[nagdu] Washington Post: Uber sued for allegedly refusingridestothe blind and putting a dog in the trunk

Fri Sep 12 20:55:06 UTC 2014

Hi all. I've used Uber a few times within the past month. I haven't yet had any issues but if you do support at uber.com is a good email address to get a hold of Uber. The only problem I had once was a driver said that he had a flat tire. I obviously couldn't prove whether he did or not but figured out that it was a true statement because same driver picked me up a few days later when I took them. Most of the drivers I've had have been fine except that one particular driver. I ended up getting a 10 dollar credit which was cool but since the app is easy to use it wasn't difficult to get another driver. I'll see how they are as I go and if I have any issues I'll keep you posted. I wouldn't allow any driver to put my dog anywhere and can't imagine the guide dog user not knowing that her dog was in the trunk. Just my two cents worth on a Friday afternoon. 

Rebecca and Zeb
email: rilniski at gmail.com
twitter: zebs_mom
Sent from my IPhone

On Sep 12, 2014, at 12:03 PM, "Mark J. Cadigan via nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:

Raven,

I have had UBER drivers refuse to transport me. all I do in this situation is hit the button to request another driver. The system normally won't kick the request to the same driver. Or, at least I have never seen it do that. After my new UBER is on its way, I send a quick email to UBER customer support and they refund me any cancelation fees, and supposedly give the driver a talking to, however I can neither prove nor disprove that the drivers ever face consequences.

HTH

Mark

----- Original Message ----- From: "Raven Tolliver via nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
To: "Dan Weiner" <dcwein at dcwein.cnc.net>; "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, September 12, 2014 4:44 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Washington Post: Uber sued for allegedly refusingridestothe blind and putting a dog in the trunk

> This just happened to me this past Saturday. Fortunately, I had the
> option of taking a bus, but I chose to request a Uber because the
> buses were only running once an hour at the time of day. So I request
> a Uber, and the guy is 3 minutes away. I'm on the phone with him,
> telling him where I am because I'm not at a physical address. He pulls
> up, sees the dog, apologizes and pulls off. Okay, so I gotta go wait
> for a bus. The biggest pain in the butt with an ap like this is that,
> unlike a taxi, you can't request another ride, because the one you're
> going to get is the same person that just left you stranded.
> Fortunately, I did not get charged for a ride that never happened. And
> the same as with Nicole's mentioned Taxi Magic, you can only rate and
> comment on drivers after your ride.
> I love Uber. Every other driver I've had was incredibly nice. But
> something has to change. This is a service provided to the public, so
> they need to pull up their drawers, own up, and realize that they must
> accommodate people with service dogs as such.
> 
>> On 9/12/14, Dan Weiner via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Well you know the problem with specifying that you have a guide dog is
>> this"
>> Honestly when I've done it I still get drivers who have issues--smile.
>> Not always of course, but it has happened several times when I would say
>> that I'm blind and have a service dog or guide dog that then the driver
>> would come and act like a numbskull and claim whatever excuse:
>> Allergies, fear of dogs, or ""I don't take dogs".
>> 
>> 
>> So I suppose what has to happen is that penalties need to be beefed up and
>> they have to be laws with real clout, I mean readily enforceable.
>> 
>> Dan W.
>> 
>> dcwein at dcwein.cnc.net
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Nicole Torcolini
>> via nagdu
>> Sent: Friday, September 12, 2014 12:24 AM
>> To: 'debby phillips'; 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide
>> Dog Users'; 'Marion Gwizdala'; nyagdu at nfbnet.org; njagdu at nfbnet.org;
>> flagdu at nfbnet.org; nagdu-leaders at nfbnet.org
>> Cc: marion.gwizdala at verizon.net
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Washington Post: Uber sued for allegedly
>> refusingridestothe blind and putting a dog in the trunk
>> 
>> This is going to happen with any service that uses apps for scheduling that
>> does not provide a way for specifying  that you have a service dog. I know
>> that some people don't like specifying that they have a service dog with
>> them, but I would rather wait a little longer for someone who will take a
>> dog than wait at least double time for someone to come, see the dog, and
>> then get someone else, provided that I realize right away what has
>> happened.
>> There is another app called taxi Magic, and I have had this happen to me at
>> least two or three times. There needs to be laws about smart phone apps for
>> scheduling that say that the app has to allow the user to provide feedback
>> to the company that the driver drove off when they saw the dog. Taxi Magic
>> has a ride survey, but you don't get to take it if the driver cancels the
>> ride, which is what most of the drivers did.
>> 
>> Nicole
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of debby phillips
>> via nagdu
>> Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2014 9:11 PM
>> To: Marion Gwizdala; NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide
>> Dog Users; nagdu at nfbnet.org; nyagdu at nfbnet.org; njagdu at nfbnet.org;
>> flagdu at nfbnet.org; nagdu-leaders at nfbnet.org
>> Cc: marion.gwizdala at verizon.net
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Washington Post: Uber sued for allegedly refusing
>> ridestothe blind and putting a dog in the trunk
>> 
>> Hi all, there's another company similar to Uber called Lift.  The same
>> thing
>> happened to a friend of mine.  He and his dog were supposed to be picked up
>> at work and driven home.  He lives in another city from our job, and
>> there's
>> no bus connection between the two.  So when he downloaded LIFT to his
>> phone,
>> he was given a bunch of free rides, which was their offer for new folks.
>> Anyway, the car came to get him and when the driver saw that the blind
>> person had a dog, he left.  Not sure what he is doing about this.  I had
>> thought about getting this App and using Lift, but I
>> don't exactly want to get stranded.    Peace,    Debby and the
>> Golden Neena
>> 
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> 
> 
> -- 
> Raven
> "if God didn't make it, don't eat it." - John B. Symes, D.V.M.
> http://dogtorj.com
> 
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