Of course they market it as an improvement.

Uber told SF drivers this today: When you’re on an UberPool trip, you no longer get to decide whether to accept a new UberPool rider or not. Uber will just automatically add the new rider and reroute you to pick them up.

This comes in response to feedback from drivers who said that having to look at the app and accept a new UberPool request while driving is unsafe.

It was reported today that Uber tried slapping drivers on the wrist by locking them out of the app temporarily when drivers refuse to accept new UberPool rides.

What is UberPool? A product of Uber that allows riders to share their ride with other riders going in the same direction in exchange for a cheaper ride.

Here’s what they told drivers today:

My opinion: Uber is treating its drivers like machines who can do nothing but obey the Uber app, drive where its GPS tells them to, and pick up whoever the app tells them to. They want driverless cars, but don’t have them yet, so they’re treating drivers like machines.

This comes not longer after Uber started a smart plan: using smartphone technology to monitor how safely drivers are driving.

I’d love to hear your opinion. Is this a solid step toward safety, or a step too far in the direction of controlling drivers who “definitely are not” employees?