Uber banned a driver from their platform for kicking a pair of riders to the curb.
The news broke on NBC with the rider, Kristin Gauthier told reporters that the driver kicked her and her girlfriend out of the car — for being lesbians.
What Happened?
Kristin Gauthier and her girlfriend Jenn Mangan were on their way to a Zac Brown Band concert in Camden, New Jersey on Friday, September 8th, 2019. Captured on video, the incident now has more than 30,000 views.
The incident shows why all drivers need a camera. You can be sure your riders always have access to theirs.
The Rider’s Perspective
According to Kristin Gauthier, she leaned in to kiss her girlfriend on the cheek. Then she said, “Let’s have a great night.” After the kiss on the cheek, the driver apparently went off. It occurred before the video recording.
The driver instructed the couple to get out of the car and said, “I don’t support that; she’s your girlfriend.”
The video shows the rest of the interaction wherein the driver continues to instruct the rider to leave the car and even smacks the rider’s phone.
Then Came The Rider Reporting The Uber Driver
If you’ve watched the video, you know what happened. Upon returning home through a half-mile of rain and finding alternative transportation, the rider reported the driver.
Uber support responded to the complaint within an hour. According to the reports, Uber had removed the driver from the platform immediately.
“Uber does not tolerate discrimination in any form, and we have been in contact with this rider,” Grant Klinzman, a spokesperson for the company, wrote in an emailed statement to NBC News.
“We removed the driver’s access to the app as soon as we were made aware of this incident.”
Not the First Instance of Discrimination Against LGBTQ Riders
But, it should be the last — if drivers who have different values wish to stay on the platform. While other incidents have occurred, none have gotten this much traction in the national news or on social media. You can bet that cameras will be out and about wary of this kind of behavior in the future. Whether or not you agree with the incident on either side, if you are smart, you will steer clear of discrimination as you drive.
