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Uber driver already charged with exposing himself to passing women in Boston now charged with repeating his performance in Everett

Everett Police report arresting a Malden man who lists his occupation as "Uber driver" on charges he exposed himself to a woman walking down the street yesterday from the front of his Dodge Caravan yesterday.

Paul Griffin, 28, was already facing similar charges for a similar offense involving two women near West Street in Downtown Crossing, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports. He was released on $500 bail in that case.

Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria expressed his disgust and said the case - and the arrest of an Uber driver earlier this month on a rape charge - shows why the state legislature should put more teeth in its recently enacted ride-hire regulations - and force drivers for companies such as Uber to undergo fingerprinting.

This is the second incident of Uber drivers assaulting women just in the last couple of weeks and we are still waiting for the Department of Public Utilities to implement new regulations requiring criminal background checks for Uber drivers. I once again call on the Legislature to go back into session. Amend this legislation to immediately require thorough background checks for all drivers, and require fingerprinting. Clearly, these drivers should be thoroughly vetted and they are not.

DeMaria is also demanding a meeting with Uber CEO Travis Kalanick to discuss how the company needs to do better screening its drivers:

Within the past several weeks, we as a community have experienced two extremely disturbing incidents relative to Uber drivers who should never have been allowed the opportunity to drive for your company.

In the exposure case, Everett Police say:

Patrol Officer Nicole O’Donnell observed the suspect vehicle being operated on Ferry Street by Glendale Park. Ptl. O’Donnell, along with Ptl. Kristopher Gaff stopped the vehicle. As the officers approached the vehicle, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and drove into oncoming traffic on Ferry Street. The suspect vehicle turned onto a dead end street and the suspect fled on foot from the vehicle. The suspect was eventually taken into custody after fleeing through several yards and streets.

Griffin was charged with open and gross lewdness, lewd and lacivious conduct, failure to stop for police, reckless operation and resisting arrest.

Innocent, etc.

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Comments

This is getting out of control.

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it's all about showing someone who you really are

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Those self-driving Ubers can't come soon enough!!

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The policy surrounding background checks for Uber drivers under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Utilities?

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Uber is saying that they do background checks. Well, apparently, they are not doing background checks to check for criminal backgrounds. This is a problem.

And that is why you need (here comes that dirty word to some) "regulations".

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Uber is getting worse and worse. My wife got into an Uber the other day where the driver was smoking in the car. WTF. She gave him a terrible review, but come on. Uber's appeal, at least in Boston, is primarily superior service to taxis and the ability to summon the car from your phone. The former is diminishing rapidly. If they get any real competition from Lyft or the like, Uber is going down.

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I don't understand how people have not heard of Fasten?! They are superior to Uber in the fact that they ACTUALLY do background checks for drivers and are concerned about the welfare of their passengers. Uber is going further and further downhill just to put drivers on the road and they don't give a crap about their customers.

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Aren't they the 800lb gorilla right now? I don't see Lyft being much competition. Never even heard of Fasten.

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This "gentleman" was let go from the unemployment office a few years ago for inappropriate internet searches. Uber did not check, or the State was not forthcoming, with his former employer. http://hr.cch.com/news/employment/090106a.asp

He also sued the Agency for his dismissal.

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Who said he was an Uber driver other than him?

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