Just weeks after ride share service UBER declared a firearms ban inside their vehicles, one Clear Water, Florida, driver shot a passenger who was attacking and choking him.
The assailant, 60-year-old Marc Gregory Mermel, must have gotten the memo and figured the driver, 74-year-old Steven Rayow, would be an easy target. Little did the assailant know, however, that Rayow disregarded the company’s no-gun policy, and was armed with a pistol.
After an argument broke out between the two men, Mermel choked Rayow, “who pulled a gun from his waistband.” In the ensuing altercation, Mermel was shot in the foot.
But this is far from the first time a gun used against or by an UBER driver. Two months before the new policy was enacted, one UBER driver used his conceal carry weapon to thwart an attempted mass shooting in Chicago, and shortly after the new policy was set in motion another UBER driver was robbed at gunpoint.
The reality is, we live in a world filled with guns, and paperwork doesn’t deter criminals from disobeying the law. UBER’s new no-gun stance may be good for business, but it clearly isn’t good for the wellbeing of their drivers.
(The story was authored by freelance writer Brent Rogers)
I’m as well a UBER driver am driving in a big city of Houston on my firs week working providing a value service to our customers no only taken the customers from poin A to point B. they are as well been protected by me I conceal carrier 19 Glock 16+1 I Mede sure my customer Are ware they supposed to be on a right location and before they get out of my car I tell them that I be waiting till they open there door and they are secure in their home.
This particular day at 9:30am I pick up a female customer close to my home an she mention the location was social security office and the little that I know the city the address do not seam to be right I ask are you sure this is a correct address this area is not secure, she replied yes is ok all you have to do is take there and I take care my business.
On arrival to the address she provided I was on her drop of location it was a no one land bad Plase to be even for me. I said to her I do not see any plase or any one for social security service at this location was a end of the street so I can stay for a short time on the street no traffic .
By this time 15 seconds wen by a couple came on on the side of my car demanding to get out of there sure I do not open my widows or stay there to long I tolled my customer I’m moving forward fewer feet so maybe they couple stop benn aggressive, but seem to made it worse the couple a male driving a female as a passenger. I can figure why them be so aggressive to us while this is happening I move my hand to my waist an remove my 19 glock on a ready position the customer did not seen me she was confused and overwhelmed by the situation of those two acting crazy on this time I toll the lady that we are moving out of this naiborhood. So I did move forward to turn around from this end street the couple got out of there car and walk to us so I turn the car ready to get out of the end street I notice the guy walking with a 4×4 wood stick I stop my car open my window and toll the to stop and walk back do not get closer at the same time I did put my gun on a ready to fire and on front of my chest so they can see it. Sure he notice and toll her to stop he drop the 4×4 wood and I slow move out I did not point the gun to no one only sho them that I was not be a easy target for them sure they stop been crazy and we move out. My passenger was stone who all this just happen in a short time escalated from bad to worse. She never saw my gun and I do not toll her why the couple stop as soon they seen I was armed.
Bud she thank me the way I react to the situation and keep my self calm all the time. The lady said the stop as soon You toll them to stop do not come our way and walk back to there car and they did exactly wat you toll them to do she said waoooo if I did not witness this I do not believed .
Thank you for been ther for me she said,
I was thinking in my mind I said thank to my gun to protect us and give us a opportunity to get out of and with not incident
If you are picking up strangers & not armed, you are an idiot. Illinois was the last state to get CC, but I carried for 30 years whenever I went to Chicago. I didn’t want to break the law, but then I didn’t want to get killed in Murder City either. Thankfully I never got in a bad situation, even when we got lost a couple times, and ended up in a bad neighborhood. I was lucky.
Good for you………knowing that the legality trouble you could have invoked is far less than the troubles a mugging or similar would have caused you. I am a Uber driver and I carry my weapon at all times. Any fare trying to mug me will find me to NOT be the easy mark they think. As I frequently drive to an airport in a major city, at night, I feel that I am also offering my passengers a further layer of protection. If Uber wants my gun they can have their damn job….my safety, and that of my passengers, is more important to me than their quasi-political doctrine.