‘OH, GET UBER IT!’
Tip-swipe teen says stop viral shaming
She’s just your “average teenager doing dumb s--t.”
The Brooklyn girl caught on video stealing from an Uber driver’s tip jar insists she’s not a bad person, telling The Post she was simply acting out and “being childish” — which, according to her, is totally acceptable behavior.
“Do I feel bad? Yes,” said Gabrielle Canales, 18. “But now I’m being exploited . . . all because I made one bad decision.”
Coming clean in a lengthy email Wednesday, Canales claimed she paid back driver Mohammed Bhuiyan for the money she took from him on Aug. 12 and repeatedly apologized for her actions. Her remorse quickly turned to anger, though, while discussing the media coverage she received last week after the footage show- ing her brazen theft went viral.
Specifically, Canales — who was wearing just a bra and skirt in the dashcam video — called out news outlets for writing about her scantily clad appearance.
“I am an 18-year-old being shamed for the way I dress as if my clothes make me as a person,” she said. “What do you want me to wear or behave like? This is your average teenager doing dumb s--t and learning from her mistakes . . . My pictures that were taken at different times, and have no connection to this incident, are being posted throughout the Internet for clicks . . . I feel emotional harassment and criticism from everyone at this point.”
Canales told The Post that she felt like she was being singled out by people on social media because she was a woman.
“Boonk Gang does the same thing and we both are minorities, so what’s the real issue?” she said, referring to Instagram star and South Florida resident John Robert Hill, who has become famous for stealing things on video.
“I gain nothing but a bad image from this negative fame,” the young lady added.
“So for everyone who says I did this for clout, no I didn’t. It was me being childish, and it happened to go viral months later. I’m wrong for taking $5, and according to the world, I need to die and etcetera.”
Canales added, “I understand I’m completely wrong, and I’m not denying it. So why am I wrong for feeling that this is in the past? The man was paid. He didn’t report it. I can move on.”
Bhuiyan told The Post last week that he had contacted Uber about the incident, but there was really nothing they could do.
A spokesperson suggested he file a police report, but he decided it would be too much of a hassle.
“If I saw her again, I’d tell her to be honest, to stop stealing and be nice,” he said.
Do I feel bad? Yes. But now I’m being exploited . . . all because I made one bad decision.
— Gabrielle Canales, 18, who was caught on video stealing tips from her Uber driver