Couple With Service Dog Says Multiple Uber Drivers Refused to Pick Them Up

Multiple Uber drivers are accused of refusing to pick up two disabled passengers because of their service dog.

Sarah Wiles of Chelsea, Massachusetts, is blind. She uses a guide dog named Atlas to get around. Her boyfriend, Ben Chase, is visually impaired. The three had just wrapped up grocery shopping at Market Basket in Chelsea Friday night when they called an Uber. They say that one after another, drivers approached, then canceled upon learning they had a service dog.

"It felt really dehumanizing and upsetting and frustrating because we were outside in the freezing cold for 20 minutes with a cart full of groceries and the dog," Wiles said.

"We shouldn't have to fight to have the same right or the same equal treatment that everyone else gets," Chase added.

They say they filed a report with Uber, yet they still got charged for a cancelled trip.

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

Contact Us