CAPE TOWN – A couple from Durbanville have been warning people on Facebook to be vigilant when using Uber or other ride-hailing services after they recently escaped an alleged attempted kidnapping.
Their New Year’s Eve party at a rooftop restaurant in Cape Town city centre turned sour when their so-called Uber driver attempted to drive off with them past their drop-off point.
The 47-year-old man from D’Urbanvale and his wife booked the trip from Cape Town city centre to D’Urbanvale at 12:20 via the app.
Things seemed suspicious early in the trip when they realised they could not open their windows.
Unable to open windows
“An extremely loud and abnormal noise emanated from the wheels of the vehicle, consistent with faulty wheel bearings or a serious mechanical defect. I warned the driver that the vehicle appeared unsafe and requested that he drive slowly in the left lane at approximately 80km/h, which the driver initially complied with. After turning off at Jip de Jager Road, the noise became significantly louder. I attempted to open my window but was unable to do so, and requested that the driver unlock the window. The driver rolled the window down, but did not unlock it,” he said.
In St John’s Road in Durbanville, he again requested that the window be unlocked. “It became apparent that the driver did not know how to properly operate or unlock the windows of the vehicle,” he said.
It was at this point, when he checked the app, that he realised the driver of the Toyota Corolla did not match the profile photograph shown in the app.
When they arrived at the traffic circle between Clara Anna Fontein and D’Urbanvale, where the driver should have turned right to their destination, he sped onwards on Vissershok Road towards Dunoon.
“I repeatedly requested him to stop the vehicle immediately, but he ignored me.”
Fear for safety
It was then that he started to fear for their safety and grabbed the driver from behind by his shoulders to force him to stop. He hit the driver during the struggle and realised the driver was briefly knocked unconscious.
“My wife and I exited the vehicle as quickly as possible. The driver regained consciousness shortly thereafter and drove away at speed,” he said. “I immediately attempted to report the incident via the Uber application, but then realised the trip had disappeared from the app. Later the same morning, the trip reappeared and the fare was deducted from my account.”
When he wanted to report the incident, he could only send an email. Shortly thereafter, his Uber account was blocked, and he has since been unable to log back in.
According to Captain FC van Wyk, provincial police spokesperson, the police have no record of the incident.
The victim told TygerBurger he went to report the incident at Durbanville Police Station but decided not to lay a charge.
Renting out profiles
Many Uber drivers and other people commented on a post about the incident in a local Facebook group and advised people to always check that the driver and car match the profile picture.
“There is a lot of scamming going around. Guys with legal profiles rent their profiles out to people with no licence or police clearance. Be vigilant!” one warned.
Another advised that people using these services should always set up the security PIN “so that the driver cannot start the trip before putting in the PIN provided by you”.
“I also always send a voice note aloud in the car to the person I’m going to, letting them know that I’m on my way, and that I’ve shared my live location and the driver’s details. The driver then knows that the trip is being followed as well,” she advised.
TygerBurger approached Uber for comment, but no response had been received at the time of publishing.
