Uber is testing a children's toy to calm down obnoxious and hostile drunk passengers to keep them busy during their ride and prevent them from attacking the designated driver. The Bop It toy was launched in the 1990s as a treatment for hyperactive children that makes a beat and then provides commands to do actions (bop it, pull it, and twist it) that must be completed before time runs out. The ride sharing service's kids toy would join its passenger rating system in addressing the big problem.
Bop It is a plastic stick that is equipped with various levels, buttons, and knobs. The speed of the old-school toy's sounds gets faster until the gamer makes a wrong move.
The possibility of a violent drunk rider can become a dangerous one. That is due to there being no barrier between the backseat and front seat.
Uber is now testing the children's toy in Charlotte, North Carolina, according to The Verge. It would be placed in Uber vehicles' backseats.
Uber's passenger rating system also helps to avoid possible violent passengers. The feature was added to the Uber app in September 2015 and shows the average passenger rating from past drivers, according to BGR.
The company markets its services to drunk passengers. It has also teamed up with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to research how such apps can reduce drunk driving rates.
Studies have shown that Uber rides peaked in some cities when the most drunk driving accidents happen, which is after bars closed. They included Miami, Florida and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Even though the company is taking steps to reduce the risk of violent riders it still exists. Last November a video caught a passenger hitting his drover on the head while the former was getting out of a car.
The Uber driver sued the passenger for assaulting him. However, the rider then counter-sued the designated driver for secretly recording a video of the event.
Uber has not reported the results of its Bop It experiments. However, if it is not helpful the company might test how effectively other games or methods would keep drunk people busy during their ride home.
Here's a 1998 Bop It commercial: