A YouTube minor celebrity has told how he was left in fear for his safety as his Uber driver watched videos during a journey through west London.
Raphael Gomes, 23, snapped the driver watching his phone as he took a minicab home after having a haircut on Friday evening.
The Portuguese-English author - whose videos have attracted many views on YouTube - claimed the driver was watching footage from a YouTube video on his phone for the whole of the 10 minute journey.
Revealing details of the alleged ordeal on Twitter, he wrote: "My uber driver is literally watching youtube videos as he takes me home #pray for me".
Mr Gomes, who has his own YouTube channel and is a published author, told how he noticed the driver's screen as soon as he got into the car and could see it was not showing the Uber app or mapping technology.
He said: “I was definitely surprised and a little scared at first. It made me nervous and I know how dangerous this was, so I took the pictures.
my uber driver is literally watching youtube videos as he takes me home pray for me @UberUKpic.twitter.com/5p61XPdgQX
— Raphael Gomes (@raphablueberry)“I think it was a web series on YouTube in a different language. It was definitely action-themed but I'm not sure what programme it was exactly.
“He could have injured me as a passenger or other people on the road.”
Editorial Comment :
After Mr Gome started tweeting about fears for his safety, it didn't take long for the Uber PR clean up team to take action.
Mr Gome is now saying that he "isn't" going to make an official complaint as nothing happened (this time) and he is safe. He says he can see the humour in the situation.
Perhaps Mr Gomes experience wouldn't have seemed so hilarious, had the driver knocked down and killed or seriously injured, a pedestrian or cyclist.
Or perhaps Mr Gome would not have seen the funny side being cut out of a tangled mess and being rushed to hospital.
Let's hope others take heed of these wise words:
