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A woman recorded an Uber driver verbally demanding and then allegedly trying to physically force her out of his car after she claims she asked him to stop texting and driving.
Tanelle Peppers, 30, told KTLA that she had called an Uber on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 13 to take her from the San Fernando Valley to Hollywood. She said that during the ride, her driver began to text while driving on the 101 freeway. When she confronted him about it, she said he swore at her and then called the police while they were driving on the freeway. She said he pulled over and demanded she get out of his car near the intersection of Beverly Boulevard and N. New Hampshire Avenue in East Hollywood.
In the video, she tells him she will not exit the car until the police he called arrive. However, the driver keeps insisting she get out of his car, eventually coming around to the backseat where he opens the door and pulls out his own phone, telling her that he is also recording the incident. He then allegedly attempts to physically remove her from his car. Pepper screams at the man not to touch her, he yells at her to get out of her car and the video ends.
Pepper told KTLA that the man hit and choked her, prompting her to later seek medical attention, and that he ran over her prescription sunglasses as he drove away. She said he also tossed her purse out of the car as he left the scene. She is seeking reimbursement from Uber.
An Uber spokesperson told LAist that they received Pepper's report regarding the driver the same day the incident occurred and removed the driver's access to the Uber platform. The incident is currently under investigation, and Uber says they have refunded Pepper for the ride. As far as any other reimbursements go, those are still being investigated.
Uber encourages any driver or rider who feels unsafe during a ride to call 9-1-1, as they would in any other circumstance where they feel threatened. Uber's community guidelines state that the company has "a zero-tolerance policy regarding all forms of discrimination, harassment or abuse." Anyone who feels these guidelines have been violated can feel free to make a report.
