For-Women-Only Uber Even More Illegal than Regular Uber

Chariot for Women, an alternative to Uber, Lyft and other ride hailing apps, is set to launch tomorrow. What sets this apart from the rest is that it’s for women only. Only women will taxi customers and only women will be customers.

Next City reported on Chariot for Women back in March, an immediately comments on Twitter rolled in about it being illegal to exclude men from either driving for Chariot for Women or being customers.

Vox, as they do, explains, “The biggest potential problem, though, is that Chariot for Women’s premise might not be legal. Civil rights lawyers told the Boston Globe that the ban on men would probably conflict with Massachusetts anti-discrimination laws, especially when it comes to hiring.”

While I’m not fan of ride hailing services (as they exploit workers), I think it’s interesting that many of the people who laude Uber for being so innovative are quick to denounce Chariot for Women. UberX operates illegally in places like Philadelphia, and that doesn’t seem to be an issue. So why not make one of the most dangerous professions and modes of transportation much safer for women?