HELD UP FOR $10
Uber driver’s terrifying ordeal
AN Uber driver has told the Gold Coast Bulletin she feels lucky to have escaped injury after being kidnapped by a knife-wielding man wearing a grim reaper mask. The 39-year-old was handcuffed to the steering wheel of her car and robbed after driving the man to a Northern Gold Coast destination on Saturday night.
The thief escaped with just $10.
A FEMALE Uber driver handcuffed to her steering wheel and robbed at knifepoint on Saturday felt so lucky not to be hurt during the terrifying ordeal she bought lottery ticket.
The 39-year-old mother, who wished only to be known as Mel, spoke exclusively to the Gold Coast Bulletin about the night a man wearing a grim reaper mask jumped into her parked car at Runaway Bay holding a filleting knife.
“My Uber app wasn’t working so I pulled over to check it,” Mel said.
“Then this guy jumped in the car wearing a Halloween mask and he had a filleting knife and just said: ‘Drive’.
“I was like: ‘What?’ “And he said it again: ‘Drive’.
“I was a bit of a smart arse and I said: ‘Well, where are we off to’?”
Mel said the man told her to drive to Harbour Town but when they arrived at the Runway Bay Tavern she asked for further directions.
“He said: ‘Well, you’re the Uber driver, you tell me’.”
The Gold Coast mother began driving down Hollywell Rd before the masked man forced her to pull over and handcuffed her to the steering wheel.
“He said: ‘Don’t worry I’m not going to hurt you, I just want some money’,” Mel said.
“I told him I didn’t carry any cash but I had $10 in the sunglasses case in the car.
“First he said: ‘What (only) 10 bucks?’ but then he took it.
“I said: ‘I’ve got coins, do you want them too?’ but he said: ‘I don’t want your coins’.”
Mel said the man, who she believes was aged in his 20s, told her: “Tonight’s your lucky night” before removing the handcuffs and asking her to return him to the place he got in the car.
“On the way back he was saying: ‘I was never going to hurt you. Times are tough and I just need money to pay my rent. I hope I haven’t put you off Uber driving.’
“He said he wanted to go to the Grand Hotel but when we got near Charis (Seafoods) he just said: ‘Pull in here and I will have those coins.’
“I said to him: ‘I don’t suppose you need any hair clips because I’ve got them too.’
“And he just said ‘I’m really sorry’ and got out and then I called the police.”
Mel said her “smart arse personality” equipped her to deal with the terrifying incident.
“I think that helped me,” she said. “I didn’t say: ‘I’ve got kids don’t hurt me. I just didn’t mention anything because I didn’t want to rile him up.’
“I’d only been doing Uber for four days ... but I won’t be doing it anymore.”
While she wasn’t sure what she’d do for work yet, Mel said the first thing she was going to do was buy lottery and Keno tickets.
“I feel like I’ve had a run of luck. Two days ago my parrot flew away and then it came back and I didn’t get hurt so I’m going to go buy that ticket now,” she said.
Mel said she wanted other female Uber drivers to learn from her experience to be more careful on the road and think twice about driving late at night.
“I want girls to know they shouldn’t be out there Uber driving that late,” Mel said.
“Maybe try Sheeba and even men, as well, should be careful.”
Nobody has yet been arrested over the incident.
HE JUST SAID ‘I’M REALLY SORRY’ AND GOT OUT AND THEN I CALLED THE POLICE. UBER DRIVER MEL