Rider calls 911 after he says Uber driver refused to let him and wife out of car
Uber driver upset at passengers takes them for a scary ride
A San Francisco man who says he's been using Uber for years says he'll now think twice before ordering another ride. He and his wife were taken on a scary ride from Oakland airport when a driver became angry about the wrong destination being entered in the app.
OAKLAND, Calif. - A San Francisco man who said he's been using Uber for years will now think twice before ordering another ride after what he described as a scary incident.
Brian Resler told KTVU on Wednesday that his driver refused to let him and his wife out of the car as he and his wife flew to Disneyland for a weekend getaway recently.
The couple flew out of Oakland International Airport instead of San Francisco International Airportdue to weather delays. After their return flight to SFO, an Alaska Airlines gate agent ordered an Uber to drive the couple to the Oakland airport to pick up their car.
"We literally got to the sign that says 'Welcome to Oakland International,'" Resler said. "That's when the driver pulled up the app and realized the destination didn't match what we had told him."
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It now appears the gate agent put Oakland as the destination and not Oakland airport so the app directed the driver to go elsewhere.
"He got upset," Resler said. "He told us we lied to him, that we tried to steal from him. He basically stopped the car in the middle of the road. Told us we needed to change the destination."
The 34-year-old said he explained to the driver he couldn't change the destination because an airline employee ordered the ride.
Resler said he offered $20 to the driver to let him and his wife get out of the
vehicle, but that the driver only became angrier.
"All of a sudden, he hit the gas, turned around and hopped onto the highway which is when we started getting really panicked," said Resler. "Since he wasn't letting us out of the car, it was getting more and more scary. We eventually called 911."
Resler said the driver exited the highway and pulled over at 14th and Broadway by Oakland City Hall.
Police arrived soon after and took an incident report.
Resler said he reported the incident to Uber and Alaska Airlines, but hasn't heard back.
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"My anger is more at the lack of response," Resler said. "Certainly, my first emotion was fear. My main goal is to make sure this driver isn't out there putting other people's safety at risk."
Uber communications manager Grant Klinzman said the company has responded to Resler's complaints.
"What's been described is disturbing and we have removed the driver's access to the app," he wrote in an email. "We stand ready to support law enforcement with their investigation."