A screenshot shared widely online has sparked fresh debate about the treatment of Uber drivers and the extreme situations some say they are forced to deal with while working on the platform.
The image shows a conversation between a driver and a passenger named “Brian” after a ride was requested by a coordinator. In the messages, the passenger repeatedly asks the driver to cancel the trip, claiming to have both Covid and flu and later stating they had vomited. The passenger insists they are unable to cancel the ride themselves, giving increasingly implausible reasons.
The driver responds by explaining that cancelling would negatively impact their driver rating and advises the passenger to cancel on their end instead. Shortly afterwards, the conversation takes a disturbing turn when the passenger threatens to report the driver to the police, falsely accusing them of sexual harassment and attempted rape — despite the two never meeting and the driver not having arrived.
The screenshot has since been used by drivers as an example of the kind of abusive behaviour, manipulation, and false allegations they fear while working in the gig economy.
This screenshot, whether isolated or not, reflects a very real fear shared by many drivers across the UK and beyond. App-based drivers operate with limited protection, often relying entirely on in-app messaging as evidence of what actually happened.
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