Fired Taco Bell Marketing Manager Doesn't Believe He Has Drinking Problem After Uber Attack
NEWPORT BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Ben Golden, the man fired from his job as a Taco Bell marketing manager after a YouTube video of him attacking a Uber driver went viral, does not believe he has a drinking problem.
In an exclusive interview that is Only On CBS2 and KCAL9, reporter Michele Gile asked Golden if he has a drinking problem.
"I don't," Golden said. "I don't."
Yet Golden acknowledged during the interview that he has no idea how much he had to drink in Newport Beach last week before climbing into an Uber car and exploding into a violent rage against driver Edward Caban.
The driver told 32-year-old Golden to get out of his car because he said he was too intoxicated to give him directions to his destination.
A dash cam was rolling during the attack. After taking nearly a dozen blows to the head and face, Caban pepper-sprayed Golden.
Golden said he had been bar-hopping with friends for four or five hours Friday and remembers nothing about the incident.
A manager at Baja Sharkeez at the Newport pier told Gile Thursday that she saw Golden out front after he'd been kicked out of the bar. She didn't know why he was asked to leave.
The employee did not want to talk on camera but she told Gile she saw Golden dress down a fellow manager. She said he called the manager a "peon" and that "he probably made $20,000 [a year.]"
The manager said at that point a woman stepped in and explained that her friend -- referring to Golden -- normally isn't like this and is a really good guy.
During his interview with Gile, Golden reiterated that he didn't recognize the man on the now viral video. He is embarrassed and remorseful and apologized to Caban.
"I'm ashamed to say I got to that point. I don't normally do that and this is a situation where I did. I handled it wrong in a wrong way. I crossed the line. It was caught on camera. I have to face it," Golden said.
The driver says he doesn't accept Golden's apology. Caban is suing and wants nothing to do with Golden.[Related Video: Uber Driver Skeptical Of Apology From Newport Beach Man Who Attacked Him]
In addition to the lawsuit, Golden is also facing criminal charges which could get him a year in jail.
Meanwhile, KCAL9's Stacey Butler on Thursday spoke to a group of Uber drivers in Costa Mesa who don't believe the company is doing enough to keep them safe.
They went the company to step up safety training. In the meantime, she spoke to drivers who said they are taking extra precautions -- just in case.
"It is really scary, really scary," said one driver, "They can be drunk. They don't know what they're doing."
Many of them told her they were scared about working the late shift and picking up people coming out of Orange County bars late at night.
"I used to pick up riders from the bars," said a driver, "But now it is too scary. Now I only go to the airport. You pick up nice people."
Uber driver Michael Espinoza is packing his boxing gloves, just in case.
"They need to put out some kind of safety training for drivers," he believes.