UBER NASTY

     So, a couple of months ago, my cousin-in-law and her husband were telling us about Uber car service and how great it is. When they explained the idea to me. I thought it was kind of weird. So, normal people, not taxi drivers pick you up in their own cars if they are somewhere near you and they drive you wherever you want to go. There is a smartphone app that shows you where the closest Uber driver is to you, then you put in a request and they come get you. It sounds simple enough right? Well, taxi drivers are losing money from this I'm sure.

     Anyway, when we stopped at the New York City Auto Show a rep from Uber was there, so I asked what kind of a background check do they do on their drivers and the rep assured me that they do a thorough one. Well, this guy must've slipped through the cracks. This is 57-year-old Nayal Salem, a Philadelphia Uber driver who was arrested after he was caught on video fondling himself in front of a female customer. They must have some background check!

     Salem touched himself after driving the woman from Sea Isle City, NJ to her summer home in Avalon, NJ, over Memorial Day weekend. The Jersey Shore spots are more than an hour drive from Salem's Philadelphia home. When Salem and the woman reached her home, he got into the backseat, where the woman was sitting and began rubbing himself over his clothes. Can you say "Ew!" The woman said she could not open the doors to escape. 

     Salem said to the woman whole he rubbed his groin, "I love your body, my God I love your body! Your body is beautiful." There is an alleged video of the incident that was posted to social media. The woman tried to get Salem to stop, but he kept asking her why and what she wanted him to do. The woman demanded he let her out. Salem would eventually listen, exiting the car before saying, "Have a good night. Call me alright?" What the hell? This guy had to have been on some sort of medication or something. 

     Salem was charged with lewdness, false imprisonment and harassment. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 22. Uber said it fired the driver after the video surfaced and noted he was not licensed to operate an Uber in New Jersey. The company began ramping up its safety measures in December after a few drivers were arrested for sex crimes against customers. I still don't understand how Uber does a background check, yet guys like Salem can still get through. My wife uses Uber when she's away on business, so because of this, I'm a little weary. I would stick to a normal taxi. At least they come with medallion numbers.