Female Uber driver picks up man at North Carolina airport. Then he insults her appearance and starts making wild demands

A woman says she nearly “got in a fight” at Raleigh Durham Airport after an Uber pickup turned into a confrontation before the passenger even got inside her car.

Mel (@the.six.step.method), a 55-year-old part-time Uber driver, says most of her passengers are women. But while working near the airport, she says she accepted a ride from a man who immediately made her uneasy. 

Mel says she was waiting in the designated rideshare pickup area, but couldn't find him, so she called and explained where he needed to meet her under the airport's pickup rules. 

Eventually, the passenger found her BMW.

“I already knew in my heart this was not going to go very well,” Mel recalled thinking. She says the man, who she described as a few years older than her, demanded that she get out of the car and load his belongings into the trunk. 

Mels says she offered to help despite him carrying only a carry-on and a smaller piece of luggage. According to her, he responded by calling her “stupid,” “fat white [expletive].” 

She says he also told her she was there to “serve” him and demanded she get out of the car.

“I sat in absolute disbelief that this man was talking like me to this,” Mel says.

The ride never happened. Mel says the passenger canceled it, threatened to leave her a bad rating, and slammed the door of her car before leaving.

“People are out here trying to make extra money to pay their bills,” she says. “We're trying to do the best we can.”

Mel asks viewers what they would've done in her position. As of this writing, her video has more than 88,700 views.

What rules does Uber have for passengers? 

Some parts of Mel's account line up directly with Uber and Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) rules — particularly where passengers are supposed to meet rideshare drivers.

RDU says ride-app passengers must use designated pickup zones outside baggage claim. At Terminal 1, that's Zone 1; at Terminal 2, it's Zone 8. So Mel's claim that she directed the passenger to a specific airport pickup location is consistent with RDU's published guidance.

Uber also requires drivers and riders to follow applicable airport rules and regulations when applicable. Its Community Guidelines specifically say riders shouldn't ask drivers to make illegal stops, drop-offs, or other maneuvers.

As for the confrontation Mel describes, Uber prohibits aggressive, confrontational, harassing, disrespectful, discriminatory, threatening, or inappropriate behavior. Uber also says racist comments and discriminatory language can result in loss of access to the platform.

Uber specifically calls out slamming doors as behavior riders should avoid, alongside shouting and swearing. Its guidelines also say damaging a driver's vehicle is prohibited and can result in cleaning or repair charges if property ends up being damaged.

There's less support for the idea that a standard Uber driver is automatically required to get out and loan an able-bodied passenger's ordinary luggage.

Uber's Community Guidelines discuss required accommodation for riders traveling with service animals or assistive devices, and Uber offers larger vehicle options for passengers carrying substantial luggage. But the guidelines don't establish a general rule requiring drivers to load items for every passenger.

Drivers and riders can report threatening or rude behavior through Uber, which says it reviews those reports under its Community Guidelines.

Uber drivers weigh in

Several viewers who said they drive for Uber argued Mel should have ended the interaction as soon as the passenger became verbally abusive.

“I drive for Uber myself… I would have canceled his trip after he said the first cuss word, close[d] my trunk, and pull[ed] off ASAP,” one commenter wrote.

Mel later shared what she says was Uber's response to the incident, in which the company shared its Community Guidelines and reiterated its anti-discrimination message. “This is all they said,” she said, seemingly upset. In the end, she says Uber sent her a $5 credit.

In a statement to Subplot News, Mel said, “I have screenshots of our discussion. I have spent countless hours on the phone with them.”

She added that Uber “will not give me any information, the only thing they have confirmed is that he will not be riding with me again. But to my point, he shouldn't be driving in any woman's car.”

Another person agreed that they would have handled the pickup similarly.

“I would have got out, closed the trunk, got back in and drove off,” they commented.

Mel replied, “I did, but I cried.”

Other viewers focused on the passenger's expectation that she get out and handle his luggage.

“I've never had the door open for me. This is not a limousine service,” one person wrote.

Mel said that matched her own experience driving for Uber.

“That's what I thought! I've been driving for two years and never have I ever. Now if they're elderly, I'll get out of the car and help them but otherwise no, because it's normally such a fast transaction at the airport,” she replied.

Some viewers urged her to report the passenger to Uber.

“Report him, ban him!!!” one commenter said.

Mel said she believed that was what would happen, but claims Uber told her it could no longer identify the passenger after he canceled the ride.

“I thought that's what happened to you? And Uber act[s] like they didn't know who he was. They said because he canceled the ride and deleted his profile,” she wrote.

Subplot News has reached out to Uber for additional comment.

@the.six.step.method Well this just happened…what would you have done? #momadvice #uberdriver #rideshare #bearorman #narcissism ♬ original sound – the.six.step.method

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