On Thursday, NBC’s Today seized on a cabdriver in Toronto attacking the car of an Uber driver as a chance to attack the entrepreneurial car service, with co-host Savannah Guthrie proclaiming: “A cabbie confronts an Uber driver and gets dragged 60 feet down the street, as the battle between the car service app and traditional taxis gets ugly.”
In the report that followed, correspondent Willie Geist oddly described the “wild scene” by touting the cabdriver’s claim that “he started banging on the car because he was hoping to make a point that Uber drivers are unsafe and uninsured.” In contrast to that assertion, the video showed that the only person being “unsafe” was the cabbie, who hit the car several times before jumping on the moving vehicle.
Geist declared: “The man was among several Toronto taxi drivers protesting what they see as unfair business practices by Uber, which they also say is threatening the very existence of the city's taxi industry....it's just the latest in a long line of incidents involving Uber drivers across the country and around the globe.”
He touted how “Cabdrivers in cities like New York, Chicago, and New Orleans joined the global day of action against Uber in September. With more protests in France, Brazil and India.”
Rather than keep the focus on the cabbie’s dangerous overreaction to the Uber competitor, Geist instead worked to bolster attacks against the company from the cab industry: “While the car-hailing app may have revolutionized the way we get around, the company has faced questions about its business practices.”
A soundbite followed of Late Show host Stephen Colbert grilling Uber CEO Travis Kalanick: “What is your response to, Uber kills professional, good paying jobs, and it's unfair to the drivers and it's destroying the cab industry?”
Geist wrapped up the segment by seeming to suggest that Uber was partly to blame for the Toronto altercation: “But traditional cabdrivers complain that Uber cars are often uninsured and unsafe, creating frustration like this man’s and protests that can spiral out of control.”
Only after the taped report did Guthrie mention that the cabdriver made “a very dangerous move.” Fellow co-host Matt Lauer scolded: “Yeah, I don't care how frustrated you are, you don't hang on a moving car. Not a good idea.”
Up until that point, viewers would have gotten the distinct impression that Uber was somehow responsible for the incident.
Here is a full transcript of the December 10 segment:
7:00 AM ET TEASE:
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Taken for a ride! A cabbie confronts an Uber driver and gets dragged 60 feet down the street, as the battle between the car service app and traditional taxis gets ugly.
7:19 AM ET TEASE:
GUTHRIE: Coming up, an ugly scene. Look what happened to this taxi driver who was on the streets protesting Uber.
7:31 AM ET SEGMENT:
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Let's start this half hour with the story behind that video we've been showing you this morning of a cabbie being dragged by an Uber driver. This happened during an anti-Uber protest. Willie’s following this story for us. Hey, Willie, good morning.
WILLIE GEIST: Good morning, Savannah. Good morning, guys. Yeah, this is a wild scene in Toronto. The driver said he started banging on the car because he was hoping to make a point that Uber drivers are unsafe and uninsured.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Uber vs. Cab Driver Confrontation; Latest in Series of Attacks as Protests Grow]
GEIST: During a protest against Uber in Toronto on Wednesday, a cabdriver was caught on video taking out his frustration on the company, banging on the window of an Uber driver's car. Suddenly the driver pulls away, with the man still clinging to the car, dragging him nearly 70 feet.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN [CABDRIVER]: I thought this guy really followed the law. He should have stopped.
GEIST: The man was among several Toronto taxi drivers protesting what they see as unfair business practices by Uber, which they also say is threatening the very existence of the city's taxi industry. The man, the Uber driver and his passenger, were not hurt. But it's just the latest in a long line of incidents involving Uber drivers across the country and around the globe.
Cabdrivers in cities like New York, Chicago, and New Orleans joined the global day of action against Uber in September. With more protests in France, Brazil and India. While the car-hailing app may have revolutionized the way we get around, the company has faced questions about its business practices.
STEPHEN COLBERT: What is your response to, Uber kills professional, good paying jobs, and it's unfair to the drivers and it's destroying the cab industry?
TRAVIS KALANICK: In the Uber world, you can use your own car. You don't pay $40,000 to rent the vehicle. You make more dollars per hour and it's flexible. You don't have a shift. You can turn on your work when you want to, and you can turn it off.
GEIST: But traditional cabdrivers complain that Uber cars are often uninsured and unsafe, creating frustration like this man’s and protests that can spiral out of control.
As for that protester's complaints, Uber says, “Our focus remains on working with city officials to update regulations that allow for innovation...which will benefit everyone in the ground transportation market.” We've seen this tension, guys, in cities around the world. Between Uber, the new technology, and the old city cabs.
GUTHRIE: A very dangerous move there, though, Willie.
LAUER: Yeah, I don't care how frustrated you are, you don't hang on a moving car. Not a good idea.
GUTHRIE: Thank you.
