Man Claims DC Uber Cab Kidnapped Him

In case Uber’s alleged problem with sexual harassment didn’t turn you off from the cab app, this story just might. Ryan Simonetti claims his Uber driver kidnapped him and trapped him in a terrifying ride during his visit to Washington D.C. He said his driver sped through a red light, narrowly missed hitting multiple cars, and refused to slow down or stop to let him and his colleagues out. “I physically tried to force his leg to hit the brake,” Simonetti said. “I ripped off his pant leg. I said, ‘If we crash, we crash, but you’re gonna kill us anyway.’” During this terrifying ride, which Simonetti said lasted eight to ten minutes, a local taxi inspector had been following the Uber vehicle. The Uber driver only stopped to let Simonetti and the other passengers out when the taxi inspector pulled up in front of him. The Uber driver then proceeded to drive the wrong way up an exit ramp. An Uber spokesman simply said “Rider safety is our #1 priority. We will cooperate with authorities in their investigation and have deactivated the driver pending the outcome.”