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San Diego Uber and Lyft drivers hit rough patch
Stabbed by pink-hair lady, harrassed by cop near bus stop, road rage at airport, kidnapped in Spring Valley
The pink-haired woman reportedly locked herself in the bathroom.
In recent months, San Diego Uber and Lyft drivers have been attacked. Some gig drivers were allegedly assaulted by a pink-haired woman, a road rager, and a McDonald’s patron. Another rideshare driver was kidnapped. These incidents are exposing a dangerous pattern for local gig workers behind the wheel.
On June 10, around 10 p.m., a woman with pink hair allegedly stabbed her Uber driver during a ride and was later dropped off at a 7-Eleven and Wendy’s on Broadway in El Cajon, according to 619 News Media.
The guy jumped out of his truck and started confronting the delivery driver.
"There were two girls," said a 7-Eleven employee who requested anonymity. "But one [with pink hair] ran inside that Wendy's."
The pink-haired woman reportedly locked herself in the bathroom. Then police and sheriff’s deputies showed up and surrounded the fast-food spot in a brief standoff.
Some of the bystanders said officers fired pepper balls into the bathroom. The woman eventually came out with her hands up, walking toward about seven or eight cops. A dog nearby barked non stop as she surrendered and was placed in the back of a patrol car.
619 News Media said the Uber driver had minor wounds and refused medical attention. "The woman denied stabbing the driver, despite injuries to his hand," they added.
Around the same time, another report started circulating about a different Uber driver, Abdulkadir Bulgaz, who is now suing the City of San Diego. The Turkish rideshare driver claims he was verbally attacked by a police officer during a traffic stop near Montezuma Road on New Year’s Eve — and the whole thing was caught on dashcam.
Bulgaz had reportedly slowed down near a bus stop while trying to find his rider when a cop pulled him over and unloaded on him: “Why the f*** would you stop in the middle of the lane? Move to the right. Move, move.”
Visibly nervous, Bulgaz — 29, with limited English — tried to explain he was just looking for the pickup spot. The officer wasn’t having it.
“Uber driver? You’re a terrible driver,” the cop snapped. “You’re not driving anymore. I’m taking your license from you.”
Then came the rapid-fire insults: “Are you re-arded? Are you stupid? Are you dumb?”
Bulgaz says he was never given a ticket, but the officer took his license anyway. He had to go to the DMV to replace it and was off the road for days — meaning no income, and a shaken sense of safety.
Then, just a month earlier, another Uber driver found himself in a completely different kind of nightmare.
On May 4, before sunrise, a rideshare driver headed to the airport ended up in a road-rage mess on North Harbor Drive in front of Solar Turbines, per 911 Video News.
It started when a red Toyota Matrix began tailgating the driver’s Hyundai, allegedly swerving toward him and trying to force contact. The Uber driver called 911, saying the other guy was trying to run him off the road. A few minutes later, the Toyota cut him off, slammed to a stop across two lanes, and the driver jumped out — blocking traffic during the morning rush.
Cops arrived and handed the Toyota driver over to Harbor Police after he failed a sobriety test. He was arrested for DUI and disturbing the peace.
Another rideshare worker got caught up in a strange confrontation at a McDonald’s drive-thru in Point Loma, also captured by 911 Video News. This one went down around 3 a.m. on March 27 at Midway Drive and West Point Loma Boulevard.
A man in a Ford pickup apparently lost it after watching an Uber Eats driver skip the line and go straight to the pickup window. For some reason, that didn’t sit right. The guy jumped out of his truck and started confronting the delivery driver.
Feeling threatened, the Uber Eats driver warned the man he had pepper spray. When the guy rushed him anyway, he got sprayed.
The man peeled off in his truck — and didn’t get far. He plowed into a bunch of streetlights near Sports Arena Boulevard, knocked out power to the whole intersection, and ended up failing a sobriety test. Another DUI.
Two weeks before that, a female Lyft driver was allegedly kidnapped and assaulted by a passenger she picked up in Spring Valley, according to multiple outlets. The guy, 22-year-old Shane Capezio, reportedly told her he had a gun, choked her, and barked out demands as she drove under duress.
He made her drive to a dispensary in Lemon Grove and tried to get people in the parking lot to buy weed for him while he stayed in the car. Meanwhile, the driver quietly texted 911. Deputies rolled up and caught Capezio mid-struggle inside the vehicle. He didn’t have a gun, but cops found bags of booze, and he was arrested on multiple felony charges — including kidnapping, robbery, and stopping a victim from calling for help.
But it’s not always the Uber and Lyft drivers getting physically and verbally assaulted. There are decoys — and some bad apple share drivers, too.
On March 15, just after 1 a.m., a woman in Pacific Beach was picked up by a man pretending to be a rideshare driver. Police say he wasn’t with any company — just posing as one — and ended up reportedly sexually assaulting the passenger after picking her up two blocks south of Crystal Pier. San Diego police are still looking for the suspect.
And then there’s the video going around Facebook — a TMZ video of a tall black Uber driver punching his passenger in the back of the head while the guy was walking away from the car. No warning. Just a straight-up sucker punchp
Bottom line? Whether you're driving or riding, stepping into a rideshare in San Diego lately is starting to feel like a roll of the dice.
Here's something you might be interested in.
San Diego Uber and Lyft drivers hit rough patch
Stabbed by pink-hair lady, harrassed by cop near bus stop, road rage at airport, kidnapped in Spring Valley
San Diego Uber and Lyft drivers hit rough patch
Stabbed by pink-hair lady, harrassed by cop near bus stop, road rage at airport, kidnapped in Spring Valley
The pink-haired woman reportedly locked herself in the bathroom.
In recent months, San Diego Uber and Lyft drivers have been attacked. Some gig drivers were allegedly assaulted by a pink-haired woman, a road rager, and a McDonald’s patron. Another rideshare driver was kidnapped. These incidents are exposing a dangerous pattern for local gig workers behind the wheel.
On June 10, around 10 p.m., a woman with pink hair allegedly stabbed her Uber driver during a ride and was later dropped off at a 7-Eleven and Wendy’s on Broadway in El Cajon, according to 619 News Media.
The guy jumped out of his truck and started confronting the delivery driver.
"There were two girls," said a 7-Eleven employee who requested anonymity. "But one [with pink hair] ran inside that Wendy's."
The pink-haired woman reportedly locked herself in the bathroom. Then police and sheriff’s deputies showed up and surrounded the fast-food spot in a brief standoff.
Some of the bystanders said officers fired pepper balls into the bathroom. The woman eventually came out with her hands up, walking toward about seven or eight cops. A dog nearby barked non stop as she surrendered and was placed in the back of a patrol car.
619 News Media said the Uber driver had minor wounds and refused medical attention. "The woman denied stabbing the driver, despite injuries to his hand," they added.
Around the same time, another report started circulating about a different Uber driver, Abdulkadir Bulgaz, who is now suing the City of San Diego. The Turkish rideshare driver claims he was verbally attacked by a police officer during a traffic stop near Montezuma Road on New Year’s Eve — and the whole thing was caught on dashcam.
Bulgaz had reportedly slowed down near a bus stop while trying to find his rider when a cop pulled him over and unloaded on him: “Why the f*** would you stop in the middle of the lane? Move to the right. Move, move.”
Visibly nervous, Bulgaz — 29, with limited English — tried to explain he was just looking for the pickup spot. The officer wasn’t having it.
“Uber driver? You’re a terrible driver,” the cop snapped. “You’re not driving anymore. I’m taking your license from you.”
Then came the rapid-fire insults: “Are you re-arded? Are you stupid? Are you dumb?”
Bulgaz says he was never given a ticket, but the officer took his license anyway. He had to go to the DMV to replace it and was off the road for days — meaning no income, and a shaken sense of safety.
Then, just a month earlier, another Uber driver found himself in a completely different kind of nightmare.
On May 4, before sunrise, a rideshare driver headed to the airport ended up in a road-rage mess on North Harbor Drive in front of Solar Turbines, per 911 Video News.
It started when a red Toyota Matrix began tailgating the driver’s Hyundai, allegedly swerving toward him and trying to force contact. The Uber driver called 911, saying the other guy was trying to run him off the road. A few minutes later, the Toyota cut him off, slammed to a stop across two lanes, and the driver jumped out — blocking traffic during the morning rush.
Cops arrived and handed the Toyota driver over to Harbor Police after he failed a sobriety test. He was arrested for DUI and disturbing the peace.
Another rideshare worker got caught up in a strange confrontation at a McDonald’s drive-thru in Point Loma, also captured by 911 Video News. This one went down around 3 a.m. on March 27 at Midway Drive and West Point Loma Boulevard.
A man in a Ford pickup apparently lost it after watching an Uber Eats driver skip the line and go straight to the pickup window. For some reason, that didn’t sit right. The guy jumped out of his truck and started confronting the delivery driver.
Feeling threatened, the Uber Eats driver warned the man he had pepper spray. When the guy rushed him anyway, he got sprayed.
The man peeled off in his truck — and didn’t get far. He plowed into a bunch of streetlights near Sports Arena Boulevard, knocked out power to the whole intersection, and ended up failing a sobriety test. Another DUI.
Two weeks before that, a female Lyft driver was allegedly kidnapped and assaulted by a passenger she picked up in Spring Valley, according to multiple outlets. The guy, 22-year-old Shane Capezio, reportedly told her he had a gun, choked her, and barked out demands as she drove under duress.
He made her drive to a dispensary in Lemon Grove and tried to get people in the parking lot to buy weed for him while he stayed in the car. Meanwhile, the driver quietly texted 911. Deputies rolled up and caught Capezio mid-struggle inside the vehicle. He didn’t have a gun, but cops found bags of booze, and he was arrested on multiple felony charges — including kidnapping, robbery, and stopping a victim from calling for help.
But it’s not always the Uber and Lyft drivers getting physically and verbally assaulted. There are decoys — and some bad apple share drivers, too.
On March 15, just after 1 a.m., a woman in Pacific Beach was picked up by a man pretending to be a rideshare driver. Police say he wasn’t with any company — just posing as one — and ended up reportedly sexually assaulting the passenger after picking her up two blocks south of Crystal Pier. San Diego police are still looking for the suspect.
And then there’s the video going around Facebook — a TMZ video of a tall black Uber driver punching his passenger in the back of the head while the guy was walking away from the car. No warning. Just a straight-up sucker punchp
Bottom line? Whether you're driving or riding, stepping into a rideshare in San Diego lately is starting to feel like a roll of the dice.
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