Uber is under fire yet again, after a San Francisco woman says that a driver with the company's UberX service dragged her from his car and threw her phone when she wasn't immediately able to give him a specific address for their next stop.
39-year-old Berkeley man Martin Hynek was cited for the misdemeanor crimes of battery, malicious mischief and vandalism following the incident, which took place Saturday night at around 7 p.m., the Chron reports.
According to KPIX, the victim, a 39-year-old "professional woman" who lives in Nob Hill, told Hynek that their stop was on a specific San Francisco street, and gave him the cross streets. That was insufficient, however, and he responded "I need address for GPS."
Hynek then pulled over on the 1000 block of Jones Street, which is near Pine Street, she says, and told her to get out of the car.
"The next thing I know we’re stopped and he’s running to my side of the car cussing, telling me to get the f out of his car. He grabs my arm, I take that hand and I hold it up with my phone to take a picture. He lets go, grabs the phone and throws it down the street,” the victim told KPIX.
San Francisco Police Department spokesperson Officer Albie Esparza confirms this, telling the Chron that "the suspect got out of the driver seat, opened up the rear passenger door and grabbed her arm and forcefully pulled her out of the vehicle...The victim tried taking a picture and he allegedly grabbed the phone and threw it on the street. She then flagged an officer down." (See update below for a response from Hynek.)
Hynek was then allowed to leave, presumably to continue to pick up passengers. Nearly a full day after the incident, Uber responded to the victim's attempts to contact them, and said that Hynek would be suspended, that her ride would be refunded, and that the company would replace her phone.
Issues with GPS might also have been the heart of the last prominent UberX assault we saw in San Francisco, when an argument over a route ended with passengers by the side of the road, and one man badly beaten, allegedly by a hammer-wielding driver.
As with that attack, the company kept relatively mum when contacted by media over this weekend's assault, releasing their usual canned statement that “It’s Uber’s policy to immediately suspend a driver’s account following any serious allegations, which we have done. We have also been in contact with the rider and will assist authorities in any investigation.”
As with past incidents involving the ridesharing company, they refused to respond to any direct questions involving the assault.
Update: In a comment posted to SFist, a commenter identifying himself as Hynek disputes the woman's account of events. Here's what he says went down:
I picked this lady at her place. She got in the car and told me to go to Clay street. She was alreadyupset, so I started driving and intended to ask for the exact address when driving. She wanted me to drive, but she did not wanted to give me the needed end location. I asked her for the specific address or the cross street, so I can put it in my GPS. She refused to give me exact address, so I asked her for cross street again, She refused to give it to me as well. At this point I was driving without knowing where to, so I asked her very politely again about cross street. She refused to tell me where she actually wants to go about five times.At that point she got very upset and she started telling me about how people like me should not be driving for not knowing the city, etc,...At this point the whole situation got very dangerous. there was heavy traffic, the lady repeatedly refused to give me the end location and she got really upset and even aggressive. Let me remind you that people can get really easily in traffic accident in such situation. My ability to focused on the road was greatly diminished.
I could have had not continue, as I had no idea where to go. I felt threatened by the whole thing and there was imminent danger of accident to happen. I had one hand on GPS, one hand on steering wheel, not knowing where to go an d she kept yelling at me. It was just not possible to continue from technical stand point.
I decided to stop the car in safe location few steps from 2 police cars and few police officers. Here, I asked here very politely to leave my car. She refused to leave. I finished the trip. I was just sitting there asking her: "please lady leave my car" she kept saying that she is not leaving. I even told her that it is going to take her few minutes to get a new Uber.
She did not wanted to go. At that point I said that I am going to call police. Once I said that,she got out of the car and she started to yell at police that was half block in front of us.
She finally got attention of 2 police officers and they approached me, when sitting behind the wheel. I have never left my front seat; for I was standing in the middle of the road. The police asked me to step out of the car, they pulled me on sidewalk and they told me to wait.They asked for my driver licence to run check on me. Then they talked to the girl for about half an hour. They did not talk to me at all, besides asking me briefly at the beginning of what happened; I told them I asked her to leave my car for being abusive and that is all; this interaction took about 2 minutes. No one told me anything from that point, besides coming to me at the end and giving me ticket. They asked me to sign it and they told me that it is not admittance of guilt and that I have to appear at court December 1st at 8 am. I asked them what is going on and they said that it is she say/ he say situation and that I can explain all this to judge. They wished me me safe driving and I left.
I have been driving for Uber almost 2 years. I did over 40 000 miles my first year alone and this has never happened before. If she did the similar thing in some restaurant, bar or other place, I am sure she would have to leave as well.