Gemma Capell talks to the Herald about the terrifying moment her Uber driver was caught on camera sneaking around her house. Video / NZ Herald
An Auckland woman was left terrified after she caught an Uber driver snooping around her property moments after dropping her home.
Gemma Cappel ordered an Uber to her house from the city after a night out with friends and family two Saturdays ago.
She was dropped home just after 3amand was getting ready for bed before a notification from one of her security cameras alerted her to a person outside her house.
“The Uber had already driven off up the driveway and then my cameras spotted someone walking around the house and tiptoeing around the side of my house,” Cappel told Focus.
“It just rocked me,” she said. “I felt really unsafe.
“It’s just scary having somebody invade your space and not having any answers yet as to why.”
Gemma Cappel. Photo / Nick Dobbie
Cappel’s partner - whose account the ride was logged under - reported the incident to Uber the next day but was only sent back a generic apology.
After pushing for more to be done, the company replied saying they’d instructed their systems not to match the ccount with the driver-partner again.
“Uber just fobbed us off,” she said. “They need to take some responsibility.
“Does something actually physically have to happen before they do something? There needs to be something that protects you and they need to take accountability.”
Focus has since understood the driver’s account has been temporarily removed while the incident is still under investigation.
In a statement, an Uber spokesperson said they were concerned to hear of the incident. They said they “take riders’ safety seriously”, quoting the “emergency assistance button and Share my Trip feature”.
Cappel took the matter to police last week and an officer has checked in with her.
A police spokesperson confirmed they were investigating the incident and were making a number of enquiries. Uber said they were currently assisting the police with their investigation.
Cappel posted the video on a Facebook community page in hopes her experience would at least remind other women to stay vigilant.
The video received hundreds of likes and comments and her inbox flooded with messages.
“When I woke up the next morning there was like 50-plus message requests I was like, ‘ok this needs to be talked about.’
“The amount of responses of people that have been uncomfortable in Ubers or taxis or have had things happen like routes changed and having to make fake calls to be safe.”
Police added as general advice for the public, passengers should “check the driver is who they say they are, to look at their ID tag and check they have a passenger licence and a Certificate of Fitness displayed.
“If they aren’t properly licenced and certified don’t get in. You want to know the driver and their car are safe.
