Woman Steals Uber Driver's Car Because It Was Taking Too Long To Get To The Airport

A woman checking in at the Austin-Bergstrom International AirportPhoto: Brandon Bell / Staff (Getty Images)

There’s no denying that traffic in Austin, Texas can be awful. The city could seriously use a more expansive rail network. Still, that doesn’t give anyone the right to steal their Uber driver’s car so they can get to the airport faster, a lesson one woman learned the hard way when she was arrested inside the Austin-Bergstrom Airport for doing exactly that, Fox 7 Austin reports.

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According to the arrest report, the Uber driver picked up Neusha Afkami on Sunday at about 12:30 a.m. to take her from her hotel to the airport. Reportedly frustrated that it was taking too long to get there, Afkami grabbed the driver’s phone and threw it out of the car. The driver then stopped the car to get out and retrieve her phone. That’s when Afkami hopped into the driver’s seat and sped off, leaving the driver stranded.

And she would have gotten away with it, too, if the Uber driver hadn’t done the obvious thing and reported her to the police for stealing her car. Airport police found the car abandoned in front of one of the terminals and were able to arrest her before she boarded her flight. When confronted, she reportedly claimed she’d told the driver, “I need to get to the airport, so I’m going to take your car and drop it off at Southwest Airlines.”

To add insult to injury, CBS Austin reports Afkami had also stolen the Uber driver’s wallet and had spent nearly $130 on the woman’s debit card, including buying a half pound of Cactus Candy. She’s reportedly been charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle and credit card abuse, both of which are considered state jail felonies in Texas and carry a minimum sentence of 180 days and a maximum sentence of two years. Considering how brazen Afkami was, we don’t get the feeling the judge is going to go light on her.