Uber’s Regulation Problem

The alleged Kalamazoo shooter apparently would have passed a background check, but this latest horrific gun incident puts the spotlight on a dicey issue for Uber, according to Los Angeles Times columnist Michael Hiltzik: The company is notoriously averse to being regulated on a number of fronts, background checks among them. He notes that Uber was sued last summer by Los Angeles and San Francisco district attorneys for alleged laxness on that issue, in a complaint that pointed to criminal records of numerous drivers who had passed through Uber’s screening process. Hiltzik notes that the alleged shooter, Jason Dalton, not only had no criminal record, but was considered a regular guy by neighbors, a point brought home in a New York Times report, which also noted he had an odd habit of standing in his back doorway and firing off a few rounds “into the air” from time to time. As some might say, only in America.