Stressed Out Uber, E-Hail Drivers Vent in Group Therapy Sessions Organized by IDG

Ashraf Azim opens up to fellow drivers about what goes through his mind when a passenger who looks menacing gets into his car. He says he thinks of his family.

“Particularly one night, believe you me, I had said my last prayers,” Azim, a driver for Uber and Juno, says. “My wife and my kids, it’s right there in the mind, I’m not going to see them. He clearly said, 'I am into the death and killing business.' And he humiliated me.”

It’s one of the many stories of harassment and violence drivers for e-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft share at this group therapy session, led by a therapist with a masters degree in public health and clinical social work. The Independent Drivers Guild, which represents more than 65,000 for-hire vehicle drivers, started the therapy sessions in December to help drivers deal with the financial and emotional pressures they face.

The IDG gave a news crew permission to sit in on Monday's session, held at the Black Car Safety Center in Long Island City, Queens. Click here to read more and and watch the video.