A profane and racist exchange between an Uber driver, his customer and a Good Samaritan Tuesday night at Los Angeles International Airport was captured on video and has since gone viral.
The incident began when the passenger began screaming at his Asian driver after he was told that due to COVID-19 restrictions he was not allowed to sit in the front seat of the car.
Uber’s new COVID policies require riders to sit in the back seat and limits the number of passengers in an Uber ride to three people.
A Good Samaritan, who identifies herself only as Stella, says she heard loud shouting at the LAEXIT area of the airport, and that at one point she heard the passenger call the driver an “Asian s***.”
The passenger then began screaming at Stella, telling her, "I bet you don't have a husband. Go get a husband." At which point she says (and it can be heard on the video), "as if I need to have permission from a man to speak.”
WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE
In a statement sent to KNX, an LAX spokesperson says that an LAX officer “was flagged down for an incident involving two individuals speaking in raised tones.” The “officer conducted his investigation,” but “it was determined that neither of the parties involved wanted to pursue a private persons arrest,” and “no further action was required.”
Uber’s new COVID policies require riders to sit in the back seat and limit the number of passengers in an Uber ride to 3 people.
“Uber does not tolerate racism or hate in any form, against any community. When one community is being attacked, we are all being attacked. We are shocked and saddened by the recent increase in anti-Asian hate, particularly when it affects a driver or rider. In this case, we have banned the rider for violating our policies, and have been in touch with Mr. David to support him after this upsetting incident,” an Uber spokesperson said in a statement to KNX.
This incident comes after several violent attacks of Asian Americans have taken place across the country in recent days.
An Asian American Air Force veteran was attacked in Koreatown in February. He was called racist anti-Asian slurs by two men who threatened to kill him and he was left badly beaten.
An elderly Asian man was left brain dead after he was shoved to the ground during a vicious assault in Oakland this week.
President Joe Biden condemned the increasing rise of anti-Asian American sentiment sweeping the U.S. - even taking presidential action when he took office last month.
"During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, inflammatory and xenophobic rhetoric has put Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) persons, families, communities, and businesses at risk," the White House memo said.
On March 3, several Los Angeles City Council members introduced two motions and a resolution in an attempt to address a rise in hate crimes and harassment against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.