There’s a bad apple in every tree, and you obviously cannot judge a multi-billion-dollar company like Uber because of the actions of one man. That said, this incident happened just a handful of miles from my home, so this is a driver I could have gotten in the car with on Friday night if I was in the right place at the right time, and that freaks me the fuck out more than a little bit. When I call an Uber after drinking I’d like to know that I’m going to get to my destination without fearing for my life and being held at gun point…but then again this is Florida, and that’s always a potential outcome with the crazy news that happens in this state on a daily basis…and as it turns out, the ‘victim’ in this instance hit us up on Facebook to tell us his side of the story, his comments are below.
Patrick McDonald, 67, picked up the victim and at least one other passenger from downtown Bradenton at 8:10 p.m. Friday, according to an arrest report. Uber is a ride-request service where passengers can request drivers through a smartphone application.
On the way to the victim’s home, the victim told the driver he didn’t feel well and asked him to pull over in case he needed to vomit.
McDonald pulled the car over, and the victim then said he was OK and didn’t need to throw up, deputies said. McDonald told the victim he needed to get out of the vehicle, because he wasn’t going to throw up in McDonald’s $75,000 car.
McDonald got out of the car and opened the rear driver’s side door, pulling on the victim’s left arm in an attempt to get him out of the car, according to the report. The victim told McDonald he would get out of the car and he didn’t need to get physical.The two started arguing while standing outside the vehicle, and the victim said McDonald assumed an “aggressive fighting stance” when McDonald reached into the driver’s side and pulled a semi-automatic handgun out of the car. The victim and witnesses said McDonald pointed the gun at the victim and said he wasn’t afraid of him because he had a gun.
McDonald told deputies that he only grabbed the gun out of fear for his life because the passengers were making threats.
McDonald was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and battery. He was released from the Manatee County jail Saturday on bonds totaling $2,500.
And here’s what the ‘victim’ in the story had to say when he hit us up on the BroBible Facebook page to tell us his side of the story, and the crazy shit that just happened to him:
I had a few beers, and needed a ride home so I called an Uber. I was in the car and I felt sick so my buddy told the guy to pull over. He did and at that point I felt okay and told him I was good and wasn’t gonna throw up. He told me that this was a $75,000 car and I was getting the fuck out. He tried to pull me outta the car long story short and ended up telling me he was gonna kick my ass. He took off his glasses and threw them in the car ready to fight me. The bastard ended up telling me he had a gun and was going to shoot me. Whelp, sure enough he had a gun and pulled it on me. My buddy told him to leave but he didn’t and called the cops on me. Turns out the cops show up and arrest his ass, still in the manatee county jail on a no bond charge.
The cops wanted to leave my gf, buddy, and I on the side of the road so I ended up getting another Uber driver to take me home. I thought this could be a story you guys put out…
If you’re like me then you’re wondering why in the fuck an Uber driver was carrying a firearm when Uber EXPLICITLY PROHIBITS both riders and drivers from carrying any sort of a firearm while in the car. Here’s the policy from Uber’s website:
We seek to ensure that everyone using the Uber digital platform—both driver-partners and riders—feels safe and comfortable using the service. During a ride arranged through the Uber platform, Uber and its affiliates therefore prohibit possessing firearms of any kind in a vehicle. Any rider or driver found to have violated this prohibition may lose access to the Uber platform.
Will this incident stop me from taking Ubers in the future? Hell no. Will it make me think twice before taking an Uber or calling a Lyft…Maybe? I can’t say if it will or if it won’t, but I know I’ll at least be looking at my Uber drivers with a more watchful eye from now on, wondering if I say the wrong thing will that driver pull his pistol out on me and threaten my life.