Acclaimed British actress Frances Barber has said she was verbally abused by a “sharia” Uber driver who accused her of dressing “disgustingly”.
Ms Barber, who starred in BBC legal drama Silk, booked the Uber car home after attending the Evening Standard Theatre Awards at London’s Old Vic theatre. When the car arrived, she told the driver it was a cold night.
The driver then allegedly responded: “Well if you weren’t so disgustingly dressed…” The actress also claims he told her that a woman should not be out alone at night. She later angrily tweeted: “THIS IS LONDON.”
Just had a sharia Uber driver, first time in London. Shocked. Reported.
— frances barber (@francesbarber13) November 23, 2015
I get uber out of Old Vic & driver says as a woman I shouldn’t be alone at night & I am disgustingly dressed. THIS IS LONDON> — frances barber (@francesbarber13) November 23, 2015
The Telegraph reports that an Uber spokesman later commented: “We were shocked about this unacceptable incident and immediately reached out to the rider to offer our full support.
“We will of course take appropriate action and would like to again extend our sincere apologies to the rider.”
She had earlier tweeted a picture in the offending dress:
Frances Barber has worked in a string of award-winning theatre productions and has herself been nominated for an Olivier Award. She also starred as Caroline Warwick QC in acclaimed BBC drama series Silk, and appeared as Madame Kovarian in seven episodes of Doctor Who in 2011.
Uber has recently been the target of protests by licensed cab drivers around the world, who accuse the app of taking their business and sometimes operating illegally.
In September, Breitbart reported how unionised taxi drivers had been filmed harassing and intimidating Uber drivers and their customers. In one video, cab driver in Ottawa shouts at an Uber driver: “If I see you again you’re dead meat!” He also tells the customer to “shut the f*ck up!”
In another video from Toronto, two cab drivers trap an Uber driver and say they will only leave him alone when he hands over his GPS.