Divit is a guide dog, who has been trained to keep his owner safe and independent and to have impeccable manners in public. Yet Divit’s owner says that they were left at the curb on their way to a vet appointment, simply because the driver assigned to their ride didn’t want to have a dog in the car. Even a service dog, which in theory is allowed to go anywhere that its owner or trainer does.
Uber says that it makes allowances for drivers who have religious issues with certain animals, or allergies, but that drivers “are expected to comply fully with ADA requirements, and we provide our driver community with information on best practices for accommodating riders with disabilities.” Uber also told NBC News that the driver who refused to transport this passenger has had his account deactivated.
You could say that he was fired, but Uber isn’t an employer, it’s an app. The company maintains that it’s simply a service that brings together people who need rides and people willing to accept money for rides. That means they don’t have direct control over their drivers on the ground, who are not their employees.
The timing is bad for yet another Uber driver to be accused of refusing to transport a service dog. The company is facing a civil rights lawsuit by the National Federation of The Blind, where one passenger claims that their guide dog was forced to ride in the car’s trunk when a driver wouldn’t allow it in the backseat.
Uber Allegedly Turns Away Wisconsin Blind Man and His Service Dog [NBC]
by Laura Northrup via Consumerist