Couple With Service Dog Says Uber Drivers Denied Them A Ride

On Nov. 8, Chelsea resident Sarah Wiles waited outside the Market Basket there for an Uber ride, along with her boyfriend, Ben Chase, and her guide dog, Atlas.

ut what is usually a routine task ended with the couple going through four different drivers, two of whom declined to give the trio a ride due to Atlas.

And it isn’t the first time Wiles, who is blind, said that she’s struggled to get a ride from a ride service company due to having service dog.

“It’s happened at least a dozen times over the past two years,” Wiles said, noting that if a driver cancels her ride, it’s usually when she either texts or calls them to let them know she has Atlas with her. “It’s pretty common.”

In the end, Wiles filed a complaint with Uber. One of the four drivers was terminated, and one was reprimanded, Wiles said, which she learned via an email from an Uber investigator. The company released a statement to Boston.com, noting that it investigated the incident.

“We are upset to hear about this rider’s poor experience and have taken appropriate action,” a statement from a company spokesperson said. “Drivers who use the Uber app agree to accommodate riders with service animals and comply with their independent obligations under accessibility laws.”

In a Facebook post from the night it happened, Wiles noted that she texted the first driver to let them know that she had her guide dog with her as she, Chase, who is also visually impaired, and Atlas waited outside. That driver then cancelled, and Wiles said this was the driver that was reprimanded.

Uber automatically reassigned the ride to another driver. Wiles said that driver arrived, and then the app noted the ride had been cancelled. The same happened for a third.

For the fourth driver, Wiles said she decided to call him to just let him know that she had her service dog. This driver “expressed disbelief” that Atlas is a service dog, Wiles said. In her Facebook post, Wiles said this driver said, “I don’t take dogs.” That’s the driver that was terminated.

In the accessibility portion of its website, Uber notes that drivers receive an in-app notification that states they must accept service dogs. The company also sends out a quarterly email about transporting service dogs.

It’s against state and federal law for a driver to deny someone a ride due to a service animal, Uber says on part of its website dedicated to its service animal policy. It’s also against Uber’s Non-Discrimination Policy, and if a driver violates the policy and discriminates against someone with a service dog, they “will lose their ability to use the Driver App.”

“Driver-partners have a legal obligation to provide service to riders with service animals,” the website says.

For Wiles, she said that people should be able to do the necessary tasks for their job.

“I don’t take any pleasure from anyone losing their job or losing their source of income,” she said.

Wiles said her goal with talking about the issue publicly is to call attention to it, and “effect positive change” for people who rely on service animals.

“I don’t think anyone should feel dehumanized or devalued just trying to get home from shopping for groceries,” she said.

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