Shocking
UK Uber Driver Kicks Jewish Child, Man Out of Car in the Middle of the Night
Jewish child and camp director expelled from Uber on rural UK road after driver initiated Israel conversation. Staffordshire Police and Uber investigating incident.
An Uber driver in the United Kingdom forced a Jewish child and a camp director out of his vehicle on a rural road late at night after initiating a conversation about religion and Israel, according to a report in The Jewish Chronicle.
The incident occurred approximately 10 days ago in Staffordshire, a county in northwestern England, and was disclosed over the weekend. It took place shortly after 3:00 a.m. as the passengers were returning from a nearby hospital.
The two passengers, a director at a Bnei Akiva Jewish summer camp and a child attending the camp, were en route back to the camp facility when the driver stopped the vehicle and ordered them to exit, despite the late hour and rural location.
According to The Jewish Chronicle, the driver initiated a discussion about religion and Israel during the ride. At some point during the conversation, he pulled over and told both passengers to leave the vehicle.
Several hours after the incident, camp organizers sent an email to parents stating they were working closely with their security provider, the Community Security Trust (CST), and Staffordshire Police to review the incident and implement additional safety measures.
"The safety and well-being of our participants remain our top priority, and we are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness," the message stated.
The Community Security Trust described the incident as "shameful," noting that a child who had been taken to hospital was expelled from an Uber during the return trip to camp.
"Staffordshire Police have provided security advice to the camp, and we are in close contact with them," CST said, adding that it would report the incident to Uber.
Staffordshire Police confirmed to the Jewish newspaper that a taxi driver asked a man and child to exit his vehicle following a conversation about religion. "The investigation is ongoing," police said.
An Uber spokesperson told The Jewish Chronicle that the behavior described was unacceptable and that the company's specialist team was urgently investigating the matter.