Did Uber Jump the Shark about Guns?

Uber has banned any carry of firearms in vehicles using its app, though the policy has no force of law.  The only penalty for violating the policy is that a user may lose the ability to use Uber software in the future.    From ap.org:

Uber Technologies says it is banning firearms of any kind during rides arranged through the Uber platform, and drivers or riders who violate the rule may lose access to the platform. The rules also apply to Uber's affiliates.

This happens only two months after an armed Uber driver stopped a mass shooting in Chicago, and was widely hailed as saving lives.  

A few minutes after dropping someone off in a presumably povo part of Chicago, he notices a guy running down the sidewalk shooting at a group of people. Next, the driver pulls out his own 100% legal gun and shoots the guy 6 times, injuring the gunman and keeping everyone involved alive.

Other than bowing to the politically correct crowd, it is hard to see how Uber benefits from this policy.  There are far more gun owners than gun haters in the United States, and in most of the rest of the word those who legally own guns are in the elite, politically connected, upper or upper middle class.   

Uber's previous policy was to simply follow local law.  Uber joins its competing organization, Lyft, which has a "no weapons" policy.

Perhaps a competitor who is more tolerant will be engendered.  The most likely result is that the policy will be ignored by most, but resented by many.

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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