Uber passenger says she was kidnapped, company denies

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- A woman says she was the victim of a brief kidnapping by her Uber driver last week, while the ride-share company says her allegation is "inaccurate."

The woman says she ordered an UberX -- the company's low-cost service that allows private drivers to transport customers -- on her way home from a party, but what should have been a quick 20-minute trip turned into a two hour nightmare.

Screen shots from the emailed receipt from Uber shows the driver went almost 20 miles out of the way while ignoring her questions.

She claims the driver then pulled into an abandoned lot, and the driver locked the doors when she tried to exit the car. Only when she screamed did the driver relent, taking her home.

The woman says when she contacted Uber with extensive details of the incident, she received just a simple automated message noting that her fare had been reduced because of an "inefficient route." Eventually Uber refunded her whole fare.

Uber, meanwhile, says the woman's report is "inaccurate," and that the driver was actually attempting to assist an intoxicated passenger.

"Early reports on this ride are inaccurate," said Uber spokeswoman Eva Behrend.

"Based on the information we have at this time, this driver called 911 to ask for assistance with an intoxicated rider who requested an extended trip. However, we have refunded the rider's trip and reached out to the rider for additional information." In refunding the ride, Uber left a note with the passenger calling the trip an 'inefficient route.'"

The Los Angeles Police Department told the Verge it was unable to confirm if it had received such a call, but was investigating.

The passenger has also been in touch with police and an attorney.