From the Guelph Mercury Tribune

A Guelph Uber X driver has been “permanently removed” from Uber’s platform after close to a dozen University of Guelph students spoke out about his inappropriate behaviour, says the ride-sharing company.

The former driver, who falsely lists himself on Facebook as a University of Guelph professor and claims to “teach sexology to virgin girls and pregnant women,” allegedly harassed a number of students, particularly young women, while driving them to their destinations.

One University of Guelph student, who wishes not to be named for safety reasons, said the driver picked her up from her friend’s house and drove her to work in early November. On the way he repeatedly told her she was a “nice and pretty girl” and sang songs to her.

“It made me feel uncomfortable because he’s a lot older (than me) and it came off in a creepy way,” she said in an email to the Tribune.

For second-year psychology student George Dewart, his rides with the driver were unforgettable and unforgiveable, he said in an interview with the Tribune.

The first time Dewart got into this driver’s car one morning in late October, he sensed something was a little off.

“From my previous experiences with Uber, the drivers are very polite and there’s not a lot of talking,” he said.

This time, however, the driver immediately started asking how he could track down a woman in her early 20s who’d left her driver’s licence in his car. Dewart snapped a photo of the licence and posted it to a Facebook group. He told the driver if the woman contacted him, he’d be more than happy to return it.

“The driver was very persistent that he himself would give the licence back to her,” said Dewart. “My first thought was I was glad he was so eager to help, but I misinterpreted his intentions. In reality he just wanted to get in contact with the woman.”

By the following day, Dewart had connected the woman with the driver, but as he found out later, that was a mistake.

Through Facebook messages, which the Tribune has seen, Dewart learned the woman had called the driver, who asked her out on a date and then that same day drove from Guelph to Hamilton to return it to her.

Although she declined several times, the driver continued to contact her until the woman’s father intervened and told the driver to back off.

This alleged incident swirled through Dewart’s mind last week when he got into an Uber car only to find it was the same driver. Like the previous time, the driver immediately began asking questions.

“He asked me what websites students use to post job listings to one another,” said Dewart. “Instantly I didn’t want to be in his car; I was disgusted by the man.

Throughout the 10-minute ride, the driver kept “pressing” Dewart for ways to connect with students. He also gave Dewart a “business card” with his name, picture, contact information and job description as “work hard/play hard.”

After the ride, Dewart reported the driver to Uber and posted a warning to the popular student Facebook group, Overheard at Guelph.

Right away, students began sharing their experiences with the driver.

One man and his female roommate were so terrified by their experience in the driver’s car, they now avoid male Uber drivers.

“We noticed he wasn’t driving us home. He was driving down random side streets,” said the man in a phone interview with the Tribune.

He wishes not to be named for fear the driver will find it out and track him down.

“We asked him to drive us home and he stopped in the middle of the street and just started laughing at us.

“When we asked to get out of the car, he wouldn’t unlock the doors. We wondered if we should call the police. He kept calling my roommate pretty.”

The ride took 10 minutes longer than it should. The driver eventually dropped them off at their home and the male student contacted Uber.

“Uber stopped emailing me back and nothing was done about it,” he said.

When Dewart contacted Uber a month and a half later, on Friday Nov. 20, Uber began looking into the case. A few hours later, a spokesperson told Dewart, “this partner’s access to the Uber platform has been suspended pending the outcome (of the investigation),” according to emails obtained by the Tribune.

Dewart sent the company additional information he’d found on the driver’s Facebook page, including pornography videos and posts about having sex and marrying young women.

In one post, dated Dec. 4, 2014, the driver sympathizes with Bill Cosby who allegedly molested a 15-year-old woman. What the driver wrote indicated he supported Cosby having sex with a minor.

On Monday afternoon, Uber spokesperson Kayla Whaling confirmed to the Tribune the driver had been “permanently” removed after both parties were contacted and the case was reviewed.

In cases like this, “Uber won’t hesitate removing the individual involved,” she said.

Dewart said one of the victims reported the driver to the Hamilton police, but not the Guelph Police.

Guelph chief Jeff DeRuyter confirmed he is not aware of the case and that he “can’t speak to the screening Uber does.”

But there is a risk and concern Uber doesn’t do adequate screening of its drivers, he said in a phone interview with the Tribune.

“I do know the screening licenced taxis do through police is the best we can do to make sure the public is well served,” DeRuyter said. “They also have taxi numbers on the cars so you know what you’re getting into.

“If there are concerns about drivers’ conduct, it is important passengers report it to the police so appropriate action can be taken.”

Dewart said he is working to convince the women who were allegedly harassed by the Uber driver to report the incidents to police.

He doesn’t want to be a bystander and he doesn’t want this man to harm anyone in the future.

“The more I think about this situation, the more I have come to realize that there are two sides to this matter,” said Dewart. “The man terrorizing and harassing girls, as well as serious concern for his mental (well)being, not just because of the harassment. I’m not dismissing anything that he has done, but urge people to keep this in mind, as well as steer clear of this individual.”

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