Man with Service Dog Says He's Denied Rides in Ride-Share Services Like Uber
Ryan Honick says he gets denied rides because of his service dog.
“I think a lot of rideshare drivers think that they’re above the law, and the reality is that they’re not,” he stated.
Honick was matched with his service dog Pico in 2014. The 71-pound lad helps him with tasks that his cerebral palsy can make difficult.
“He helps me with opening doors and drawers and picking up items that I’ve dropped,” he explained. “You know, I’ve always got a partner by my side.”
Honick says he became frustrated after Uber and Lyft drivers started refusing him rides because of Pico, even when Honick didn’t have his wheelchair — so he started documenting the interactions.
“For the longest time I would experience this, where I would call and I would get into a conversation with these drivers who would refuse to take us. And I would call and I’d report it,” he said. “It quickly escalated into, well, the driver said this never happened.”
Since posting the videos, Honick says one driver has been banned, but he says Uber hasn’t been consistent in getting back to him. He says he’s mostly gotten DMs asking for more information and hasn’t gotten a phone call once. He says he doesn’t want to pursue legal action and is instead interested in spreading education and awareness.