Voices in Transit: Intersectionality, Silence, and Political Engagement in Ride-Sharing

Abstract This study examines Uber as a digitally governed “third space” for political discourse. Based on 4,716 ride observations from Louisville–Southern Indiana—3,676 collected in 2023–2024 and 1,040 in 2025—it uses a mixed-methods design combining multinomial logistic regression and qualitative observation. Political conversations are defined as discussions of parties, elections, policies, or major social issues. Results show that White and male passengers were most likely to initiate such talk, while African American and female riders often remained silent, consistent with Noelle-Neumann’s spiral of silence. African American women faced the strongest intersectional constraints. Women and LGBTQ passengers leaned liberal, while men displayed greater ideological diversity. The analysis evaluates how race, gender, age, and sexuality shape engagement outcomes—political, social, or none—within rides. By framing vehicles as transient micropublics where strangers negotiate civic dialogue under platform rules (Oldenburg 1989; Sheller and Urry 2006), the study extends research on affective publics, intersectionality, and mobility justice. It concludes with policy implications for fostering more inclusive civic discourse in gig-economy platforms.