An unsettling video, posted on June 27, showed an Uber driver casually twirling a knife in his lap while driving a Black woman to her home.
The passenger, @Xkhatukhu, shared the clip on her social media, where it quickly went viral, amassing hundreds of comments concerned for her safety. “This driver’s name is Ethan,” wrote the scared passenger, hashtagging the caption #CTL, a common abbreviation for Charleston, North Carolina.
“Today I was blessed to make it out alive,” she stated.
Atlanta Black Star shared the video on our official Instagram account, and the post drew the attention of Uber. The company posted a response in the comments, confirming they had banned the driver after conducting an investigation.
“Rider safety is important to us, and we take situations like this very seriously. We have investigated this incident and have banned the driver from the Uber platform,” the statement read.
The ban comes as no surprise, as it’s in accordance with Uber’s official policy on weapons, which prohibits drivers from “carrying firearms or weapons of any kind (e.g., knives, tasers) while using the Uber apps, to the extent permitted by applicable law.”
The blade in question was a folding knife that the man held in a closed position while steering. He suddenly flipped it open and began to play with the handle and touch the blade, meanwhile taking both hands off the steering wheel. The passenger, who identified herself on social media as a behavioral health professional, secretly captured the whole thing on video from the back seat of the car and wisely chose not to confront the driver, who many noted appeared “scary” and “lost in his own mind.”
“I am here to help, but the help he needs, I don’t have that power. I choose me every time, in this situation I would not have done anything differently, nor would I risk my life…” she wrote in the comments of her TikTok post.
More than 800 people chimed in to show their support. “That’s inappropriate on his part [but I] don’t care if he’s innocently fidgeting. NO ONE should take this lightly under any circumstance,” stated one commenter.
The passenger, who has chosen to remain anonymous for her safety, has not indicated whether she will pursue any charges against the man or sue Uber.
In North Carolina, you can open-carry knives of all types, but there are stringent restrictions on “concealed carry,” and it’s generally considered illegal.
It’s unclear from the video if the knife was ever concealed during the ride. What’s more, the state’s concealed carry law makes an exception for “ordinary pocket knives” if the blade length is less than four inches.
For now, she just hopes her story will inspire others to be extra diligent when using rideshares — and not hesitate to document shady behavior.
“This is my story and the point of me sharing is to tell everyone to be cautious and use their instincts. I did report him to officials… he has my address. I’m not playing around with this man.”
