WTF? Uber Let Qu’ran-Burning Pastor Behind The Wheel (VIDEO)

Uber has long been under fire for not adequately vetting its drivers. This problem really manifested itself last year, when it emerged that Jason Dalton, the man who killed six people in and around Kalamazoo, Michigan went on his rampage was an Uber driver–and was actually picking up rides between shootings.

Had Uber delved into Dalton’s background more, it would have discovered that he had problems in the past controlling his temper. Well, it looks like Uber hasn’t learned its lesson. The so-called pastor who was infamous for wanting to burn Qu’rans somehow managed to get a gig as an Uber driver.

Terry Jones is best known as the yayhoo pastor from Gainesville, Florida who wanted to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks by burning the Qu’ran. As outrageous as this would have been by itself, it happened in the middle of Ramadan. He was bombarded with death threats, and Pentagon officials were unnerved enough to ask him to stop out of fear for the safety of troops in the Middle East. He eventually backed down.

However, he actually went through with a Qu’ran burning in 2011, prompting riots in Afghanistan. After this, al-Qaeda affiliated groups placed a $2.2 million bounty on his head. As late as 2013, he was still trying to burn Qu’rans in Polk County, Florida. Deputies there caught him hauling a trailer of kerosene-soaked Qu’rans and charged him with unlawful conveyance of fuel. However, that charge was later dismissed.

Despite all of this, and his placement on the watch lists of the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League, Jones was cleared to drive for Uber in January. He not only drove in Bradenton, where he now lives, but also Sarasota, Tampa, and St. Petersburg. He was looking for a way to earn extra money after finding it difficult to move his French fry stand to another Bradenton mall when mall managers realized he was THE Terry Jones. He told The Washington Post that he was surprised when Uber hired him, wondering “how much research they do.”

Since driving for Uber, Jones has made no bones about sharing his Islamophobic message with customers. He also carries a gun, in violation of Uber’s ban on firearms. In late January, a rider thought Jones looked familiar. When he realized who it was, he sent screenshots of Jones’ account information to The Post, out of fear that innocent third parties “could get caught up in all that insanity.

Had Uber bothered to check, it would have discovered that Jones has another red flag on his record besides Islamophobia. Back in 2012, while making a quixotic run for president, he gained infamy for hanging a President Obama doll from a gallows on the lawn of his Gainesville church, prompting a Secret Service investigation. Watch here.

It took a mere 20 seconds to find this video on YouTube. Had Uber’s people done so, Jones’ career at Uber would have ended before it started. Or at least, it should have.

Dave Sutton, spokesman for Who’s Driving You?, a campaign of the Taxicab, Limousine and Paratransit Association that highlights serious offenses committed by ridesharing drivers, was dumbfounded when he learned Jones was driving for Uber. He noted that there were two big problems with this arrangement. Not only was Jones “placing a target on…passengers’ heads” due to the bounty on his head, but his extremist views made it a near-certainty that he would get into an argument that could turn ugly.

To its credit, Uber struck fast and hard when alerted by The Post. It suspended Jones pending further review, citing its zero-tolerance policy against discriminatory behavior. An Uber spokeswoman said that what The Post’s reporting had revealed was “totally unacceptable and has no place in our community.” However, if Uber had a decent vetting system, none of this would have happened. Would you want someone driving for you who knowingly puts innocent people in danger due to the bounty on his head? And would you want someone driving for you who threatened the president of the United States?

Incredibly, Jones still wants to drive. He applied to drive for Lyft, whose screening process is marginally better. In most cities, including the Tampa Bay/Sarasota/Bradenton area, anyone driving for Lyft must meet with a “mentor” for a practice ride and inspection before any further background screening. Hopefully Lyft won’t make the same mistake Uber did.

(featured image courtesy Andy Herbon, available under a Creative Commons BY-NC license)

Darrell is a 30-something graduate of the University of North Carolina who considers himself a journalist of the old school. An attempt to turn him into a member of the religious right in college only succeeded in turning him into the religious right's worst nightmare--a charismatic Christian who is an unapologetic liberal. His desire to stand up for those who have been scared into silence only increased when he survived an abusive three-year marriage. You may know him on Daily Kos as Christian Dem in NC. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook. Click here to buy Darrell a Mello Yello.