Black people can now add riding Uber while black to the list of things that can't be done without getting the police called on them.
Former Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue, Elaine Welteroth, was taking an Uber to Flatbush in Brooklyn when her driver reportedly stopped in Park Slope—an entirely different neighborhood in the borough. The Cut reports Welteroth, who recorded the incident through Instagram Stories, relayed that the driver told her "it's not his job" to get her to her correct destination. (Did the driver read the job description or nah?)
"I said, 'Are we here? Which way is it,'" she explains in the video. But the driver was already calling the police on her. At this point Welteroth was out of the cab when she heard the driver tell the police that she hit him. Luckily, a bystander was nearby to speak up for her. "She did not hit him," said the bystander. However, the Uber driver allegedly injured Welteroth when he slammed the car door near her arm and left it with a bruise.
Welteroth explained she wasn't going to share her story at first but felt it would be a disservice to black women who deal with similar treatment on a daily basis.
"I debated long and hard about whether or not to post about this," read her Instagram Story, according to The Root. "But too often black women are shamed into silence because of a belief that no matter what we say or do, no matter who we are, ultimately we will be perceived as just another 'angry black woman.' We are afraid of reputational damage, we are afraid nothing will be done, and frankly, we don't have time–so we stuff it. We stuff things like this every single day. but you know what? We shouldn't have to."
She continued: "As a black woman with a platform that I utilize intentionally to project light, joy, and positivity, I cannot shy away from exposing the kings of disturbing things that happen to women like me every single day. I want you to know it happens to me too. No amount of career success, kindness, clout, education, or money invalidates you from being treated like trash by people you pay to deliver a service to you."
Welteroth says Uber board member Ariana Huffington reached out to apologize.
