<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/apr/21/uber-driver-assaulted-by-passengers-platform-response>
"Michael Thorn thought he’d suffered enough after his Uber passenger punched
him in the head, sending him to hospital. But then the rideshare platform
deactivated his account.
“It’s even worse than getting belted,” Thorn said.
Drivers say they are being unfairly deactivated in droves as experts warn Uber
has grown too reliant on automated systems to cut its workers.
The $220bn global transport platform has only a few hundred local staff but
tens of thousands of Australian drivers, with those unfairly booted from its
systems forced to turn to unions or the employment watchdog.
Thorn had come to rely on Uber as his main source of income after five years on
the platform, earning about $700 a week to cover medical bills and surging
petrol prices.
In April, he picked up four passengers from a western Sydney pub. They appeared
drunk, took several minutes to put on their seatbelts and then allegedly threw
a portable car lamp at him, he says.
After he told them to get out, he alleged one rider threw a car seat headrest
at Thorn, head-butted him and punched him repeatedly in the face. Police say
investigations are ongoing.
Thorn said he was taken to hospital and received stitches to his head. He sent
a report to Uber but received a complaint from the passengers and was told his
account had been shut down.
“Here I am, face swelling, getting stitched up, and this is what I’m facing,”
he said.
The night of his assault, an Uber company safety officer called to apologise
for the deactivation, Thorn said. He said his account was reactivated four days
later."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
