Some Parisian Uber Drivers Are Harassing Female Customers By Text

Several women complained about the texts on Twitter. Uber told a French newspaper that they’re investigating the claims.

Sergio Perez / Reuters

Several Parisian women took to Twitter to complain about Uber drivers hitting on them via text message after getting their numbers through the app, the French newspaper Libération reported on Tuesday.

"If you can't sleep, I can help you," one driver texted a woman whom he had driven around ; "I'm coming over, honey," another one texted a woman he was about to pick up. The women screenshotted the messages and posted them on Twitter. Other women complained about drivers hitting on them during their ride. One of them said her driver told her that he had "a lollipop" for her.

Uber Paris replied to one of the women on Twitter asking her if they could talk about it via direct message. The company also told Libération that they would suspend any driver who doesn't respect their quality guidelines. Uber told the newspaper that they started investigating the claims but that the women refused to give them more details about the incidents. One woman reportedly told Libération that she did not want to "cause any harm to the driver."

In December, French authorities decided to ban UberPop, a service offered by Uber where private individuals can offer rides to customers. "Currently, people who use UberPop are not protected if there is an accident. So not only is it illegal to offer this service but for the consumer there is a real danger," a government spokesman told TV network BFM at the time.

Back in October, Uber Lyon (France's third biggest city) promoted an app called "Avions de Chasse" that offered to pair Uber riders with "hot chick" drivers. The promotion was deleted after BuzzFeed got in touch with the company.

The new allegations are the latest in a string of abusive incidents towards women by drivers working for the massive startup. In December, Newsweek reported that the company had offered a woman credit after she accused a driver of sexually harassing her during a ride in London. The company also suspended its services in New Delhi in December, after a female passenger was raped by a driver.