The Sydney Uber driver who had a racist rant against Aboriginal people and Nowra was probably lucky it was Corey Webster in his car and not someone more inclined to use his fists rather than his brain.
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Nowra-born, but now Sydney-based Yuin Nation hip hop artist Corey Webster, who is known professionally as Nooky, said as an Aboriginal man from Nowra it hurt and angered him to listen to the driver attack his people and his town. But he kept his cool until the end and then he used the moment to educate the driver.
“I get in an Uber and the driver asks where I'm from? I say Nowra then his response was ‘I heard there is a big abo problem down there’,” Nooky said.
“I didn’t know what to say, that type of language wasn’t acceptable 50 years ago and it’s not acceptable now.
“Then the driver starts talking about issues he’s heard about in Narooma and Kempsey, using the same word.
“It was so hard for me to not get physical. I thought what the hell do I do?
“I decided to sit through it and see what he said and then use it to shine a light on a situation that needs to be addressed.
“At the end of the trip I asked the driver what was the refund policy for Uber and he asked me why?
“I told him, I’m an Aboriginal from Nowra and your language has been disgusting.”
On feedback to Uber Nooky explained “the driver used nothing but disgusting language and derogatory terms the whole trip. I expect a full refund and some sort of disciplinary action to be taken against this driver”.
“An apology and a refund is nice, but they need to educate their drivers.
“I have immense pride in my heritage. I’m an Aboriginal man from Nowra before anything. And he challenged both of those things.
“What if the next person isn’t so resilient? I kept calm but what happens if the next person doesn’t?”
“It’s 2016, I can’t believe people are still using that word. But they do and some people don’t seem to understand that it’s wrong,” he said.
