Here's an interesting twist from the guy who shot a bunch of innocent people in Kalamazoo, Michigan a couple of weeks ago.
Jason Dalton, currently in jail awaiting trial for killing six people and injuring more, filed a $10 million lawsuit against Uber.
Dalton is apparently bitter about the fact that Uber's business model is built on a contract, and contractors are responsible for their own benefits.
"I worked years as a Uber contractor and they ripped me off, never paid me back wages or overtime. I busted my butt for them. They gave me no Christmas bonus, I wasn't invited to any corporate parties, they made me work when I was sick and didn't let me spend time with my 2 children," Dalton wrote.
Of course, that's part of the downside of being a contractor. You're your own boss, more or less.
He went on to say, "I had to pay my own gas and I hit lots of potholes and Uber would not fix my Chevy Equinox and Uber would call my phone late at night and make me work or say I was fired....Uber discriminates against my mental health."
The ending is possibly the most disturbing. I could almost empathize with him about how hard it is to be a contract employee, but this was just too far for me.
"I'm currently in prison because of Uber. Uber doesn't care about its drivers, we are peasants and pawn pieces to Ubers [sic] bottom line....My life is ruined because of Uber. My wife is divorcing me because of Uber. I seek $10 million dollars in punitive damages nad emotional distress. I have psycological (sic) damage because of Uber."
If I were looking at this man straight in the eye, I would calmly explain to him that Uber did not pull the trigger and execute six innocent people. Uber did not buy the guns, or stockpile ammunition. And Uber didn't instruct him to do it either.
I do have some empathy for his situation, but not for the fact that he chose to feel sorry for himself instead of doing something about it.
His full complaint is embedded below.