Uber Is Working On A Way To Figure Out How Drunk You Are When You Order A Ride

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Ride-sharing has revolutionized the way people have gotten around when they’re not in a condition to make it home on their own. Unless you’re a big fan of getting arrested for driving drunk or braving public transportation after midnight, then you’ve probably used Uber or some similar service to chauffeur you home (or, if you feel like making bad decisions, to another bar).

As someone who’s passenger rating has absolutely taken a ding by having to drag a blacked-out friend out of the backseat of a car while assuring the guy behind the wheel they’re totally fine, I’m more than aware I’ve been judged by drivers who should’ve known exactly what they were getting themselves into by accepting a ride at 2 AM. However, Uber is reportedly making strides toward a new feature that will try to let your ride know you’re drunk before they pick you up.

According to Mashable, the company recently filed a patent for a new technology that would track its users’ ability to interact with the app to figure out their state of mind. Here are just some of the factors they’re planning to take into consideration:

The system would use a series of smartphone interaction measurements to figure out a passenger’s “user state.” The activity it would look at is: “data input accuracy, data input speed, interface interaction behavior, device angle, or walking speed.” It could also possibly take into account data about location, time of day, and other factors.

Drivers will presumably be able to use the feature to decide if they want to deal with the potential of one or more drunk assholes and stand the risk of having to clean vomit off the interior (or the exterior, if the puker was nice enough to open the window first).

It’s unclear if the feature will be able to prevent people from blacking out and accidentally taking a $1,600 ride.

 

Connor Toole avatar and headshot for BroBible
Connor Toole is the Deputy Editor at BroBible. He is a New England native who went to Boston College and currently resides in Brooklyn, NY. Frequently described as "freakishly tall," he once used his 6'10" frame to sneak in the NBA Draft and convince people he was a member of the Utah Jazz.