Yahoo News Mum knew exactly what to do when Uber driver shouted 'no dogs'
A mum was left feeling “degraded” after a taxi man refused to take her and her guide dog.
Samantha Ralfe, originally from Nantwich, Cheshire, had her “whole day ruined” when Uber driver Alin-Daniel Militaru drove off after seeing Samantha had her assistance dog, Bailey, with her.
The mum-of-one, who is registered blind, had ordered a lift from her home in St Helens to take her to work in Chester. However, after the incident, Samantha was left late for work and feeling frustrated.
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The 32-year-old told the ECHO: “It was just a normal day for me and when I ordered the Uber I took Bailey out of her harness so she could be more comfortable. But when the taxi arrived, the driver just started shouting ‘no dogs’. I whipped out my phone and started recording because unfortunately, I know how video evidence helps in these situations.
“It’s not fun knowing I have to pre-accuse drivers they are going to do something on the basis of what if. It is really degrading. Every time I go to work, I use Uber and it gives me a constant feeling of fear and anxiety. It starts to bubble up and I fear not going to work because of it. It’s every single day.
“Taxi drivers get trained on it and it is in their contract so they know they have to (take guide dogs). In my experience, it is just down to people not wanting to follow the rules.”
After Mr Militaru drove off and cancelled the trip, Uber automatically gave Samantha another driver but by this time, she said it had a “snowball effect” on the rest of her day.
An Uber spokesperson told the ECHO: “It is totally unacceptable for a driver to refuse to carry a guide dog, and we investigate every report carefully. Licensed private hire drivers are required by law to carry guide dogs, and we make this clear to all drivers before they start using the Uber app.
“We can and do permanently remove drivers' access to the app if they violate this obligation, and we report such drivers to licensing authorities in line with local licensing conditions."
Under the Equality Act 2010, it is against the law for service providers, including taxi drivers, to treat disabled people “less favourably because of their disability, or because they rely on an assistance dog or guide dog”.
Golden Labrador, Bailey, has been with Samantha for six years now and she said the pup is much more than just an assistance dog to her.
She said: “She is everything to me. She is my eyes and my protection. She protects me from things coming towards me, I can’t cross the road without her. I travel on foot for work between clients and I wouldn’t be able to do any of that without her.”
Samantha, who was born with cataracts in her eyes, also said it is because of Bailey that she can take her three-year-old son, Leo, to nursery and back.
The mum reported Mr Militaru to Sefton Council who then revoked his taxi licence. He tried to appeal the decision, but Liverpool Magistrates Court upheld the decision made by the council.
A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: “It is an offence to refuse guide and assistance dogs from access to any licenced vehicle such as a taxi. Doing so can result in fines of up to £5,000 and, in this particular case, having your taxi driver's license revoked.
"Upon investigating this case we found that the driver had no cause to refuse access to this individual's guide dog and in doing so caused considerable distress to the person involved.
"We are pleased that the courts have upheld our decision to revoke the driver's taxi licence and we hope this serves as a warning to others that we will take strong action against anyone who refuses assistance dogs."
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