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Are people just creating problems where there are none? As a customer, if you order an Uber and have a problem with the driver’s service, you can choose to cancel the ride, leave a detailed review about your experience, or report the issue directly through the app. An Uber driver can also do the same if they feel uncomfortable or do not wish to continue a trip. They can cancel the ride and move on to the next passenger. But that’s not what a driver and a passenger from Long Island, New York, chose to do when they got into a disagreement. In fact, the police were called.
Here’s What Happened
For early context, it’s not entirely clear what actually caused the confrontation since both individuals seem to disagree on how it started. According to the male passenger, who explained his side of the story at the beginning of the clip, the driver refused to take him home after he asked her to pick him up from across the street because he was heading in the opposite direction of where she had initially stopped.
In the video, it didn’t appear that the female driver had canceled the trip as she continued asking him to leave her vehicle, which he refused to do. The driver then called the police, telling the dispatcher, “Yeah, I’m an Uber driver. I have somebody in my car that will not get out… I refuse to drive him because he was rude.” When the passenger urged her to explain what had happened, she turned toward him and shouted, “Shut up!”
The rest of her call wasn’t recorded, so it’s unclear what came of the report. But the tension inside the car continued. Neither of them backed down, with the man insisting that she complete the trip while she repeatedly told him to be quiet and get out of her car. Eventually, when the argument became too much, the driver turned up the music, seemingly to drown out his voice.
That didn’t help. The man kept talking, accusing her of not arriving at his correct pickup spot, and even mocked her for blaring the music. “You can turn the music up all you want, miss lady,” he said, laughing. Their back-and-forth went on for the rest of the clip, and by the end, the driver looked visibly frustrated and overwhelmed.
Here’s What Netizens Are Saying About the Long Island Uber Ride Standoff
Reactions online were divided. Some viewers sided with the passenger, believing the driver unnecessarily escalated the situation. “This is why I barely communicate with drivers, even when I think they’re wrong,” one comment read. “I just give them a bad rating or report them if need be.” Another said, “This is crazy. Clearly she is in the wrong field because you can’t possibly think it’s okay to talk to someone like that and still collect money from them.”
A few defended the driver’s right to set boundaries and refuse service. “Driver has every right to refuse a ride,” one person wrote. “That is HER car. She is NOT obligated to take him to his destination.”
Meanwhile, a viewer summarized what many thought could have solved the situation before it escalated. “She could’ve simply canceled the ride and then he would have to exit her car,” they wrote.
