Uber Driver Threatens to Slit Woman's Throat Over Canceled Ride
A London Uber customer says that after she canceled a ride over the weekend, the irate driver left her a minute-long angry voicemail message threatening to cut her neck.
Anna Kealey, a 28-year-old university lecturer, told Buzzfeed she called for a ride to brunch, but canceled it when the driver was “a few minutes away.” Frustrating for the driver, no doubt, but something Uber’s system allows. And Kealey had a good reason for backing out.
“The irony is I canceled the cab because I occasionally get panic attacks,” Kealey said, “and right after I called it I began to feel anxious so I decided to walk instead to calm myself down and tell my friends that I would be late.”
When she checked her voicemail days later, she discovered the driver had left her a furious message.
“Don’t do again,” he shouts over and over. “You’re such an idiot. You bring me here, and then you cancel. Don’t do again, don’t do again, don’t do again! Otherwise I’ll cut your neck.”
Uber said in a statement that it’s been in touch with Kealey and the driver has been suspended over the incident:
“We have spoken to the rider to ensure they are OK and encouraged them to report this to the police. The driver has been immediately suspended, as is our policy, and we are investigating fully.”
The company has long been plagued with concerns that it doesn’t vet its drivers well enough, and it’s also been accused of dropping rates to profit at drivers’ expense—which makes every canceled ride that much more painful.
Meanwhile, Uber is in high demand in London due to the ongoing tube strike, and has jacked up its prices 300 percent accordingly. Isn’t the sharing economy magical?