An Uber driver in Chicago is accused of seeking revenge after he got a one-star rating.
A suburban Chicago resident claims her home and car were seriously damaged following an ugly confrontation with the unidentified rideshare driver, which occurred just a day after her son gave the man the lowest possible rating.
The woman, whose identity was withheld for her family’s safety, said she remains shaken days after the frightening incident, which left her home with a cracked front window and her car blemished by scratches and dents.
“I’m really traumatized, I haven’t really been sleeping,” she said, according to ABC7.
On Aug. 23, the woman’s 17-year-old son called an Uber to take him to Orland Square Mall.
The teen later described the driver as visibly agitated, weaving erratically through surface streets while ignoring his suggestion to take the expressway.
“I was just trying to make it to the mall and I was trying to get there within a certain amount of time, and he decided to take the longer way to the mall,” the boy said.
After he was dropped off, the teen said he gave the driver a one-star rating for the awful service.
The next day, a stranger arrived at the family’s front door, steaming mad.
It was the driver who took the teen on the wild ride, according to the boy’s mother.
“The guy was like, I picked up someone from this house, and they left something, and I knew it wasn’t a belonging of anybody in this house,” she explained.
Instinctively, she kept the man at bay by speaking to him through the closed door, but her refusal to come outside fueled the man’s anger; he turned aggressive and then began shouting about the one-star rating her son had given him, the woman said.
“At the end of the day, somebody should have the right to a review,” she said, drawing the line on the man’s irrational behavior. “It’s opinion-based. If you have a one star, you have a one star.”
Instead, the low rating prompted the driver to return unannounced to the home where he picked up the teen, demonstrating an audacious disregard for personal boundaries.
As the man began to walk away, he suddenly grabbed a brick and hurled it at her front window and her parked car. While no one was physically harmed, the family remains shaken by the incident.
“Coming to my home where my mom and my brother lay their head and I lay my head, it’s scary,” the teen said.
He and his mom went to the police and an incident report was put on file.
The Uber driver has not been publicly identified, and as of Tuesday, no arrests had been announced by authorities.
Uber issued a statement through a spokesperson, stating, “The described conduct is unacceptable. We’re continuing to investigate this report and will take appropriate action. We are standing ready to assist police however we can.”
The statement did not mention whether the man was still employed by the company as a contractor.
As a safety feature, the Uber app provides riders with the driver’s identity, car type, and license plate number before the ride begins. This information ensures that the driver is identifiable and allows riders to verify their vehicle before getting in.
A low rating can be devastating for rideshare drivers, as it directly impacts their reputation and earning potential.
High ratings can lead to more ride requests and even incentives from the platform, while low ratings can result in fewer opportunities and, in extreme cases, suspension or deactivation from the service.
For drivers, maintaining a positive rating is essential to staying competitive and ensuring a steady income.
