Uber Driver Allegedly Refuses To Drive Pregnant Woman In Labor To The Hospital, Charges Her $13
Uber, the alternative-to-taxis app for the 21st century, has faced its share of scrutiny over the past few years by seemingly discriminating against people with disabilities and the blind. Now, a new allegation has surfaced of an Uber driver refusing to drive a pregnant woman in labor to the hospital.
David Lee and his wife, who did not want to be identified, summoned an Uber car using the popular app when Lee’s wife began going into labor. They figured their 3-mile ride from their New York City apartment to the hospital would be relatively simple. Unfortunately, they were wrong.
According to Fortune, when the Uber car arrived, the driver saw Lee’s wife throw up on the sidewalk and immediately refused to take them. The driver said he would lose $1,000 a day if Lee’s wife got sick in the car, and no other driver in the city would be willing to drive them the short distance. After much begging and pleading from the Lees and their birthing coach, the driver then charged them $13 and drove off.
Thankfully, the next driver the Lees summoned through the Uber app was more than happy to accommodate the expectant parents, and a few hours later a healthy baby boy was born.
“I don’t blame Uber for one driver’s poor actions, since bad apples can appear in any organization, but I do think that when a company has a culture of bullying their way past laws and regulations, as Uber seems to do, they begin to think they can act with impunity in anything,” Lee told Fortune.
Uber eventually refunded Lee his $13 but, according to Lee, it was very difficult to obtain the full name of the first driver from an Uber representative. Uber reached out to Medical Daily and stated each Uber driver’s license plate number, for-hire vehicle number, Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) license number, company the driver is affiliated with, and information on how to submit a complaint to the NYC TLC is all included at the bottom of the trip receipt.
"Denying service to a passenger in labor is unacceptable: it goes against our code of conduct and the standard of service our riders rely on," a spokesperson for Uber said in a statement to Medical Daily. "We extend our deepest apologies to both riders and have taken action to respond to this complaint. We are glad that the rider’s next driver was professional and courteous. As always, we will continue to ensure that all riders and drivers understand and the shared standard of respect, accountability, and courtesy for everyone in the Uber community."