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Uber CEO says he must 'grow up' after argument with driver

Wednesday, 1 Mar 2017 13:18:00

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick argues with his driver over pay rates. (YouTube: Bloomberg)

Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick says it is time for him to "grow up" and get help after a video surfaced of him having an argument with an Uber driver over pay rates.

The heated exchange was captured on a dash cam and shows Mr Kalanick, co-founder of the company, arguing with the driver who tells him pay rates have been cut and he has lost money.

The trip appeared to run smoothly until two fellow passengers left the car at the end of the ride.

After Mr Kalanick thanked the driver and shook his hand, the Uber employee raised the subject of pay rate cuts to the Uber Black service — one of their luxury ride options.

"I lost $97,000 because of you. I'm bankrupt because of you," he said to Mr Kalanick as they discussed the price of cars.

"You keep changing every day!

"You dropped the prices [on Uber Black]." — a claim Mr Kalanick called "bulls***".

Mr Kalanick responded angrily saying, "Some people don't like to take responsibility for their own shit".

"They blame everything in their life on somebody else. Good luck," he said.

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick Photo: "This is the first time I've been willing to admit that I need leadership help," Travis Kalanick said in a statement. (Reuters: Robert Galbraith)

These final words have landed Mr Kalanick in hot water and prompted him to issue a "profound" apology to Uber employees.

In his statement, Mr Kalanick said he was ashamed for treating the driver disrespectfully, apologising to the driver and others.

"It's clear this video is a reflection of me, and the criticism we've received is a stark reminder that I must fundamentally change as a leader and grow up," the apology stated.

"This is the first time I've been willing to admit that I need leadership help and I intend to get it."

The video is the latest in a series of challenges and embarrassments for the ride service.

Last week, Alphabet's self-driving vehicle unit Waymo sued Uber for allegedly stealing designs related to autonomous vehicles, a claim that Uber has denied.

Uber also is investigating allegations of sexual harassment in its own organisation.

Earlier this month, a female former engineer at Uber said in a widely read blog post that managers and human resources officers at the company had not punished her manager after she reported his unwanted sexual advances, and even threatened her with a poor performance review.

Reuters/ABC

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