BOSTON (WHDH) — A legally blind Boston woman said an Uber driver refused to give her a ride because of her service dog.
Milissa Garside said she called for an Uber Saturday night as part of an MBTA program that shares costs for the Uber trip as an alternative to their RIDE program. Garside and her boyfriend Richard Welch said half of the time they call for rides, the driver refuses to give them a ride because of her service dog.
“I’m very angry over this issue because it keeps happening again and again,” said Garside.
On Saturday night, Welch said the driver closed the window on his hand and took off, dragging him 10 feet down the street. Welch needed stitches after he got cuts and road rash on his fingers and arms.
“We are sorry to hear about this disturbing report and we are reaching out to check on the rider’s well-being,” Uber said in a statement. “Drivers are expected to accommodate riders with service animals and comply with all accessibility laws.” Boston Police said they are also investigating the incident.
Uber said the driver has been removed from the app. However, Garside and Welch said they are not convinced Uber is doing enough to make sure its drivers know they are required to give rides to people with service animals.
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