Smartphone footage uploaded Tuesday shows a young woman flinging the contents of an Uber driver’s glovebox into the street during a violent dispute (link – NSFW). The rampage started after the woman entered the wrong Uber car (intended, ostensibly, for the cameraman). After apparently trying to steal the driver’s keys, she re-enters the car and starts throwing his stuff out the window, screaming “Get back in the car,” and “I can do whatever I want,” before finally leaving the scene on foot.
The video description says that when the police arrived to detain the woman, she broke down in tears and apologized. The driver apparently accepted a cash settlement rather than press charges. The uploader had this to say: “I don’t want to disclose the amount the driver was paid, but can say he could only use the money to pay his cellphone bill and maybeee his cable bill.”
I think the driver did a commendable job of staying calm given the circumstances. Swiftly exiting the vehicle and calling the police was undoubtedly the correct move here. Not pressing charges, on the other hand, will certainly raise a few eyebrows (including mine). The woman, for her part, may still face legal consequences: as a commenter on Reddit pointed out, “If this gains traction, the local DA absolutely can – and should – prosecute her. The DA does not need the driver to cooperate.”
Videos like this are hard to watch sometimes, as 5 minutes of shame can sometimes turn into a lifelong burden for individuals already struggling with mental illness. However, I must admit that this woman’s entitled attitude and appalling behavior makes it tough to sympathize with her. Regardless of the video’s view count, it’s fortunate that someone recorded this incident to prevent a he-said-she-said situation – and yet another unfortunate example of why all drivers need a reliable dashcam while ridesharing.
If more passengers were aware that their behavior can (and will) be recorded, they just might start behaving better. Until then: be careful out there.
How would you have handled this incident? Do you think Uber will do anything to compensate this driver once the video makes its rounds? Leave a comment and let us know!
-Jon @ RSG
