[NAGDU] Rideshare denials

Sun May 5 12:49:34 UTC 2024

I hear you Debbie. It is an outrage to have to decide whether to take a dog to your time sensitive appointment or leave them home, because you don't know what the rideshare drivers are going to try to pull. It is even worse, to make this ongoing problem a consideration when deciding whether to train with a successor dog or not.

Although the rideshare companies would claim otherwise, I simply don't believe that they have a strong zero tolerance policy for violations of the law when it comes to guide dogs/service animals. They would say that they are doing all they can, but I do not believe it.

For example, I was recently enrolled at a university which had a very strict progressive policy against cheating and plagiarism. If you were caught once, you would receive an F on the assignment; twice, you failed the entire course; three times and you were expelled from the university. I don't think the rideshare companies have such a policy in place.

When attempting to make travel arrangements with a family member or friend, I try to be considerate. If they don't want a dog in their vehicle, I can either honor that or choose not to ride with them. However, When a driver makes the decision to provide a public service and drive their personal vehicle for a rideshare company, they forfeit their right to make the call, and they should be required to comply with the law. We shouldn't be forced to deal with this.

Robin (Diane) Graves
rdgraves2007 at gmail.com
317-238-9262

“TGIF: TODAY GOD IS FIRST.’—OS Hillman

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Debbie Malone via NAGDU
Sent: Sunday, May 5, 2024 7:31 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Debbie Malone <dmalone510 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Rideshare denials

I do the same thing. I report to Uber, NFB, and our RTA (MBTA/the RIDE)since many of my rides are contracted through them. I am going out to the DOJ complaints in the next day or so. Any advice?

I am so outraged that even those contracted rides are denied. The other day the paratransit service didn't have enough vans to take me on my scheduled trip. The tried to get me an Uber but were refused by every driver. They were telling the drivers that I had a service dog and allowed each driver to deny the ride. They had to delay a regular van driver's lunch to take me to my appointment. I am so outraged that I am looking into a protest at the state house and/or media coverage. I am too through.

*Sent with Right Inbox <https://www.rightinbox.com/?utm_source=signature>*

On Sat, May 4, 2024 at 4:14 PM Suzette May via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> What Lyft told me is that if you message the driver that you have a 
> guide dog or the driver is close enough to see that you have a guide 
> dog and the ride is canceled at any point after that, it is considered 
> a service dog denial. So I report those.  I also screenshot my text 
> message when it says the driver has seen the message, along with the 
> driver information screen as soon as possible. I also report it on the 
> NFB form and the DOJ form every time.  If I can, I start videoing when the driver is one minute away.
> I'm averaging about 1 in 3 guide dog denials.  I've had several that 
> were blatant, to my face denials. That was before I started videoing.
>
> *Suzette May*
> *PS139.13 at gmail.com <PS139.13 at gmail.com>*
> *512-564-0152*
>
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, May 2, 2024 at 12:34 PM Raul Gallegos - NAGDU via NAGDU < 
> nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> > Hello Vanessa. While there is no direct evidence that you have been 
> > denied, I personally would still report it as such, especially if 
> > you
> have
> > voluntarily sent the driver a text that identifies you as a blind 
> > person traveling with a guide dog.
> > I hope this helps.
> >
> > --
> > Raul Gallegos, President
> > National Association of Guide Dog Users
> > (346) 439-7444 • rgallegos at nagdu.org www.nfb.org • www.nagdu.org 
> > Subscribe to the NAGDU public calendar Facebook Group • Email list • 
> > Mastodon “You can live the life you want. Blindness is not what 
> > holds you back.”
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Vanessa Lowery 
> > via NAGDU
> > Sent: Thursday, May 2, 2024 12:22 PM
> > To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users 
> > < nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> > Cc: Vanessa Lowery <val4dogs at gmail.com>
> > Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Rideshare denials
> >
> > I have a question. To give an example, let's say that I have 
> > selected
> Uber
> > and have messaged the driver stating that I will be traveling with a 
> > service dog and will be placing a towel on the floor of the vehicle
> before
> > the dog enters. You continue to wait as the countdown for the 
> > drivers arrival continues. The driver gets two or three minutes out, 
> > and then the next thing you know, You've been switched to another 
> > ride. But before
> that
> > happens, you've gotten a text response back from the driver that 
> > just
> says,
> > "OK.". You assume that the OK means that the driver has no issues 
> > with
> the
> > presence of the service dog. But then, you are suddenly switched to
> another
> > driver. Is that considered a denial? And if not, at a minimum, 
> > should we
> go
> > to the tracking link that the NFB has and report that. And if so, 
> > what is it categorized to be? I have had that happen a few times lately.
> > Vanessa and the zoo
> > Sent from my iPhone
> >
> > > On May 2, 2024, at 7:21 AM, Debbie Malone via NAGDU 
> > > <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi all,
> > > Is NFB still collecting data regarding Uber andLyft service animal
> > denials?
> > > If so where do we report the incidents? Thanks.
> > >
> > > --
> > > *Debbie Malone*
> > >
> > > *National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts*
> > >
> > > *Affiliate Second Vice President*
> > >
> > > *At-Large Chapter President*
> > >
> > > *National Federation of the Blind, National Writers Division Vice
> > > President* *InclusionEducation.com 
> > > <https://inclusioneducation.com/>*
> > > Amazon Author Page <https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B07RVCRR5R>
> > >
> > > *Sent with Right Inbox
> > > <https://www.rightinbox.com/?utm_source=signature>*
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--
*Debbie Malone*

*National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts*

*Affiliate Second Vice President*

*At-Large Chapter President*

*National Federation of the Blind, National Writers Division Vice President* *InclusionEducation.com <https://inclusioneducation.com/>*
Amazon Author Page <https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B07RVCRR5R>
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