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Uber Driver fired & arrested for not taking service animal.

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UberLaLa

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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article88139382.html

Florida Uber driver arrested after refusing ride to blind man, service dog.

Associated Press

ORLANDO
An Uber driver in Florida was arrested after deputies say he refused to transport a group of blind people and their service dogs.

According to news outlets, citing an arrest report, 60-year-old Simon Pierre Andre Nau was picking up Robert Stigile, who's blind, and other blind people in Stigile's group Monday night in Orlando.

Stigile says that when Nau showed up, he said, "I don't take dogs." Stigile explained the dogs were service animals and Nau allegedly replied "I don't care."

Stigile says he was standing in the open door frame and felt the car move forward, striking him.

Orange County Sheriff's deputies arrested Nau on charges of failure to transport a blind person with a service dog and battery.

Deputies say Nau laughed about the incident as if he "didn't fully understand that he had broken the law." It's unclear if Nau has an attorney.

 
T

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#6 ·
SMH Uber said:
And what if a person has allergies to animal hair and can verify from doctor? Should the blind persons disability supercede a person with allergies. After all it is his car. That could also be considered a disability, (maybe a stretch). But people do die from having contact with allergens.
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That's a fine, legitimate question. If you don't want that dog or any service animal in your car, I would suggest you come up with another reason that has nothing to do with the fact that you don't want the dog in your car. Even if you have a life threatening allergy which would be pretty surprising but even if it's true, you'd be better off claiming you suddenly had a migraine. The ADA is taken very seriously. There are a ton of disability rights organizations which have a lot of power both in Washington and in every state. You will lose to them. This guy in Florida is in much deeper than he realizes and you're better off not fighting it. Say you have a migraine and you'll be ok.
 
D

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#7 ·
Tedgey said:
That's a fine, legitimate question. If you don't want that dog or any service animal in your car, I would suggest you come up with another reason that has nothing to do with the fact that you don't want the dog in your car. Even if you have a life threatening allergy which would be pretty surprising but even if it's true, you'd be better off claiming you suddenly had a migraine. The ADA is taken very seriously. There are a ton of disability rights organizations which have a lot of power both in Washington and in every state. You will lose to them. This guy in Florida is in much deeper than he realizes and you're better off not fighting it. Say you have a migraine and you'll be ok.
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No, the driver wouldn't be ok with just saying they have a migraine. That would be just as illegal.
 
T

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#8 ·
Demon said:
No, the driver wouldn't be ok with just saying they have a migraine. That would be just as illegal.
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My comment was intended as what to do if you've made up your mind and are committed to not taking the dog. Clearly the right thing to do and the only thing the law allows is for you to accept the passenger with the service animal. But if for whatever reason you've decided you're just not going to do that then you'd be better off not including the animal in your excuse.
 
D

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#9 ·
Tedgey said:
My comment was intended as what to do if you've made up your mind and are committed to not taking the dog. Clearly the right thing to do and the only thing the law allows is for you to accept the passenger with the service animal. But if for whatever reason you've decided you're just not going to do that then you'd be better off not including the animal in your excuse.
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I'm going to disagree with you that any driver would be
"better off" doing that. The passenger will (hopefully) rightly report a driver for doing that and the driver will be just as deactivated.
 
T

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#13 ·
Demon said:
Picking up the passenger and taking them to their destination.
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Indeed. You sound like a lot of fun. I thought I was clear in my premise so you're either unable to process hypotheticals or you're trying to prove a point that's already been proven.

We're on the same side on this. A very wise man once said
Tedgey said:
Clearly the right thing to do and the only thing the law allows is for you to accept the passenger with the service animal
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Brings tears to your eyes, no? And in case you want to see more evidence of my willingness to argue this side, enjoy the comments and argument that took place here

http://cms.mentalfloss.com/article/67010/16-things-you-might-not-know-about-uber-and-its-drivers

But there are people in the world that are deathly afraid of dogs/cats/cockatoos you name it. And for some people that fear overrides a lot of stuff including the ADA. And if one of them happens to drive an Uber, or if one of the few that happens to have a life threatening allergy to dogs happens to drive an Uber, or if for whatever their reason, they've "made up [their] mind and are committed to not taking the dog," then what would you suggest.

Remember, we're playing make believe here. We all know what the right thing to do is, but this is a hypothetical.
 
D

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#15 ·
Tedgey said:
Indeed. You sound like a lot of fun. I thought I was clear in my premise so you're either unable to process hypotheticals or you're trying to prove a point that's already been proven.

We're on the same side on this. A very wise man once said

Brings tears to your eyes, no? And in case you want to see more evidence of my willingness to argue this side, enjoy the comments and argument that took place here

http://cms.mentalfloss.com/article/67010/16-things-you-might-not-know-about-uber-and-its-drivers

But there are people in the world that are deathly afraid of dogs/cats/cockatoos you name it. And for some people that fear overrides a lot of stuff including the ADA. And if one of them happens to drive an Uber, or if one of the few that happens to have a life threatening allergy to dogs happens to drive an Uber, or if for whatever their reason, they've "made up [their] mind and are committed to not taking the dog," then what would you suggest.

Remember, we're playing make believe here. We all know what the right thing to do is, but this is a hypothetical.
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They should work on getting over their fear or not work in the service industry.
 
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