If you work as an Uber driver, you quickly learn that you will encounter all sorts of people. Some passengers are polite, some prefer to sit quietly without speaking, and others can be impatient or demanding. Most rides pass without incident, but every now and then a driver ends up dealing with someone aggressively unpleasant for no real reason. This happened to one Uber driver from Utah, who had the misfortune of picking up a man who immediately became hostile and racist.
According to the video that later circulated online, the passenger had mocked the driver’s English. He bluntly told the Uber driver to “go back to his country” and accused him of being a bad driver simply because he wasn’t fluent. The encounter escalated further when the man threatened to call ICE and the police, claiming he would have the driver deported. Throughout all of this, the driver stayed calm and silent. He did not argue or respond with anger. Instead, he simply recorded the man and the woman who were his passengers while they continued their rant.
Eventually, the two passengers stepped out of the car in a huff, slamming the door as they left. The Uber driver canceled the trip, and the video ended there. Once the footage spread across social media, many viewers, especially those familiar with Utah, expressed shock and outrage. Threatening someone with ICE has sadly become a tactic used by certain racist individuals who feel emboldened by the idea that immigration agents will act without proper cause. Many commenters noted that this kind of intimidation has become disturbingly common.
At the same time, some Redditors pointed out the irony in this particular confrontation. The Utah man who claimed the Uber driver spoke bad English also spoke broken English himself and had a very noticeable accent. Many people observed that he did not sound fluent and might even be an immigrant as well.
One Reddit user wrote, “The man with the heavy accent is complaining about the accent of a man working for him, and he apparently does not realize that if ICE is called, they are likely to take both of them into custody. Speaking languages other than English is considered evidence of illegal presence in America, according to ICE, as is standing at a Home Depot, operating a lawn mower, or selling fruits or vegetables.”
Others expressed sympathy for the Uber driver, who had to endure hateful treatment while simply trying to do his job. One user added another viewpoint by saying, “While I understand the frustration from the driver, no one deserves a threat like that, the true issue lies with Uber and Lyft. It is their responsibility to implement and enforce stronger English proficiency standards for their drivers. Failing to ensure clear communication poses a genuine safety and logistical threat to the riding public, and the companies must address this compatibility issue.”
