A so-called “professional” Uber driver in London was rebuked last week in the crisp, cutting manner that only the British have truly mastered.
The driver, Rashal Miah, was at the sentencing phase after conviction on charges of road rage and anti-Semitic verbal assault for a September 2014 incident that took place while stuck in traffic, ITV reported.
He was also convicted of using threatening, abusive or insulting words intending to cause fear or provoke violence, according to the report. Because he arrived late to the court house, the judge added two extra weeks to his sentence for good measure and fined him nearly $1,000 in costs, with an $88 surcharge.
Miah had exited from his car and yelled “Yehudi!” (Jew, in Hebrew and in Arabic) at an Orthodox Jewish school bus driver.” He added that he would “kill all the Jews,” – this while standing in traffic in the Stamford Hill district of London, a predominantly Jewish neighborhood.
Judge Murray Shanks called Miah’s behavior “horrible.” He then explained in precise, clipped British language just how badly, how distastefully the driver had behaved.
“I accept this was mainly driven by you being wrongly angry and suffering from road rage, as well as being arrogant about what you were entitled to do on the road.
The judge then doubled down with a scolding about anti-Semitism, and a warning:
“I hope it doesn’t indicate some underlying prejudice…If this was the other way around and Muslims were being insulted, I have a good feeling you would feel strongly.
“You need to understand that before you open your mouth.”
Miah was sentenced to 15 days of anger management sessions, 100 hours of community service and a 26-week suspended sentence that might still land him in jail if he is found guilty of anything else, the Inquisitr reported.
Uber was quick to release a statement saying Miah no longer works for the company. “Uber does not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind and we were appalled to hear about this incident,” said Tom Elvidge, general manager of Uber in London.
“Following our own investigations and today’s conviction, we have taken the decision to stop this licensed private hire driver from using the Uber app.”
