I could never be an Uber driver. Not just because I’m absolutely terrible with directions, but more importantly because I couldn’t handle drunk passengers. I’ve heard so many horror stories of Uber drivers having to deal with drunk and belligerent passengers, though I’ve never seen anything as bad as this scenario.
Video emerged over the weekend of an Uber driver in Newport Beach pepper spraying a passenger after he got attacked.
Here’s the story he uploaded with the video (part of the video and description is perhaps NSFW):
It all started when i got a ping while in Newport Beach to pick up a passenger near baja sharkies on the peninsula in Newport, the passenger was incredibly intoxicated and when i pulled up, he came up to the window and asked if I was an uber driver, he appeared to be on the phone with another driver, asking him about what car he was driving. I said yes, and he immediately got in. I confirmed destination, my gps said the black night at the triangle in Costa Mesa, I asked if this was correct, he said yeah, im close to there ill tell you where to go, I asked again if he could just give me his address because I have been down this road before. He refused and insisted on telling me where to trun. We start driving, he begins fading in and out of consciousness while become belligerent and aggressive, and refusing to put his seat belt on, swearing at me, telling me to “fucking turn this piece of shit around” I didn’t feel comfortable when I picked him up and I no longer wanted him in the car at this point. I grabbed the pepper spray from my center console and put it under my right thigh and flipped my camera around and, as i always do when my spidey senses start tingling, made a u-turn, then pulled into a nearby well lit shopping center, and asked him to get out of the car. He insisted on continuing, even though I had already ended the ride. We went back and fourth a bit before I told him if he didnt get out i would call the police. At which point he opened his door and began beating me over the head. I fumbled with the safety on the pepper spray while trying to protect my face with my other arm, I broke free from him grabbing me by the hair on the back of my head, and sprayed his face until he got out of the car, at which point i left the vehicle. Uber drivers don’t get paid enough to deal with this shit.
And here’s the video (the action starts happening about 2:25 into the video, if you’re short on time):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSIzKhUtZgg
Apparently the passenger was charged with assault on a cab driver and public intoxication (both of which are misdemeanors), and the Uber driver is looking for a new job, as he no longer feels safe driving.
Yow!
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