KEVIN STENT/Things
Nina Gellert was verbally assaulted and refused service by an Uber driver when she tried to get a lift from her Kelburn condo — all because of her well-trained service dog, Val.
An epileptic woman says she was verbally abused and refused service by an Uber driver when she tried to get a lift from her Wellington flat – because of her well-trained service dog, Val.
Nina Gellert can’t legally drive because of her epilepsy. She called an Uber to pick her up Wednesday evening for a short ride to an apartment viewing. As always, her black labrador Val was with her.
Val has had four years of training and has an ID card – she can alert the nearest adult when Gellert has a seizure and is trained to bring her water and medicine.
But Gellert says the Uber driver who arrived Wednesday night refused to listen when Gellert said Val was a service dog, instead telling her she was “in the wrong mind.” He left her in the dark on the side of the road without watching a ride to her flat.
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KEVIN STENT/Things
Black Labrador Val has had four years of training and even has an ID card – she can alert the nearest adult when Gellert has a seizure and is trained to bring her water and medicine.
Legally, people with assistance dogs should be treated the same as any other customer, as assistance dogs are not the same as pets. Uber also has a specific guide dog policy, and a spokesperson said the incident “does not reflect the behavior we expect.”
Many Uber drivers — Gellert estimates one in five — don’t want a dog in their car, which is fine as long as they’re respectful, she said. Many people are not aware that service dogs are different from pets, especially if they don’t wear the same red coat as guide dogs for the blind.
“I’ve certainly had people before who were rude to me or refused to hire me. I usually like to call another Uber if someone has a problem with dogs, such as a phobia or an allergy.”
Wednesday night, the response was “more extreme,” Gellert said.
KEVIN STENT/Things
Val wears a purple coat from the NZ Epilepsy Assist Dog Trust.
The Uber driver started “badging” her as soon as he saw Val and said “no dogs”. She says he called her “mentally r…….”, an imbecile, and said “this service is not for people like you”.
He wouldn’t listen when Gellert offered to show False identification. He got out, yelled at her, canceled the ride and left her outside.
Gellert felt upset, insulted and frustrated. “I was quite furious,” she said.
ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF
Paul Hutcheson thinks Nellie’s guide dog from his Blind Low Vision NZ fits in well with his active lifestyle.
Fortunately, she was on time for the viewing of the flat after asking her neighbors, who were on the way, for a ride.
Gellert has had Val by her side for six years, since she was 15 years old. She has frequent partial seizures, which are not as visible as the classic tonic-clonic seizures, but which leave her unable to ‘fully understand or function normally’.
She filed a complaint with Uber, but stuff understands that it is unlikely that the driver will be banned from the platform.
KEVIN STENT/Things
Many Uber drivers — Gellert estimates one in five — don’t want a dog in their car, which is fine as long as they’re respectful, she said.
An Uber spokesperson said “we do not tolerate abuse”. The company “will take the necessary steps to ensure that Uber continues to be a welcoming, inclusive service for all,” they said.
The company has launched a Service Assistance Program that allows users with assistance dogs to sign up.
“More generally, we know that refusal of service animals is a problem across society, and unfortunately, rideshare is not immune. Our goal is always to inform driver partners about service animals when they sign up for the app, through specific training modules and then on a regular, ongoing basis.”