Drug dealers have a new way of moving narcotics: Uber’s package-delivery feature, according to drivers who say it puts them in danger.
Some Uber Connect drivers have gone to the police with suspicions about packages they are assigned to deliver. 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. The customer wanted it delivered to a suburban home 14 miles away. The driver said he took the bag, drove away and eventually pulled over to take a closer look. Inside the plastic bag was a smaller, clear baggy.
The deputy impounded the crystalized substances as suspected drugs. Field tests for a variety of drugs came back negative, and the substances are now awaiting testing at a Florida state lab, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Five of the six drivers said that they often felt pressured to go through with a delivery they didn’t want to make out of concern for their own safety: By the time the driver sees the package, the customer already has their first name, photo, license plate and vehicle description.
To cancel without a penalty, Uber requires the driver to first show up at the pick-up location, but by then it might feel unsafe to cancel, he said. “It’s too much of a risk at that point. It could escalate things and lead to an altercation,” he said.
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