apology came too late for many customers, who weren’t just angry about the tweet, but also the fact that it continued operating during the taxi strike, despite being asked to join in.
A social media campaign on Twitter, promoted via the #DeleteUber hashtag, saw users calling out Uber for its actions, as well as Uber CEO Travis Kalanick for serving as an economic advisor to President Trump . Customers also posted screenshots of the message that appears when you delete an app from your phone, asking you to confirm the action. |
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