@Uber_SF Was just assaulted by one of your drivers.He hit me. Called 911. His name on the app is daveea. License plt pic.twitter.com/yxLUwiYCVW
— James Alva (@JamesAlva) November 24, 2013It's a surprising turn of events for a city that's long been protective of its transit start-ups, even as they flout airport regulations and cripple the city's taxi industry.
Perhaps San Francisco is finally trying to make an example of a company that's long been let off the hook. Massive outcry over the death of 6 year-old Sofia Liu -- who was killed by an Uber driver while crossing the street with her family -- turned public sentiment against the once-beloved company, which immediately distanced itself from the incident.
By that point, Uber had already rankled local cab drivers and public transit buffs. It soon faced the wrath of public safety advocates, as well. Within a few weeks, an ad hoc group of detractors had launched an Internet campaign against the company, MomsAgainstUber.com.
According to Forbes, Whitmire is only the second driver to face criminal charges from an incident while driving for the company -- though it's worth noting that Syed Muzzafar was trolling for fares when he fatally hit Liu. (A DA spokesman says that case is still under investigation.)
Still, it's hard to say whether the Whitmire prosecution affects Uber, given that the company isn't being charged. It might induce management to perform better background checks. Or it might be inconsequential.
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