Uber CEO Apologizes For Disrespectful Interaction With Uber Driver
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) – The CEO of Uber is apologizing for getting into it with one of his own drivers, in the back of an Uber Black car.
The whole incident was caught on camera.
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick was riding with two female friends in the back of an Uber Black on Super Bowl Sunday when the ride takes an unexpected turn.
In a video obtained by Bloomberg News, the driver Fawzi Kamel, of Daly City, takes the opportunity to tell Kalanick that he's lowering fares, and it's hurting drivers like him.
Kamel: "I lost $97,000 because of you. I'm bankrupt because of you. Yes, yes, yes. You keep changing every day. You keep changing every day."
Kalanick: "Hold on a second, what have I changed about Black? What have I changed?"
Kamel: "You changed the whole business. You dropped the prices."
Kalanick: "On black?"
Kamel: "Yes, you did."
Kamel: "We started with $20."
Kalanick: "Bull***t."
Then, Kalanick points the finger at the driver.
Kalanick: "Some people don't like to take responsibility for their own s**t. They blame everything in their life on somebody else. Good luck!"
Kamel: "Good luck to you too, but I know you don't going to go far."
Hours after the video circulated on Tuesday, Kalanick apologized for his behavior in an email to staff, which the company published on its blog:
"By now I'm sure you've seen the video where I treated an Uber driver disrespectfully. To say that I am ashamed is an extreme understatement. My job as your leader is to lead...and that starts with behaving in a way that makes us all proud. That is not what I did, and it cannot be explained away."
This is the latest sign of trouble at Uber. Last week it found itself in a sexual harassment firestorm. Last month, a #DeleteUber campaign went viral. The CEO also resigned from a spot on President Trump's business advisory council, after mounting pressure.