Lyft Driver Allegedly Refused To Pick Up A Passenger With A Service Dog, Violating ADA Guidelines — But People Are Defending The Driver
She may have violated the The Americans with Disabilities Act, but the internet was on her side.
24K-Production | Shutterstock People with disabilities face all kinds of discrimination. One woman recently experienced this firsthand when a Lyft driver refused to give her a ride because of her service dog.
What the Lyft driver seemed to forget, however, is that ADA guidelines do not allow for that refusal.
The Lyft driver allegedly refused to pick up a passenger with a service dog, violating ADA guidelines
The would-be passenger, @growing.gimli on TikTok, posted a video of a black SUV driving away from her.
“So, that Lyft driver would not take us because I have a service dog,” she said. “So, yay for that lady.”
“She completely denied us a ride because I had my service dog with me," she continued. "Thanks, Lyft!”
The woman then showed a picture of her service dog, Gimli, in the video with the caption, “So scary…”
The woman claimed in the video’s caption that this was “discrimination” and went against the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The majority of people who commented on the video sided with the Lyft driver.
Despite the discrimination this woman claimed to have faced, no one online seemed to be on her side.
“I love dogs. I got a couple of them,” one person admitted. “They are not allowed in my car.”
“That could have been avoided if you had told them beforehand so you can get a driver that would,” another commenter added.
“Good for them!” a third wrote. “It’s their vehicle!”
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One user shared a personal experience working for a rideshare company. “Uber has an option for drivers to [pick up] passengers with dogs,” they explained. “I did once [and] never again because it took me one and a half hours to clean up all the hair, and I lost money during the busiest time.”
A quick look at the comments on the video showed that people were overwhelmingly in support of the driver and her choice to not let a dog into her personal vehicle. People applauded her for standing up for herself.
Despite what the commenters may think, the passenger was in the right here.
Although fellow TikTokers were largely on the driver’s side of the argument, the law — and Lyft's own policy — stands with the passenger.
On Lyft’s website, it says, “When it comes to transporting riders with service animals, drivers on the Lyft platform should remember one thing: Always Say Yes. You’re required by the law and Lyft’s policy to always accommodate service animals, even if you have an allergy, religious or cultural objections, or a fear of them.”
24K-Production | Shutterstock
Ultimately, when you sign up to drive a rideshare, you risk potentially running into a client with a service animal. If you deny them a ride, there can be consequences.
"If a driver refuses a rider with a service animal, the driver could face immediate and permanent deactivation if an investigation into the alleged denial verifies a wrongful denial," Lyfts policy states, noting that "even independent contractors have to follow the law."
Uber has a similar policy, and both companies' websites offer a way to report drivers who do not follow it.
But, frankly, the rideshare's policies are irrelevant. What's more important is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which states that “Generally, businesses and non-profits that are open to the public as well as state/local governments must allow service animals to go most places where the public can go. This is true even if they have a ‘no pets’ policy.”
As dog trainer and content creator @caninewondersco pointed out in a video, "Service dogs are legally considered medical equipment."
“In the eyes of the law, service dogs are the same as wheelchairs, canes, oxygen tanks, etc. This is why they have the rights that they do and are allowed to accompany their handler almost everywhere,” they continued. “If you wouldn't exclude somebody with a wheelchair, then you can't exclude somebody with a service dog.”
Breaking ADA guidelines can lead to lawsuits and hefty fines of up to $75,000 for a single violation.
So, while a Lyft driver can deny a ride to a passenger with a pet. they cannot do so to a passenger with a service animal. It's against the law, no matter what the slew of commenters on TikTok believe.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news and human interest topics.