Uber Will Require All Drivers and Riders To Wear Masks Starting Monday (cnbc.com) 91
Uber is launching a new set of safety features in its app, including a tool that checks if drivers are wearing face masks before starting trips. From a report: The move is an attempt by the firm to restore momentum in its core ride-hailing business as countries look to gradually start lifting their coronavirus lockdown restrictions. Starting Monday, drivers and riders will be required to wear face masks and coverings in an effort to stop the spread of the disease. But unlike riders, drivers will now be required to verify that they're wearing face masks by taking a selfie before accepting a booking. Riders will also be required to sit in the back seat.
The San Francisco-based company, which has been heavily affected by shelter-in-place measures worldwide, will also invest $50 million to distribute supplies such as masks, hand sanitizer and disinfectant to drivers and couriers. Uber is partnering with Clorox in the U.S. and Unilever in Europe to provide the supplies. "Keeping everyone safe means that everyone must take proper precautions, not only to protect yourselves, but to protect your driver and protect the next person who may be getting into the car after," Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told reporters Wednesday over a Zoom call.
The San Francisco-based company, which has been heavily affected by shelter-in-place measures worldwide, will also invest $50 million to distribute supplies such as masks, hand sanitizer and disinfectant to drivers and couriers. Uber is partnering with Clorox in the U.S. and Unilever in Europe to provide the supplies. "Keeping everyone safe means that everyone must take proper precautions, not only to protect yourselves, but to protect your driver and protect the next person who may be getting into the car after," Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told reporters Wednesday over a Zoom call.
Unintended consequences (Score:5, Funny)
In related news on Tuesday - the amount of robberies and carjackings of Uber drivers, as well as attacks on passengers, had gone up 3-fold. Experts are unsure what might cause this spike in illegal activity.
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I also see traditional taxi service becoming more popular in conservative states. You don't tell a good ol' boy from Oklahoma that he has to wear a mask after hanging out at the bar with his buddies at 2 AM without risking a fist fight.
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What does "conservative" have to do with this? Neither conservatives nor liberals want anyone to tell them what to do. And both conservatives and liberals have some extreme sides that love to tell others what they should and should not do. If you only conservatives are love the freedom to smoke pot and have gay marriage you might be wrong. And don't believe the stupid myth that liberals don't own guns or go hunting, that they don't want balanced budgets (which conservative administrations are bad at), o
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But the loudmouths in the middle get plenty of coverage. You know, the ones who claim both sides are the same, demand "decorum" over substance and think that if one side thinks we should kill all puppies but the other side thinks we should kill no puppies, a reasonable compromise is to only kill half the puppies. Those loudmouths are, in fact, corporate media's favorite kind of loudmouths and can often be found employed by said media.
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What does "conservative" have to do with this?
Quite a bit. Opposition to Covid restrictions is significantly stronger in red states and among conservative politicians.
You present a lot of handwavy arguments why this shouldn't be true, but they don't match the facts on the ground.
And don't believe the stupid myth that liberals don't own guns
Republicans are more than twice as likely as Democrats to own a gun.
The Demographics of Gun Ownership [pewsocialtrends.org]
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Exactly WTF does this have to do with a covid restriction conversation?
By the way...I happened to know quite a number of democrats that own a LOT of firearms each...of varying size, and caliber.
And yep...they own a lot of ARs and AKs......
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Twice as likely to own a gun is not the same as meaning that Republicans love guns and Democrats hate guns. That's as silly as saying that Republicans are racist, at which point most Republicans stand up and shout that they are not racist and a fight breaks out. If it's wrong to lump all or most Republicans as being racist, then it's wrong to lump all or most Democrats as wanting to take your guns away.
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Twice as likely to own a gun is not the same as meaning that Republicans love guns and Democrats hate guns.
Nobody said that. YOU brought up guns, and you only talked about the "myth" that liberals don't own them. I then presented evidence that it is not a myth, but a fact that liberals are much less likely to own guns. So now you want to switch the conversation to "love" and "hate"? Unlike ownership, those are not objective concepts.
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If one liberal owns a gun, then it's not accurate to say "liberals don't own guns". If If 1/3 of the gun owners out there are liberal, then it's extremely inaccurate to say that liberals don't own guns.
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Sorry, I didn't realize that you were making the completely vacuous and obvious point that there is at least one liberal somewhere who owns a gun.
I apologize for assuming that you were trying to say something meaningful.
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So, you think that people who own 3 guns are less "gun owners" than people who own 37?
Liberals considering owning stockpiles of guns to be a sign of dangerously poor mental health, so obviously there is going to be a big difference in the mean.
You can't even comprehend the meaning of the small numbers you manage to use.
Re: Unintended consequences (Score:2)
What does "conservative" have to do with this?
That was a cultural rather than political observation; your reading comprehension must be nonexistent.
In any case, Okies are extremely passive-aggressive but otherwise tend to be compliant sheep (the dominant 'flavors' of so-called Christianity there are entirely fear-based); they're likely to follow the rules... and then punish the driver with a poor rating.
Where exactly do you GET a mask? (Score:2, Interesting)
Aren't they still hard to get?
I'd think you'd need more than 1, aren't they disposable?
I've not really been out to a store, etc in like almost 3 months, and have no idea how or where to get a mask...and what type?
I saw on the news the other day, China was having to clamp down on their companies sending out sub-standard masks.
How do you make sur
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My county just gave away over a million masks for free. They weren't N95, more to contain droplets.
I would imagine more effective masks will become available since production has ramped up.
3 months seems like a long time, are you OK?
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Sure, doing just great.
Liquor store delivers? - Check
Costco delivers same day no fees? - Check
I know how to cook and enjoy it? - Check
And, I work from home....so, haven't needed to go out to a store or interact with anyone since this thing hit....
The only times I leave the house is to ride my bike or walk/job, etc....and I can do that around the neighborhood and never at any close distance. I generally do that EARLY morning when not many folks out, but when
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But, I digress.....just wondering where to get masks since they're required.
You don't buy it, you make it. Do you really want a mask somebody else touched?
This is the pattern I'm using:
https://www.craftpassion.com/f... [craftpassion.com]
Regarding materials:
https://smartairfilters.com/en... [smartairfilters.com]
Recommended is T-shirt or pillowcase fabric, you get a decent N60 mask out of it that you can still breath out of.
You can use a vacuum bag and make an N86 but it isn't breathable enough.
Don't try to order "real" masks, those are for medical professionals right now. We just need basic face covers to localize our spit
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Most of the masks I see look home-rolled cloth ones, although in the last 2-3 weeks I've seen more disposable surgical style ones in use at groceries and on some people. I've also seen some cloth style ones that appear to be factory made in terms of quality. There's a lot available on Etsy if you want what look like better, home made masks.
A friend gave me a half-dozen N95s when this all started, I had no idea where he got them to begin with. I've been reusing them, leaving them to sit out for 3 days at
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You know, I've wondered about that cleaning thing...if you were to put them on a rack in one of the instapot type pressure cookers and well...pressure cook them for a period of time, wouldn't that sterilize them?
Kinda like a home made auto-clave?
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That would destroy a N95 mask. Even if it seemingly still worked, it wouldn't actually be filtering out fine particles, like viruses.
There are a few methods that strike the right balance between causing damage to the mask and killing the viruses, like cooking them in the oven at a low temperature (I think it was 200C) for a long time (I think it was 30 minutes). Letting them sit out for several days is probably a good option for a private citizen who is trying to get the most mileage out of their masks, tho
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a bag over your head works in a pinch
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"If you are standing 6 ft.behind me in the checkout line with a mask and I fart and you can smell it then you are not protected from a virus."
Where masks are required they are referring to any type of mask so a bandana or pretty much anything covering your mouth is sufficient. I'm getting a cape and just walking arou
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I saw a comment that pretty much summed it up:
"If you are standing 6 ft.behind me in the checkout line with a mask and I fart and you can smell it then you are not protected from a virus."
This is false. Molecules of hydrogen sulfide will easily pass through any breathable mask, including N95.
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Ok, I'm a bit confused after thinking about it.
IF...a common mask, cannot stop ME from getting a virus coming in...how can it stop a virus coming out of me into YOU?
If the virus is that small, won't it travel through either make just as easily?
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Ok, I'm a bit confused after thinking about it.
IF...a common mask, cannot stop ME from getting a virus coming in...how can it stop a virus coming out of me into YOU?
If the virus is that small, won't it travel through either make just as easily?
Understandable. I'll try to explain.
Scenario 1: you enter a space where an unmasked infected person has just sneezed. Droplets are in the air, spread out and floating. You - mask or not - inhale.
Scenario 2: you enter a space where a masked infected person has just sneezed. The vast majority of their viral shedding is snotted onto the inside of their mask and almost none of it goes airborne. You - mask or not - inhale.
Don't look at this as math. Don't look at this as "but, 95% reduction of partic
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Now calculate the rates.
You're presuming that numbers don't matter, and 1 equals 1 million.
What if one does not equal one million? It is worth at least considering when making your point. ;)
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Calculate with what numbers? All I've heard is an idea that sounds plausible but wrong.
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Homemade masks are *somewhat* effective at protecting the wearer from infection. A well fitted mask of dry t-shirt cotton can catch the vast majority of small droplets. A reasonable guess is such a mask may be ~50% effective at stopping transmission (100% otherwise). Say you only go out a few times a month over a few months, and in only one such case are you exposed. Well, you just went from 100% chance of COVID to 50% chance of COVID. Not bad.
Now if you are an uber driver, and have an encounter with a
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The new rules on masks aren't particularly strict, you can even use a bandana covering your face, though something better designed is preferable.
A mask like this doesn't really protect you much (fresh air comes in the top of the mask), but it does do a decent job of protecting other people from you if you get sick, because it blocks aerosols coming from your breath, coughing, sneezing, etc from getting out into the environment. Even if you aren't sick now, if you go out and get sick, if worn consistently, t
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For these purposes, a reusable cloth mask is adequate. If you are amenable to crafts, you can make one yourself fairly easily out of scrap fabric and elastic bands. Heck, even a bandanna would probably be fine.
It is far less about actually protecting yourself as a properly worn surgical mask might than it is minimizing your ability to spread the illness if you are simply unknowingly contagious.
And to that extent, wearing even a basic cloth mask will definitely provide some level of safety in that re
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I just bought a pack of five reusable cloth masks for $5 a piece online. Any mask helps, obviously but the simple home test is to put one on and try to blow out a candle. If you can, that mask sucks. Get a better one.
Yes, professional grade masks are still hard to get but nobody is talking about requiring n95 masks, even a simple bandanna will work fairly well.
I mean, it's a far cry from being forced to go fight for your country in the jungles of Vietnam. It's just a mask. And Covid has killed more American
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With all these "relaxation" rules coming out in cities and businesses like Uber, requiring you to wear a mask....I have to ask, WTF do you get a supply of masks? How do you make sure you're getting a good one? Is the N95 still the gold standard?
You're asking the wrong questions. The rules about masks are to reduce the chance of you getting other people sick. Pretty much any piece of fabric you put across your face will reduce that risk.
You're asking about N95 and gold standards, in other words about how you can avoid getting sick from other people. That's irrelevant to the rules about masks.
Why should you care about reducing the chance of other people getting sick? just because you're a caring functioning member of society.
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While I don't want to get anyone else sick, my PRIMARY concerns IS myself and not getting sick myself.
That's just natural....in the end, I value my life over everyone else if it came down to brass tacks.
Survival in
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my PRIMARY concerns IS myself and not getting sick myself.
Most people can do the right thing because it is the right thing, but don't worry;
Since not everybody is willing to worry about their impact on others, we'll learn to make rules that coerce you into doing the right thing.
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While I don't want to get anyone else sick, my PRIMARY concerns IS myself and not getting sick myself.
That's fair enough, and I respect that, and it's indeed my primary concern too. I'm just pointing out that the masks I have to achieve my primary concern are entirely unrelated to the masks that the rules are talking about.
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Why should you care about reducing the chance of other people getting sick?
Because evolution does not consist of your own personal survival, but the survival of offspring. Protecting the group is more beneficial to your evolution than protecting yourself.
The President needs to back this. (Score:5, Insightful)
The President, along with Fox News and other right wing media outlets, have made not wearing a mask a political statement tied to freedom. Doesn't help that folks use Ubers to get home when drunk.
This is the right thing for Uber, but without top down leadership backing them up, or worse with that leadership actively encouraging their base to see this as an attack on them, it's going to get people hurt. Sooner or later somebody's gonna get shot.
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The President, along with Fox News and other right wing media outlets, have made not wearing a mask a political statement tied to freedom.
I fucking hate this timeline. Why is everything becoming a goddamn political statement?! Is washing hands next? Wiping your ass after that? When the fuck did common sense become a damn political statement?!
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Conservatives stopping wiping their butts years ago, get with the program. What are you, some kind of Nancy?
didn't say anything about "no pants" (Score:2)
Even burnout Jeff Spicoli understood "no shirt, no shoes, no dice" and accepted Brad's right to enforce company rules on company property.
They're trapped in media bubles (Score:2)
It's like a whole other world if your media is centered around Fox News, Rush Limbaugh (and talk radio in general, since the last kinda sorta lefty talk radio shut down when Sinclair media bought out the last of the stations in the mid 2010s) and a handful of podcasts and YouTubers.
I think there were signs of them breaking out of the bubble, but then th
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And yet, in my area the only people without masks are conservatives who consider it a political statement.
You might want to really take a look at what you're supporting, since in isolation you're capable of understanding common sense and wearing masks. Visit any community that is close to 50/50 liberal/conservative and look at the behavior of your "team" when they feel they need to differentiate themselves. They stop wearing masks. It is very odd, both that they do it, and that people who are not currentl
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The President, along with Fox News and other right wing media outlets, have made not wearing a mask a political statement tied to freedom
Incorrect, Americans have been decrying the government mandating government policies that are in violation of the constitution. To be clear, I can choose to wear a mask and still not be OK with my government forcing people to wear masks.
A business has the right to insist that it's employees and patrons wear a mask or hop on one leg or whatever. The government does not. I respect a business' decision to enact rules to protect itself from undue litigation. And choosing to patronize that business or not is my
You do know you're exactly the problem, right? (Score:2)
You also know that it's not safe to just let businesses do whatever because without the threat of consequences they will cheerfully save money and time on safety procedures because that is what they have done for thousands of years.
I suspect you're just trolling (I and not, for the record) but if by some chance your serious, well, I can only hope you and your ilk are forced to sta
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This doesn't meet the requirements for a national emergency
Moron, nobody ever thought that individuals decide this.
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rules make the drivers employees! (Score:2)
rules make the drivers employees!
why not tomorrow? (Score:1)
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Looks like I won't bother w/Uber right now.... (Score:2, Interesting)
I started doing some driving for Uber to make some extra money, but the whole experience was "meh" at best.
One problem I've had is their app for drivers. On one occasion, for example? After it told me where to navigate to pick up a passenger, it got confused and wouldn't acknowledge that I'd arrived in order to move on to the next screen to show me the destination. The guy in my car was in hurry to get to work, to make matters worse. I tried force quitting and restarting the app and poked around to find som
Enforcement? (Score:2)
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If they're worried about it, yes. But, then again, why weren't they worried about the flu. I've already had CV-19, if the symptoms are to be believed. If I were desperate enough to drive for Uber, I'd have a "selfie mask" that would ride in the console most of the time. Passengers would continue to sit in the back, unless there were three...then they'd sit where they damn well please.
The "rule" is so easily thwarted, I find it hard to believe it is anything more than a lawyerly attempt to elude the comi
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I was not wearing one and one employee attempted to give me a look of shame. Being very, very tall and strong he didn't attempt to stop me. But a Target employee can not enforce the law - additionally face masks are not the law in most places.
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Well, they *could* ask you to leave, and if you don't comply, you are trespassing.
But it's silly to say that it's "required by law" if they aren't even going to try and ask you to leave if you don't comply because that's the only way "the law" would even be relevant.
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This is basically why the Swedish model works in Sweden and would pretty much create a runaway pandemic in the US. Because when people are dicks, "asking nicely" to do something means jack shit.
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The "Swedish model" completely failed in Sweden, and they abandoned it.
Your statement speaks of it as something that exists, and that is actually effective, rather than theoretically effective.
You're obviously consuming leading media, that directs you to be outraged about this, and support that, and abandons all stories without ever bothering to report on the results that were achieved.
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It makes it less likely. Is it 100% Hell no. A standard cleanroom suit wouldn't be 100% effective against a virus unless you're specifically using one that was designed for it (and trust me, you don't want to leave the house with one. Not just because you look like a scientist from a zombie movie).
To be blunt, it's not like it has any measurable impact on my quality of shopping and if that means I have a 1% lower chance to infect someone, I'll wear it.
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Catching a disease from virus particles floating around in the air from someone's breath is science fiction, you know that right?
Waving your hands and imagining an answer is not a medical study.
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Duck and Cover is a damn good idea in a nuclear strike.
Look at Japan; there were survivors all over the place, even very close to the blast. Attempt to take cover while you remain alive. It is the only adaptive option you have.
It is certainly more effective than the bullshit, "Oh there is nothing you can do, if one nuclear bomb goes off the whole planet just evaporates" type nonsense that they were teaching when I was that age. Now they mostly don't try to terrify the children with that risk at all, and so
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What crappy masks do you use in your country? Yes, if they gas out some shit you're actually worse off with a mask, but that's the first thing I hear about this.
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The masks are fine, the story is a lie, and rlwinm is a right wing nutjob piece of shit.
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Yes, if they gas out some shit you're actually worse off with a mask, but that's the first thing I hear about this.
Missing from the story is probably that she's dipping it some sort of cleaner product, because while on the one hand she's anti-mask (presumptive cable news viewer) on the other hand she probably doesn't believe that chemicals that are sold for consumer use can be harmful (Republicans always believe there are a bunch of rules protecting their safety to an absurd and unrealistic level, and that's why they support deregulation) and so even though they don't believe in the utility of the mask, they might also
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The issue is less about how fatal it might be for most people than that if one is asymptomatically spreading the illness, they may unknowingly infect someone with higher vulnerability.
If one is showing obvious symptoms of being ill, most other people have the common sense to give the person a wide berth, and if one is considerate, they will try to similarly avoid coming into contact with other people when they know they are sick.
But you don't usually get that with COVID19, so it is atypically easy to s
Huh (Score:2)