Nenshi slams Uber; Caught unawares on Periscope
Posted Apr 23, 2016 6:27 am.
Last Updated Apr 23, 2016 5:23 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s the Mayor Nenshi version of Candid Camera, and it’s getting a lot of attention.
Calgary’s mayor was recently captured on a live stream in a ride-sharing car in Boston, chatting up the driver, and slamming Uber.
“We’re no fools so we sent people to sign up to be Uber drivers to see if they could get through the background check,” said Nenshi.
In the video obtained by Postmedia and posted to YouTube, Nenshi talks about how the city found sex offenders and people with convictions for violent crime to test Uber’s driver screening process. He claims many of them made it through.
The mayor goes on to explain that’s why police will be in charge of screening for ride sharing services if they set up shop in Calgary.
He’s also captured calling the CEO of Uber a ‘dick.’
Nenshi does not appear to realize he is on camera at the time.
He has since come out with a statement about the video.
Nenshi begins the statement by saying “who knew i would have my very own episode of taxicab confessions?”
But it takes a more serious tone afterwards, with Nenshi writing that he was having a free flowing and casual conversation with the Boston Lyft driver when they started talking about uber, but was unaware he was being recorded.
He told the driver much of the same things he has said publicly, but admitted he used some more colourful language than he has before.
Nenshi emphasizes that background checks are very important for everyone looking to work for transportation services, and that the city was aware of at least one person clearing Uber’s check while they had an active assault charge.
In bold text, the mayor says this is the extent of his knowledge on this matter, and he knows nothing of any sex offenders getting through.
He closes the statement saying he apologizes for any confusion, and takes full responsibility for the interaction.
