Uber app file photo. (via pixabay.com)
An incident involving an Uber driver and two passengers calls attention to safety issues with the popular transportation app.
The incident occurred on Sept. 13 when Julian Nino decided to work the weekend to make some extra money during the popular ‘Block Party’ concert in London.
Nino is a master’s student with the University of Guelph. He drives part-time for the ride-hailing app to help pay for tuition and other living costs.
At around 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Nino says he picked up a male and female passenger downtown.
Nino alleges that the passengers began to discuss the event. He says they were talking about how they tried to assault other people at the concert. Nino claims the passengers were joking about the drugs they had recently taken and says the two seemed extremely intoxicated.
Shortly after, Nino says the situation became dangerous.
Nino claims the riders began to yell obscenities at him. He asked them to stop or he would end the ride early.
Nino says the male passenger became irate and threatened to stab him if he did not take them to their destination.
Fearing for his safety, Nino says he continued the ride even though the male continued to call him multiple racial slurs.
“He said something in Spanish to me which I understood because I’m from Colombia. He called me a ‘paki’ and made an incorrect assumption about the way I look.”
Nino tried contacting Uber for help but found it difficult to navigate the app while driving. He feared if he had tried calling 9-1-1 it would upset the male, possibly endangering his life.
After dropping off both passengers Nino explains how he tried contacting Uber and he had troubles getting through.
“I tried contacting the app about four times, the phone would ring once, and then drop.”
Nino reported the account belonging to the male passenger. He says he also reached out to the police for assistance.
“I did end up calling 9-1-1. They told me they would dispatch a unit to my location.”
After half an hour Nino left. No formal police report has been filed.
On Monday afternoon, Nino received a response from Uber saying the accused’s account has been suspended but that they cannot disclose a customer’s information unless authorities request it.
X FM News has reached out to Uber to learn more about its safety policies.
In Ontario, municipal cabs are equipped with panic buttons that drivers can press to notify other motorists that they are in danger.
Nino believes the emergency features in the Uber app would not be effective if a rider becomes physically violent.
