Remember that ’90s toy with the crank, knob and button? It’s called a Bop It, and if you’re in North Carolina, you might find one in the backseat of your next Uber.
Bop Its are the most recent attempt to entertain and distract intoxicated riders on their way home. The idea is that you’ll be too busy bopping, twisting, pulling and delighted by nostalgia to bother the driver. It’s kind of like how mothers distract fussy toddlers in strollers with iPads. Is this what we’ve become?
Based on recent events, the answer is yes. According to Uber’s chief security officer Joe Sullivan, drunken attacks have become the biggest risk for driver safety. Uber needs to keep their drivers happy and safe — and Bop It, apparently, is the solution.
“An intoxicated rider who is engaged in something interesting is less likely to be irritable and aiming aggression at the driver,” Sullivan told The Guardian.
Seattle is taking a different approach. Ubers in Washington have installed passenger-facing mirrors so you can see your drunk face. Studies have shown that you moderate your behavior if you can see yourself.
Although we shouldn’t need any tricks to behave ourselves, Bop Its sound significantly better than staring at our raccoon-eyed faces for the entire drive home.
Which throwback toy would you want to see in that back of your Uber? Tweet us @BritandCo and let us know!
(Photo via Amazon)
