Do you recall the disturbing footage of a Taco Marketing Executive violently assaulting an Uber driver in Los Angeles? The incident was recorded October 30th 2015, and went viral on Youtube shortly after. Scroll down to watch it at the end of the article.
The attack was clearly unprovoked and would have put anyone to shame after seeing the footage. And initially, 32-year-old Benjamin Golden appeared teary eyed and remorseful when apologizing in an exclusive interview on CBS. He’d been intoxicated and didn’t remember being violent. He said that he felt that the behavior was out of character, he felt ashamed, and said the video was very hard for him to watch. Golden lost his job and is facing charges and a $25000 lawsuit brought on by driver Edward Caban for having caused emotional distress. But he looks into the camera and promises to make things right.
Then, shortly after, Gail King breaks the astonishing news that Golden has since decided to sue Caban instead, for illegally filming him, and posting the footage on Youtube. The amount to make things right? Five million dollars!
CBS asked legal expert Ricky Klieman‘s opinion, who said if it was in her courtroom, Golden wouldn’t have a case. However, California law requires consent of all parties to record audio in private. While Klieman considers Uber a public setting, other courts might take a different stand.
Incredulously, a similar incident has just taken place in Florida. On Jan 23rd another Youtube video was uploaded and has also gone viral, showing a fourth year Neurology resident at one of Miami’s most prestigious hospitals, throwing a tantrum when the Uber driver she mistakingly takes for hers, doesn’t want to drive her. Scroll down to watch the video at the end of the article.
New York Post reported that the man who posted the video was Juan Cinco, who had called for the car. He said he had volunteered to give it up for her, in a failed attempt to calm her. The tantrum involved forcing her way into the car and throwing property of the driver like papers, an iphone and scissors, out the window. Afterwards, the video shows her calmly walking away, saying good night.
But Cinco described how she broke down when the cops showed up and put her in the police car. She started crying, apologizing and claiming that an arrest would make her lose her medical license.
While the driver took a settlement and didn’t press charges, the hospital where she worked placed her on administrative leave, and removed her from all clinical duties.
Sadly, both incidents involved alcohol. The remorseful follow-up interviews shows two put-together and sympathetic Dr Jekylls’, acting the completely opposite from the video’s crazed Mr Hides’.
In Dr. Anjali Ramkissoon’s case, Good Morning America did an exclusive interview where she explained how just minutes prior to that altercation with the Uber driver, she and her boyfriend of two years had broken up. Her father was also hospitalized earlier in the day. She asked for the public’s forgiveness, and said she can’t stomach watching the video of herself.
“There’s absolutely no excuse for my actions. I’m ashamed, I’m so sorry. I’ve hurt so many people with this — my family, my friends, my job, the Uber driver. No one deserves to be treated that way and that’s not me. […] It was probably one of the worst days of my life and I was caught at my lowest moment.”
Ramkissoon wishes her story to inspire others to think before reacting. Hopefully she will be able to move on and leave this behind her, lesson learnt, but the outcome of Golden’s case remains to be seen. And the lesson to be learned for the rest of us? Alcohol is not a good idea when dealing with tough personal issues, nor in too large quantities. And be nice to your Uber-driver!
Featured image is a screenshot from Youtube video. Anjali Ramkissoon apologizing on Good Morning America for assaulting an Uber driver. Permission to use via Creative Commons.
