A Toronto-area mom, identified only as Julia for privacy reasons, is speaking out after an Uber driver drove away with her five-year-old daughter still in the backseat. The terrifying incident occurred during a March Break ride from a Toronto Raptors game, when Julia and her boyfriend, along with their four children, took an Uber back to his house due to a flat tire.
As Julia and her boyfriend planned how to unload the kids and car seats, Julia stepped out briefly to get the garage door opener. When she returned, she was horrified to find the Uber had left—her daughter still inside. “I remember looking up and down the street. I don’t see a moving vehicle at all. The three kids are already in hysterics,” said Julia, recalling the panic that set in.
Julia quickly called 911. Despite her efforts to contact Uber and get help, she says customer service representatives refused to provide any information about the driver, citing privacy protocols. “All we wanted was for them to contact the driver — that’s it — and they refused,” she said.
Toronto police managed to locate the driver on their own, 20 kilometers away, and found Julia’s daughter in good health. After about an hour and a half, the girl was reunited with her mother, though she was understandably shaken.
Julia was shocked when Uber offered a mere $10 credit for the incident, which she described as “a massive slap in the face.” The company maintains that its staff followed standard procedures, designed to protect both the safety and privacy of users. A spokesperson added that the situation is being reviewed internally for potential improvements.
Technology analyst Carmi Levy pointed out that in the gig economy, services like Uber often lack the customer service infrastructure of traditional companies. “There’s a cost to their efficiency and their cost effectiveness,” Levy said, noting that this incident highlights the challenges of getting timely assistance when things go wrong.
Julia has since escalated her concerns with Uber, demanding both compensation for the emotional distress caused and a commitment to changing their emergency response procedures for minors. She insists that without policy changes, she will not accept any compensation, stating, “No one should have to go through what we went through.”
Source: Swifteradio.com
