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Uber's NYC Manager Defends Taxi Driver Who Ditched Passenger For An Uber Client

New York City Taxi
New York City Taxi

Spencer Platt / Staff / Getty Images

Monday night, New York-based Guardian editor Erin McCann says she got kicked out of a cab by a driver who wanted to pick up an Uber customer, Valleywag first reported.

"Just had a medallioned NYC taxi cab kick me out because it was moonlighting as a uber," McCann tweeted last night.

Shortly after she tweeted about the incident, Uber NYC General Manager Josh Mohrer replied to her.

" Well, the driver is likely just trying to feed his family and you threatened to put his livelihood in jeopardy, so...," Uber General Manager Josh Mohrer tweeted last night . He later speculated that the driver kicked her out because she was threatening to cause trouble.

Mohrer later apologized via Twitter, admitting that he had overreached with his explanation.

"Again, she's right to feel wronged; the only point I meant to make is that taxis to affiliate with Uber," Mohrer said.

While it's not illegal for a New York City taxi cab driver to kick someone out of the car, it is against the Taxi and Limousine Commission's rules.

"Of course, it's absolutely unacceptable for a medallion taxi driver to have accepted a hail, and then reject the passenger in favor of another," a TLC spokesperson told Valleywag. "We strongly encourage that passenger to report the details, so that we can take whatever actions are appropriate, once it has been investigated and adjudicated. The penalties for service refusal are severe, and we take such reports very seriously."

Business Insider has reached out to Uber and will update this story if we hear back.

You can check out the full exchange below.

Screenshot 2014 04 15 13.40.26
Screenshot 2014 04 15 13.40.26

Screenshot/Twitter

uber and twitter
uber and twitter

Screenshot/Twitter

uber general manager exchange on twitter
uber general manager exchange on twitter

Screenshot/Twitter

uber and twitter
uber and twitter

Screenshot/Twitter



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