Last Updated on: 10th January 2016, 02:23 pm
So yesterday I had my first refusal by an Uber driver. I had a cart full of groceries and the fellow just kept saying no dog in car, and even tried once to tell me to put the dog in the trunk. Nope, no dog in trunk. He actually got quite hostile, and told me I couldn’t force him to do anything. Nope, but I can report you to Uber. Then the guy was so dumb that after refusing to take me, I had to cancel the trip from my end, and then he tried to accept me again and then said oh you’re the one with the dog? No! So, it was not a good day.
I found this blog post about Uber and guide dogs that had a lot of good tips. I don’t think I’d have any idea how to find any hair with a sticky roller, but that’s a good idea if you can pull it off.
The idea of having a card on me that says “Uber” might be handy in those big parking lots.
I’m not sure if texting this guy or more visibly holding the harness would have helped, but I perhaps should have done that. I always worry if I text, he’ll just cancel straight away.
It was alarming how sure this guy was that he didn’t have to take service dogs. It was also alarming that he said to me “I would have taken you and helped you even if you didn’t have money.” A. how is that possible with Uber, and B. what are you implying? That I’m broke because I’m blind? Get bent, Mr. Uber driver.
At any rate, when I reported him, I got a call from Uber support within a couple of hours, and the cancellation fee was refunded. Also, another driver came pretty quickly.
I have to laugh though. This guy was so unobservant that later that night, after he had refused me twice, and support had called me, when I was in the same area, he tried to accept me again. I just rejected him and tried again because I just wasn’t going to have it.
But I will try to keep these things in mind in the rare time I have a situation like this. The most I’d had before this was a guy not being sure we’d all fit, or not realizing it’s a guide dog, but they’re usually reasonable. This guy just got louder and louder.